Histogram exposure, when theory meets reality

[Ed Okie]

Martin, I can well relate to your 3-stop Tibet images. It is a similar lighting situation I often face with Great White Herons standing in a pasture/swamp which creates a very dark/black backdrop.
Likewise, a recent macro shoot of white irises (flowers), trying to capture detail in the white petals and water dew drops, and retain any semblance of mid-tone, particularly shadow detail in the background.
I haven't found an answer.
(An aside: my expertise is that of behind the camera, less so with computer software - a storyline likely played out by a majority of professional photographers. How Noel is able to work his magic with the software continues to leave me in awe.)

[Noel_Carboni]

Yes, I set the color temperature and green/violet sliders to the exact same values for all 4 images. No other differences in any of the settings besides the Exposure slider. This is pretty easy to do in Camera Raw... Drop all 4 .cr2 files on Photoshop, Camera Raw comes up with the 4 images along the left side. Click on the "Select All" button at the top, then move the sliders, which sets them identically for all 4 images. Then select each one and move the Exposure slider.

-Noel

[AngelMorales]

Originally Posted by AndrewCassino

Anyone that really wants to give the "expose to the right" technique full consideration would do well to get their hands on a copy of Bruce Fraser's Real World Camera Raw. The description there of the mathematics involved is clear, and systematic procedures are given for handling ETTR images in Adobe Camera RAW. The technique is easily extended to other RAW converters once you really understand what you are doing in ACR.

While it took me just a few hours to get the basic idea and demonstrate for myself that the results were very worthwhile, it still required a few weeks of concerted practice for the technique to become second nature. It is counter-intuitive but it applies to all sorts of images including low-key. This is a place in digital photography where one must really depart from their film instincts and knowledge.

Yes, the ETTR technique can be very disruptive in an established workflow so it requires careful testing and preparation before doing so. However, it's demonstrably a powerful technique for extracting the very best quality from an image file. Furthermore mastering the technqiue has given me a far, far better understanding of what a histogram is telling me about my images, and how to use a RAW converter, than I ever had before. It's a very valuable technique and any serious photographer ignores it at their own peril!

Hey,
I have to agree with you whole heartedly on this subject. I shoot weddings and other events on that rarest of occasions and find that without utilizing my histogram, I am virtually at the mercy of what appears to be a normal image demonstrated on the LCD, but what is truly a poorly exposed image over all. I regularly pay close attention to the histogram and incorporate it into every shoot I do, whether shooting in a studio set up, or available with just ambient light, or shooting with my SB800. I especially pay close attention to it when shooting flash on camera. I find that there is no way for me to get a proper exposure without monitoring what is going on with the histogram. For me at least, there is no way to work without it if shooting digital. ETTR all the way baby!
Angel

[Martin_Kristiansen]

Havn't forgotten you Noel. Just too busy to upload the files you want and they are on a computer at home

[DierkHaasis]

Originally Posted by AngelMorales

I have to agree with you whole heartedly on this subject. [...] I find that there is no way for me to get a proper exposure without monitoring what is going on with the histogram. [...] ETTR all the way baby!

There are two different proclamations in this, one everybody here will most likely agree with, one some of us contend. There is nothing wrong [and almost everything right] with checking the histogram for exposure - as Mike Johnston pointed out on his blog several times, who needs a light meter anymore? - but how to interpret and act upon it is quite a different matter.

ETTR, Expose To The Right, is an act upon an interpretation of statistics. A completely different matter.

[AngelMorales]

Understanding and interpreting what a histogram is telling you, the photographer, is as fundamental to shooting a correct exposure and getting the best out of your photographic equipment, as it was and still is today interpreting and understanding your light meter, lens, film stock and camera was yesterday and still is today. it is another accessory some out there would rather do with out, but I for one, will likely never agree with not having a need for it. I think that understanding what it is saying and telling us as we shoot an image, we need to get our brains around it as we have any other facet of photography. It has become a basic requirement to good picture making. Whether we understand what all of the other tech geeks are saying about linear transformation or not, judging a good and or bad histogram has now become part of the equation barr none.
Angel