Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2009/01/15
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Ted you should keep on shooting Raw and developing your photos exactly like you are now. If you are happy with your current process and it works for you then you don't need to change anything. Especially if you don't refer to histograms or any other digital voodoo there but just adjust your photos until they look right for you. A histogram is just a graph if you like that shows you how much of your image is highlights, mid -tones etc. Lots of high lines to the right means lots of highlights. A graph (histogram) chopped off at one end means some tones have been lost. Very basically, what Tina and others have said if that they don't mind underexposing a little because they feel that will help them avoid blowing highlights (chopping off at the right end of the histogram). Just think of shooting your M8 the way you shot slide film before. The voodoo part is when you keep as many of the highlights as you can right up to the point where they are clipped you can use that raw information if you want to get in there and make a lot of adjustments to the image later. The trick is knowing when the highlights are chopped off completely. Much depends on how you meter and what you are photographing, of course. Doug's second shot is a textbook example of meticulous exposure for his subject. The main subject is all lights and it was vital that he retain all of the detail in those. Note though that there are almost no tones in the bottom 25% (the darks). Where you brain starts to hurt is that a meter reading on the white animal SHOULD THEORETICALLY render the white coat as middle grey so the exposure should be increased. But Doug has decreased the exposure because he knows his subject, his light, his meter and his sensor really really well and it was imperative that none of the light coat be blown into pure white. But then the camera or software are shifting all the tones around so they make sense for our vision. Then the software is making an automated exposure adjustment out of THAT like your corner mini-lab making colour prints! Doug and I had this discussion once before using a very high key image of his previously (an egret). If you are willing to work at the original Raw files you can get a LOT of information out of the highlights. At the end of the day, the only thing that matters is what works for YOU. I think you should get Henning or someone around with a bunch of beers and sushi and sit in front of your computer together if you want to understand more. Cheers Geoff http://www.pbase.com/hoppyman/e http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/gh/ Pick up your camera and make the best photo you can. -----Original Message----- From: lug-bounces+hoppyman=bigpond.net.au@leica-users.org [mailto:lug-bounces+hoppyman=bigpond.net.au@leica-users.org] On Behalf Of Ted Grant Sent: Friday, 16 January 2009 10:42 To: 'Leica Users Group' Subject: RE: [Leica] Question about M8 exposure Doug Herr answered and showed: Subject: RE: [Leica] Question about M8 exposure >> Not each time but where it makes the difference between this http://wildlightphoto.com/temp/dash01.jpg and this http://wildlightphoto.com/mammals/artiodactyls/dash01.jpg you bet I'll do it.<< Hi Doug, Beautiful example, thank you very much. OK now I understand why one would make changes. So you shoot the first scene, look not at picture screen, but at the history screen and???????????????? Then you "squggle something to the right side of the screen. What? This maybe off the wall impossible to explain in e-mail fashion, if so not to worry, thanks. Now you folks have me turned on to learn this I'll hang tough with it and learn. I can get one of the locals give me a show and tell. But now I visually understand where and when one would make changes. But is it not an adjustment you'd do only under certain situations where one requires better detail in whites? Other wise one leaves it alone? Ted Ted Grant wrote: >>>> You can't be serious that each time you shoot, you turn on the mountain screen, twiddle something to supposedly make image better, turn off screen and return to shoot?..... Is it truly an absolute necessity? <<<< Not each time but where it makes the difference between this http://wildlightphoto.com/temp/dash01.jpg and this http://wildlightphoto.com/mammals/artiodactyls/dash01.jpg you bet I'll do it. Doug Herr Birdman of Sacramento http://www.wildlightphoto.com -------------------------------------------------------------------- mail2web.com - What can On Demand Business Solutions do for you? http://link.mail2web.com/Business/SharePoint _______________________________________________ Leica Users Group. See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com Version: 8.0.176 / Virus Database: 270.10.7/1895 - Release Date: 1/15/2009 7:46 AM _______________________________________________ Leica Users Group. See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information