exposureadjusting

Exposure adjusting refers to the process of altering the brightness of an image so that it more accurately reflects the scene or achieves a desired look. It can occur at the moment of capture through camera settings, or afterward during post-processing.

In photography, exposure is determined by the combination of shutter speed, aperture, and ISO. Adjusting exposure in the field is typically done with exposure compensation or by changing metering settings, allowing the photographer to brighten or darken the image without altering other parameters. Understanding exposure value (EV) helps predict how changes affect brightness.

In post-processing, exposure adjustment uses software tools to modify the overall brightness. Common controls include exposure sliders, brightness, contrast, gamma (tonal response), and levels or curves. Histograms guide adjustments by showing the distribution of light values and highlighting clipping in the shadows or highlights. When adjusting, care is needed to avoid color shifts, noise amplification, or loss of detail in bright or dark regions. Working with RAW files provides more latitude than JPEG.

Techniques such as bracketing, highlight recovery, and selectively adjusting exposure in tonal ranges help preserve detail across the image. Researchers and practitioners may apply tone-mapping for high dynamic range scenes or combine multiple exposures for greater dynamic range.

Exposure adjustment is used to correct under- or overexposed images, to achieve artistic lighting, and to ensure consistent brightness across a set of photos. See also: dynamic range, HDR, metering, histograms.