sharkbait
16-12-2009, 05:34 PM
With all the snow falling, I remembered something I had read recently and thought I'd share with you... cos I'm a nice guy... lol
This is from a book called Digital Photography Masterclass by Tom Ang (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Digital-Photography-Masterclass-Photographic-Image-manipulation/dp/1405315563/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260983878&sr=8-1)
Over-Exposure
There are technical definitions of over-exposure, but there is also a simple practical meaning. Given that the correct exposure for a subject is on that produces the image you wish to create, over-exposure is simply giving more exposure than is needed, with the result that the image is lighter than desired.
Brilliant white (and mid-tone greys)
The reason for relating correct exposure to the type of image we wish to create is to ensure that we keep in mind that exposure has both technical and subjective dimensions. The technically correct exposure for a scene is one in which the averaged luminance distribution - the mean between light and darks - in the scene is reproduced in the averaged image as a mid-tone grey. However, with some Images, we may examine the technically perfect result and feel that a little less exposure would produce a better-looking image: we may want the shadows to be heavier or even black; we may want to colours to be deeper, more intense. that is the subjective coming in. The camera meter is probably not in error - it was simply unable to read your creative mind. By the same token, with some subjects - typically sandy beaches, snowy scenes, brides in white - a technically correct exposure may seem to dark. We want whites to be brilliant; the darkest greys we wish to see are mid-tones or a little darker; we certainly don't want dark shadows.
I will be having a lot more time at work to do this kind of thing so I will be going through my extensive book collection and try find something each day that is relevant... I don't know the legalities of producing these word for word but I am putting in a link to the book so I can't see anyone complaining.
This is from a book called Digital Photography Masterclass by Tom Ang (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Digital-Photography-Masterclass-Photographic-Image-manipulation/dp/1405315563/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260983878&sr=8-1)
Over-Exposure
There are technical definitions of over-exposure, but there is also a simple practical meaning. Given that the correct exposure for a subject is on that produces the image you wish to create, over-exposure is simply giving more exposure than is needed, with the result that the image is lighter than desired.
Brilliant white (and mid-tone greys)
The reason for relating correct exposure to the type of image we wish to create is to ensure that we keep in mind that exposure has both technical and subjective dimensions. The technically correct exposure for a scene is one in which the averaged luminance distribution - the mean between light and darks - in the scene is reproduced in the averaged image as a mid-tone grey. However, with some Images, we may examine the technically perfect result and feel that a little less exposure would produce a better-looking image: we may want the shadows to be heavier or even black; we may want to colours to be deeper, more intense. that is the subjective coming in. The camera meter is probably not in error - it was simply unable to read your creative mind. By the same token, with some subjects - typically sandy beaches, snowy scenes, brides in white - a technically correct exposure may seem to dark. We want whites to be brilliant; the darkest greys we wish to see are mid-tones or a little darker; we certainly don't want dark shadows.
I will be having a lot more time at work to do this kind of thing so I will be going through my extensive book collection and try find something each day that is relevant... I don't know the legalities of producing these word for word but I am putting in a link to the book so I can't see anyone complaining.