How to achieve perfect exposure by utilizing in-camera tools and properly evaluating RAW files

 

 

Photographer Greg Benz has created three new videos to help photographers achieve the right exposure in camera. In the three-part video series below, Greg covers what to do before clicking the shutter, reviewing the RGB histogram on your camera and reviewing your RAW file on your computer respectively.

Your camera’s meter can do an excellent job in many situations, but it can struggle with high contrast scenes, such as those at sunrise and sunset. It gives a general evaluation of a scene, but doesn’t give you any information about whether you have clipped highlights and/or shadows. There are different ways to evaluate exposure in your camera, including a live histogram while shooting with a mirrorless camera or using Live View with a DSLR.

When in the field, you can review your images to determine if you need to change your exposure settings. To do this, you should be able to read an RGB histogram and glean useful information from it. Learn more about that in the video below.

Once you’re at your computer, you can get a true look at your RAW files and evaluate the exposure of your images. Here we can also learn more about our camera’s capability and be able to determine in which situations we may need to use multiple exposures.

If you want to learn more about achieving perfect exposures, Benz has also written an e-Book, which you can get for free by signing up for his newsletter. To learn more from Greg Benz, visit his website and YouTube channel.

(Via ISO 1200)