frankraney Loc: Clovis, Ca.

Sometimes when a photo looks dead and exposed to far left, it can be saved.

I always (well, almost always) have my camera with me in the car. I went to a friends house and did not want to leave the camera in the car in a 100+ degree temp, so I took it inside with me. My friend used to be a freelance photographer 50 years ago. He wanted to see my camera and just picked it up and took a photo of me (he thought). He couldn't get it to focus so I told him i use back button focus, touch the AEL button. He took the shot. The first photo is what he took. The second one is after I took it through light room. I expected it to be really noisy, but it turned out ok.

as shot

(Download)

after a quick adjustment

(Download)

Brucej67 Loc: Cary, NC

I would much rather expose a little to much to the left than clip the highlights, you can always bring back detail, but if you clip the highlights there gone and you can't get them back.

frankraney Loc: Clovis, Ca.

You get the most data by exposing to the right, just before clipping.

I got lucky here. If you do not get enough light for the exposure, you will not get the details and highlights. Exposing to the left to far will get really noisy! Exposing fa enough to the right to blow highlights is also bad, it will wash out. If you have never exposed to the right, I would suggest you look into it. It is better than to the left. Photos are made with light, if you do not get enough of it, the photo will suffer, just like this one did.

Thanks for looking and your comments.

Brucej67 Loc: Cary, NC

I agree, and if you understood my statement, it was the lesser of two evils, expose a little to much to the left and you can still bring back the highlights, but exposing to far to the right where you clip the highlights, you can't recover those clipped highlights.