Please Note: “Stock Tips” is intended for new and emerging professional photographers

When I discovered digital photography back in 2000, one of the most common problems at that time was overblown highlights, or what we would describe as “waxy” digital skin tones. Since then, improvements in technology have vastly minimized this issue. However, I still see new and even experienced photographers producing these unwanted results. Once you overexpose your image there is virtually no going back. When digital information is gone from the image, you will be hard pressed to recreate it.

There are many variables that can contribute to this. Generally speaking, there are easy preventative measures you can take to avoid overexposure. With digital photography, something as simple as frequently viewing your histogram should keep your images properly exposed during a shoot. For more information on histograms, check out this link found on www.dpreview.com:

http://www.dpreview.com/learn/?/key=histogram

Another simple rule is to bracket your shots. Try taking different exposures by changing your shutter speed or aperture. On the other hand, many photographers are overexposing their images to achieve a certain effect. I would be careful with this trend as the images may not look as good printed, especially when ordering metallic paper. Metallic paper will exaggerate color and exposure, giving an overexposed image a very undesirable print.

My advice would be to limit this style and stick with finding that perfect exposure, while mixing a few of these trendier shots to add variety. You are always better off underexposing a bit and optimizing that photo later in post production…… or just let us take care of it for you!