Why Expose to the Right? (Podcast 381)

Excellent post Martin, as always.

It’s funny that you’ve written a post about ETTR, I was having a conversation with someone on a Private Facebook group only last week about this technique.

Since I started doing it’s certainly given me better results (less noise).

Thanks for sharing

i like your photo style too much…………………….

Actually, the linear quantization of the light by the AtoD is not why the image is noisier in the darker regions. If the AtoD has enough bit depth (so that it’s quantization is less that the read noise) noise in the darker regions (read noise predominates here), then the noise in the darker regions is the limiting factor, not the quantization of the AtoD. ETTR is good in so much as it exposes the shadows brightly enough so as to reduce read noise. The performance improvements are not due to using more of the AtoD range. Because it’s wasteful (in power requirements and complexity/expense) to have better AtoD performance than your sensor noise, the AtoD will be “just” good enough that it’s not the limiting factor in the design of the system. In that respect it may “look” like the recorded amount of code values per stop tracks directly relates to noise in the image and thus is causal, but as you can see, the relationship is actually the other way around, with sensor noise being the factor at work and the AtoD just doing enough that it doesn’t make image noise worse.

How do test images shot at 2 iso stops apart compare if you use the same aperture and shutter settings and keep both exposures within the recording capability of the camera? Also, what happens to the hues if you overexpose by more than half a stop?

Hi Martin, great article and clear arguments for this practice. I have always understood it in simple terms than you are capturing digital data and the more light you allow in (up to clipping point) the more data you record. When I do on occasion bracket I often select images based on file size with largest file size assuming no clipping as it has the most data therefore least noise. Once thing you mentioned was regarding turning down brightness on your monitor for calibration, is this in relation to self-printing calibration or something recommended for lab printing as well to get best results?

Hi Martin,

Just a quick question and forgive me if I’m not understanding ETTR correctly! As I don’t shoot nature and rarely shoot in snow, most of my shots contain a mixture of tones. As such, they often tend to lie in the middle of the histogram.

My question is whether ETTR makes a substantial difference if tested under controlled conditions where you shoot two shots:

1. Exposed to the middle of the histogram

2. ETTR and then reduce exposure in Lightroom until the histogram resembles that in 1)

These two shots should now have a similar level of exposure, but, according to your podcast, 2) should contain more information as you have originally exposed to the right (where there are more ‘bits’ of information).

Will this therefore result in a higher quality image with less noise in 2), and will this difference be noticeable?

Many thanks and keep up the great work!

Hi Martin, long time no chat, this would make a great video podcast have you thought about doing something like that?

Thank you so much for your detailed explanation. Your examples provided great visual verification. Always enjoy your podcasts, now I have to listen to twice with the enhanced versions since much of my podcast consumption is in the car and not a good idea to share attention 3 ways:)

Cheers
Terry

Martin, thanks for another great podcast, I’ve been listening to them for some time now, usually on the way to or from work. I had to read this one from the blog though to give it my full attention.

Thanks,
Justin

Thank you for sharing your knowledge, I have always expose to the left and never too happy with my images, will try exposing to the right.

Martin,

Thanks so much for such a clear and concise explanation of a complex topic. The little extra bit of info on what the histogram looks like in LR was really useful too. I thought that I may have been under-exposing slightly based on the LR histogram and it turns out that this is not the case. My understanding is that PS gives you even more wiggle room than LR – is that your experience?

Cathy

funny thing about the features that you want to see in cameras, seems the MagicLantern community has build that, or something very similar http://www.magiclantern.fm/forum/index.php?topic=5693.0

Just thought you may be interested to know about it.

Keep up the good work, amazing podcast as always

Hi Martin,

I just started with podcasts and where listening to this on my way to a shooting. I’m a self taught photographer and started to realize some years ago, that shooting to the right gives me more quality when I stop it down post. I did not think much about it and because the quality got better, I started shooting to the right. I explained to others to rather use high iso and stop it down, but most people are so scared to use high iso and thought I was crazy….I do big print sometimes and with them I could proof to others that I’m right with my thesis.
And now after your podcast, I was like “I’m not the only one how works like that” 😉
(I n ever read something about overexposing before…)
I really enjoyed listening to your podcast and looking forward to the next ones.

Thanks so much.
Markus

Ps: Now I have a link, to link to if somebody is scared to shoot with high iso 🙂

ETTR is very well handled by Magic Lantern (firmware “upgrade” for Canon cameras). You can further bracket the ettr-ed shot.
And many other useful features for landscape photos.

Hi Martin, really enjoying your podcasts, and shooting to the right has really clicked with me…never considered it before. Now I’m shooting at iso 6400 all over the place! Thank you so much, the noise difference is really noticeable. Great stuff 🙂

Hi Martin. Awesome article! I think your reference to 14 bit as a 65536 tonal range is wrong though. I think it should be 16384 tones (2^14 tones). Just being a bit picky, I know 😀

Love your images and the podcast/blog! Just got myself into printing and quickly finding out what a great resource you are on the topic. Just bought Making the print as well, looking forward to dig in.

Regarding this topic, does it make any difference if you shoot with a camera with iso invariance (which I think is the correct term for it). I’m shooting with Fuji cameras, mainly X-T2 and X70. If I understand it correctly, with a camera turning up the ISO in camera has the exact same effect as brighting the image with the exposure slider in e.g. Lightroom?