# High ISO vs. LR brightness adjustment?



## New Daddy (Nov 22, 2013)

I recently realized that my camera's matrix metering tends to underexpose a person's face. Now that I'm making conscious efforts to properly expose for the subject's face, the photo looks better but the camera often has to work in very high ISO (around 1600), which is above my camera's comfort zone. 

So, which is the lesser evil? Let my camera go high in ISO and deal with the noise in LR, or underexpose at shooting and deal with the exposure in LR?


----------



## Selwin (Nov 22, 2013)

Definitely the best solution is correct exposure in camera. If you are really bothered by the noise, set your ISO to what you need (say 1600) and expose 1/3 stop too high. Then in LR cut back 1/3 stop exposure and your noise problem will be less. In this case of course you'll have effectively 1250 ISO to shoot with. You can run a google search for ETTR (Expose-To-The-Right) to learn more.


----------



## clee01l (Nov 22, 2013)

New Daddy said:


> I recently realized that my camera's matrix metering tends to underexpose a person's face. Now that I'm making conscious efforts to properly expose for the subject's face, the photo looks better but the camera often has to work in very high ISO (around 1600), which is above my camera's comfort zone.
> 
> So, which is the lesser evil? Let my camera go high in ISO and deal with the noise in LR, or underexpose at shooting and deal with the exposure in LR?


Your camera has other metering options.  Matrix metering (multi segment metering) is rarely the correct one.   Spot metering is what I would suggest for portraits.  Moving the subject into better lighting is often necessary to achieve a good exposure.  Strategically placed reflectors are often a requirement for proper lighting.  Also you camera on board flash can be used as a fill flash to dissipate unwanted shadows.  Slower shutter speeds and/or larger apertures are an alternative to using high ISO.  If you are letting the camera choose more than one of the exposure parameters (Shutter, aperture, ISO) you are probably not using your camera effectively. 

Getting it right before you click the shutter is the most important post processing technique you can employ.  When that fails, then using the "Shadows" adjustment tool in LR either on the whole image or as a local adjustment brush.


----------



## Selwin (Nov 22, 2013)

What I am interested in mostly, is which lighting do you use. OK you figured out you need ISO 1600 to expose the faces correctly. I rarely shoot portraits at such high ISOs. Could you tell us some more on which setup you use, which camera and lens?


----------



## New Daddy (Nov 22, 2013)

Selwin said:


> What I am interested in mostly, is which lighting do you use. OK you figured out you need ISO 1600 to expose the faces correctly. I rarely shoot portraits at such high ISOs. Could you tell us some more on which setup you use, which camera and lens?



Available light. When I use flash, then it's a different story.

Indoors, in the morning, when the sunlight can't reach the back of my livingroom, the ISO reaches 1600 even at f/1.8. Shutter speed probably 1/100 or a little higher to freeze motion. I was surprised that the light was that dim even in the morning. It was a sunny day outside. The camera probably needed more than 1600 had it not been my custom limit at 1600.  My system is micro four thirds, and I used a fast prime for that. 45mm f/1.8.  It was more candid, environmental than a formal portrait. Kind of run-and-gun type of photography. No way I would let the ISO jump up to 1600 for a more refined setting.


----------



## Selwin (Nov 22, 2013)

I see. Not much to be done except try ETTR. Future camera bodies will have better high ISO capabilities of course.


----------

