6 Replies Latest reply: Jan 11, 2012 7:22 AM by Lee Jay RSS

    LR4 exposure in an ETTR world?

    jrsforums Community Member

      Eric, how will the new exposure slider (and others, if germane) perform when exposing using ETTR principles?

       

      With 2010, when we overexposed (without clipping) we would start in LR by reducing the exposure to the range as if it had been exposed normal.  This exposure reduction was similar to the cameras, without any brightness component.

       

      What does the 2012 exposure slider do in a similar situation?

       

      Thanks, John

        • 1. Re: LR4 exposure in an ETTR world?
          Lee Jay Community Member

          Works better, IMHO.  Just adjust the exposure slider for the midtones (which could still mean moving right even with ETTR), and move on from there.  If that leaves the brights too bright, pull them back with highlights.

          • 2. Re: LR4 exposure in an ETTR world?
            jrsforums Community Member

            Hi, LJ...

             

            Unless I am reading your post wrong, I think we are talking about moving the exposure slider in different directions.

             

            I am talking about moving the LR exposure slider to the left.....to reduce the (overexposed) ETTR in camera shot.

             

            John

            • 3. Re: LR4 exposure in an ETTR world?
              MadManChan2000 Adobe Employee

              Hi Jay,

               

              Exposure in 2012 is optimized for the ETTR workflow and is measured in stops.  So, if you deliberately exposed an extra "N" stops in-camera (i.e., in the field) relative to how you'd actually want the image to appear, then you simply adjust Exposure in Lr 4 Beta to -N and you're done.

               

              For example, suppose the exposure I want (in terms of appearance) is 1/30 sec at f/5.6 and ISO 100.  Let's say I have an extra 1 stop of highlight headroom to play with, so I instead use an exposure time of 1/15 sec, instead of 1/30 sec.  Now, my original capture is 1 stop too bright in appearance.  So it'll look too bright when I initially bring the image into Lr 4 Beta, right?  I then set Exposure to -1 (to offset the extra stop I added in the field).  This will do the correct thing in terms of photographic exposure -- i.e., same result as if I had used 1/30 sec in the field instead of 1/15 sec.

              • 4. Re: LR4 exposure in an ETTR world?
                Lee Jay Community Member

                jrsforums wrote:

                 

                Hi, LJ...

                 

                Unless I am reading your post wrong, I think we are talking about moving the exposure slider in different directions.

                 

                I am talking about moving the LR exposure slider to the left.....to reduce the (overexposed) ETTR in camera shot.

                 

                John

                 

                I know.  What I said still holds.

                • 5. Re: LR4 exposure in an ETTR world?
                  jrsforums Community Member

                  Kay, I agree with you answer.  However, if I had the headroom to ETTR, it would be extremely improbable that the mid tones would be too low.

                  • 6. Re: LR4 exposure in an ETTR world?
                    Lee Jay Community Member

                    jrsforums wrote:

                     

                    Kay, I agree with you answer.  However, if I had the headroom to ETTR, it would be extremely improbable that the mid tones would be too low.

                     

                    Just shooting the last couple of days, I have some images where the raw data is right on the hairy edge of being blown out, and yet I've needed up to +2 Exposure to get the midtones into the right spot.  Pretty high dynamic range scenes.