Simple Tip for Perfect Exposure

[homertripto]

Matt...for all the "photo experts" I've subscribed to, your are currently the only one still on my list.  Thanks again!

[MichaelColeman]

Good advice.  I'm definitely going to try this out, especially now that I realize that if I save as RAW also, I'll still have a color image.  I never knew that before.

[tatduck]

Brilliant! I am often distracted by color and this is a great solution. Why I never thought of it myself... Thank you.

[QuicksilverSG]

The drawback to this exposure technique is that all three RGB histogram channels in the monochrome JPEG will come out the same. That may conceal problems where only one or two of the color channels is overexposed. While this may not be an issue with natural light, unbalanced RGB levels are very common in stage lighting at performance venues.

Nikon's WRGB histogram display in still image review mode can be used to find blown out hot spots in individual color channels. When you zoom into a review image, the WRGB histograms are dynamically revised to show the color content of the visibly magnified area of the image. To make these JPEG histograms more closely reflect the underlying RGB color channels of the RAW image, I shoot RAW using the Portrait profile and the Cloudy White Balance setting. This produces JPEG's with a fairly flat highlight tone curve at a color temperature near daylight. Each of the four vertical sections of the histogram represents about two-stops of exposure (though the left-most section actually contains all stops below the top six stops).

[Fotograffa]

Thank you Matt. I agree. I enjoy B/W more than color usually. You really see the image in B/W and with color...sometimes you only see the color. In critique most people first comment on the beautiful color...?? That's not a critique. Good job!

[KaslarProductions]

I do this often in the editing stage. I'll make a black and white adjustment layer and then get my contrast and exposure looking great with that before I do any color editing. This is alot like mixing music in mono, even if your end song will be in stereo.  

[TobiasHeyl]

I agree it has been very helpful in our Cologne Street Photography workshop. Thanks again for this great tip!

[StephaneW]

Keep in mind that if you shoot in B&W you won't have access to your RGB histogram. So you might be clipping in one of the channels and you won't see it. But that's rare enough to not be a problem, I guess.
Saving in B&W has an added benefit for street/candid photography : if someone catches you taking pictures, you can show them and the mere fact that the picture is in B&W will sell the impression that you are an artist and not a stalker...

[Elemmanuel]

Best tip in a long time from anyone!! thank you very much.

[jackmckechnie]

Great tip..even better with a mirrorless camera though because we see it in black and white in our EVF as we shoot it!

[pauld]

Great idea! The best of both worlds. Monochrome for review and color raw for processing. I'll give this a try on my next outing.

[PostColorGear]

I do this for video. There is an option using Magic Lantern where you can frame the shot in black and white and then as soon as you hit record, it switches to the picture style of your choosing. Good tip Matt

[muttwerx]

A similar technique I use, used to be used to set up monitors and television sets, where in the saturation or chroma was turned right down leaving a black and white image, then it was much easier to set the proper brightness and contrast and once the ideal picture was set I would then turn the saturation back up, I have also used this technique to process jpegs, it's fast and usually makes a big difference in the final image!
 Now that I shoot in both raw and jpeg I shall be trying the technique described in this video, i enjoy your tutorials they are a great help thanks, keep em coming!

[Maurice]

Great tip about the black and white version. I use it on both my EOS-5d and D200. Thanks!

[varikvalefor]

Ah, glad to see someone else doing this! In addition to this, I edit first in black and white, then check in colour.

[dreadlovelies]

That's a genius tip! I did not know that i could shoot in bw and that my raws would maintain color information. I have to try this! Thanks so much for the tips!

[danTES]

This is brilliant, looking forward to giving black & white a shot. Although I always drop contrast as low as possible to give me a better representation on the LCD of what my RAW shots will look like.

[completepreservation]

I’m on a massive learning curve, so I really appreciate this tip 👍

[wick]

appreciate you sharing your talents and knowledge with us. I have learned a great deal, even though I have snapped pics for many years. I'm a picture taker, not to be confused with a photographer. Thank you.

[ChengHooSew]

Nice tip. I just tried it. Although I'm using EVF and I get to see my exposure and histogram before taking the picture but after switching it to black and white it is even easier to tell the exposure value. thanks!