Nailing the exposure - EV Question/Advice seeked from Pro’s

[Riki]

A trained eye can see a scene and decide the luminosity and thus the WB. How does one evaluate EV. Is it after the shot only, after reviewing the histogram ?
Sometimes there may not be time to evaluate the shot and then adjust the EV, so how does one do it ? I know shooting RAW and adjusting after wards in NC is possible. Isn't it better to get a near perfect exposure in the camera itself ?

How often do you use EV Bracketing in the field and if the answer is frequently, then which one ? A digital camera underexposes, so does one bracket only upwards viz 0.0, 0.3, 0.7 or higher ?

All advice/tips on Nailing the Exposure highly welcomed.

 

[Chris101]

Hi Riki!

First the idea that digital cameras underexpose is not correct. Digital cameras expose much the same as do film cameras. However when processing print film, the (automatic) printer will make exposure corrections because film has a very wide exposure latitude.

Digital cameras give you the shot as it was exposed, much the same as does slide film. One of the first thoughts os a slide film shooter is that their camera is under exposing.

They do not underexpose either, but you must realize that the exposure meter is designed to expose such that the metered portion of the picture averages out to be 18% light. This is actually pretty dark for sunlight!

So EC is the way to overcome this. Look at the scene and decide what you are going to meter. If you want it to render lighter thaqn 18% in the final picture, give the camera positive compensation. If you want it darker, use negative compensation.

In his e-book Ron Reznick spends the first quarter of the book discussing his technique for deciding how much EC to apply to a given image. I highly recommend reading that book if you wish to become proficient at estimating luminosities of a particular scene.

 

[twig]

There is the additional fact that digital camera seem to like to expose for highlights (since highlights are less recoverable if blown goes the theory), but you will find in a scene with lots of specular highlights that the average exposure might be a little low if your camera tries to preserve them.
Reviewing thie histogram helps, also make sure that things that are blown out in reality (ie glare or a pure white shirt in full sun) are allowed to blow out in the image.

 

[Riki]

Hi Chris,

Thanks for your reply.
I do have Ron's book and have also spent some time with him in one of his sessions in London last year. Ron is indeed a master, and as more and more days pass by I am more and more intrigued by his proficency and the accuracy with which he knows light and all aspects of photography. If I could learn even 30% of what he knows, I would consider myself blessed.
That apart, i was just trying to get a independent view from others , what and how they handle exposure and light. And also if in camera exposure bracketing helps.