Life in the shadows
Q I often underexpose my images by one or two stops to retain detail, then brighten in raw processing. Is there anything wrong with working this way?
Gabriel Stevens
A Deliberate underexposure is a method many people use, simply because it’s easier to rescue detail that’s dark but still available than it is to rescue overexposed data, which can be totally lost. There are some potential downsides to working this way – mainly the fact that dragging detail out of the shadows can sometimes cause image quality issues, and in particular added noise. I say ‘can’ because the amount of image degradation varies from sensor to sensor, and even the nature of the area you’re trying to lighten.
In my experience, noise will show more easily on a smoother, out-of-focus area than it will on a highly textured area. For example, take a look at this deer photograph
