Postprocessing an underexposed photo (Lightroom)

nicolasnico · Dec 4, 2016

hello everyone,
my question is about post-processing a picture that underexposed. Generally, my pictures are underexposed so as to bring up (while shooting) the colors I see with my eyes. Requires then postprocessing. Now, I've been struggling with the picture here enclosed. When I change the exposer (in Lightroom), the colors become maybe unreal, I loose the areas of shades vs light...
Any advice? (I'd be interseted to work that out with someone). Thanks!
PS: I would send you the DNG file but it's not possible to upload them.

john.margetts · Dec 4, 2016

On this particular image, no advice I'm afraid. In general, do not under-expose. To get the most information as possible in the image file you need to expose to get the histogram over to the right . You can always get Lightroom to ignore some of the the image information (reduce 'exposure') but you cannot use image information you have not recorded.

weepete · Dec 4, 2016

Here is my attempt

There is no reason to underexpose this shot though, as the dynamic range is fine. By underexposing you are just making things more difficult for yourself in post. If you are trying to keep as much detail as possible then you are better off overexposing as long as you don't blow the highlights as more data is retained at the lighter end (AKA ETTR). By underexposing you just introduce more chance of shadow noise

smoke665 · Dec 4, 2016

As others said it's better to shoot for the correct exposure for the image. However that doesn't mean always expose "right" or "never" underexposed. You didn't say which version of LR you have. Older versions had a Recovery Slider, that has been replaced with a highlights, shadow, black and white slider, in the later versions. Unlike a blown highlight (no detail at all), shadows can hold a lot of detail, by adjusting the sliders, you can recover most of it. In my opinion though you have several other issues. White balance looks wrong, and the only thing I noted even close to being in focus was the large stem (center top), none of the flowerettes were in focus.

The_Traveler · Dec 4, 2016

By underexposing you are losing information and gaining noise.
Expose as far to the right as you can without blowing highlights; that will give you information and will separate the lower tones from the ambient noise.

KmH · Dec 4, 2016

If a digital camera uses 12 digital bits to encode a photograph those 12-bits can only encode 4096 levels of tone, and unlike our eyes which are non-linear, a digital camera records light in a linear manner.

Because digital at it's most basic uses a base-2 numbering system and the camera we are using uses 12 bits to encode the photo, with the 4096 levels, then level 2048 represents 1/2 the number of photons recorded at level 4096.
Another way to put it is that it takes 4096 photons to make the camera record level 4096 and 2048 photons to record level 2048 - a linear relationship.

Lets next assume, for the sake of simplicity, that this camera has only 6 stops of dynamic range. Your camera has more dynamic range than just 6 stops.
The brightest stop of exposure will have 1/2 of the 4096 levels, or just 2048 of the 4096 levels available.
The next brightest level (stop) will only have 1024 levels, the next brightest will have 512, the next brightest will have 256, the next brightest will have 128, and the last will only have 64 levels.

By under exposing you are limiting how many photons can get to each pixel and you are not utilizing the full dynamic range of your camera.

With digital cameras we need to expose for the highlights and let the dark areas be whatever they are.
With film we did the opposite. We exposed for the dark areas and let the highlights be what they are.

Use the histogram that can be displayed on the rear LCD of a digital camera to gauge exposure, not the photo itself, because the rear LCD of a digital camera is to small and is used in to wide a variety of lighting conditions to judge if the exposure is accurate, or not.

http://www.adobe.com/digitalimag/pdfs/linear_gamma.pdf
Optimizing Exposure - Luminous Landscape
Expose Right - Luminous Landscape
Exposing to the Right
Exposing to the right - Wikipedia

Ysarex · Dec 4, 2016

nicolasnico said:
hello everyone,
my question is about post-processing a picture that underexposed. Generally, my pictures are underexposed so as to bring up (while shooting) the colors I see with my eyes. Requires then postprocessing. Now, I've been struggling with the picture here enclosed. When I change the exposer (in Lightroom), the colors become maybe unreal, I loose the areas of shades vs light...
Any advice? (I'd be interseted to work that out with someone). Thanks!
PS: I would send you the DNG file but it's not possible to upload them.

Create a free Dropbox account and you can post the DNG file -- be happy to look at it. I can't agree more with what others have said: Do not underexpose.

Joe

dennybeall · Dec 12, 2016

Just played a bit for a different look..................

adamhiram · Dec 14, 2016

The two biggest issues I see here are exposure and white balance - the photo looks to be underexposed by about 1.5 stops, and the white balance is way too warm. I'm not sure how closely it matches what you saw in person, but the image looks pretty usable to me once those two items are fixed.

Keep in mind that the only reasons to overexpose or underexpose are to preserve shadows or highlights that otherwise would have been lost. If you're not at risk of getting blown-out highlights, there's no reason to intentionally underexpose the image.

table1349 · Feb 24, 2017

KmH · Feb 24, 2017

Looks like it was a now banned spammer that dug up the thread.

OGsPhotography · Feb 24, 2017

Looks like Gryph dug it up with the meme lol.

Dill?

FYI the yellow part on Dill which looks like this may be is the more dilly part of dill. The green fronds in comparison have no flavor.

limr · Feb 24, 2017

KmH said:
Looks like it was a now banned spammer that dug up the thread.

A-yup. At least it wasn't that old and could still be useful. Not like Leaderboard.

Speaking of which... :fangs:

nicolasnico · Feb 25, 2017

hi everyone,
hey, I'm SORRY!!! I obviously missed the answers? In any case, thank you to all of you for your help! I appreciate that! Thank you for taking the time! I'd be happy not to miss your answers next time. THANK YOU!