digital needs perfect exposures

[jerrymeola]

I follow a lot of forums and feel newcomers to ditigal fail to recognize the need for perfect exposures.

Images can look good on a screen and hide basic problems in technique.

I have a hard time criticising someones elses photos so I will only bash my own.



this photo might be considered good and the defects could be hidden more with darkening in photoshop and more saturation. I can even hide the white blowout on the butterfly's body. But it still will not get past my reject pile.



this is the same butterfly only minutes later with no change in lighting but better exposure a full 1 1/2 EV less exposure (1/220 f7.6 vs 1/80 at 7.6)and both were taken at -1EV since from experience I knew the spot meter on my CP4500 would read te exposure wrong and overexpose.

More important then the blown highlights is the color range across the wings. Darkening and Saturating the color in photoshop will not handle the suttle range of color loss in the overexposure.

The first shot might look good if you did not realise now much better it could have looked.

[Bytephoto]

Thanks for sharing and explaining this important factor in digital photography.

I personnally do the same -EV and when spot metering I look for the closest medium tone, meter it, then re frame and shoot.

example

[jerrymeola]

I recognized the good exposue of your shot when I first saw it.

I would like to point out to newbies that neither I nor you are UNDEREXPOSING the picture when we use -1EV we are just correcting for a bad meter reading.

If we had used a separate hand held meter we would have had the correct light reading.

Digital cameras put a lot in a camera for a small price. You can pay more for a good handheld meter than most cameras cost. A major problem is cameras must read reflective light (what bounces off the subject) whereas the best readings come from reading incident light (the light falling on the subject).

The point is to learn what is happening and adjust from the experience learned.

[IcarusFree]

Good comments and observations Jerry and RVB. I am a new comer to photography, and began with digital. Film was never rewarding to me because of the "wait time".

Therefore I may be falling prey of my inexperience and not getting the most of my camera and pictures.

Jerry, RVB and all other members, I would appreciate if you can take a look at my picts and let me your comments and how and what can be improved, as well as comments on what you liked. That will help me to become a better photographer. I do not mind constructive critique and I will grateful for your time if you can take a look at my portfolio. Thanks in advance.