Optimizing exposure

Thanks to DxO Lighting technology that optimizes local contrast and dynamic range, DxO Optic Pro can resolve numerous exposure problems (under-exposure, back-lighting, lack of contrast in shadows, etc.).

In automatically replicating the technique of  “dodging and burning” used in silver halide film processing to adjust the contrast on paper prints, DxO Lighting brings out the details in shadows, all while preserving the image’s highlight zones, textures, and colors.

Why does a photo look different from what one sees?

Human vision is a complex phenomenon that involves mechanisms that are very different from those used in cameras to capture images. So it is essential to process a specified camera’s digital images in such a way as to bring out the very best quality possible in terms of light levels, local and global contrasts, and colors.

Photography consists of capturing the variations in light and color intensity of a scene, and to reproduce them as precisely and in as aesthetically pleasing a way as possible. The human eye adapts very well to ambient lighting conditions and allows us to see equally well in a dark room as in full light outside. Our eyes can distinguish between a large number of nuances within shadows that are thousands of times darker than their immediate surroundings. Silver halide film and digital sensors cannot attain a similar level of adaptability with respect to the multitude of possible natural lighting conditions. And, too, the amplitude levels of color in the real world cannot be reproduced on screen nor on paper. So to obtain satisfactory results, contrast management tools are absolutely indispensible for restoring as much of the light spectrum of real scenes as possible. 

Add to the intrinsic difficulty of reproducing the lights and colors of the real world numerous other problems that can affect photo exposure: light sources that are too direct or bright, diffuse lighting, or a poorly-regulated flash can overwhelm shadows, create glare, and lead to saturated highlights, or a lack of contrast.  

DxO Optics Pro integrates the essential image processing that can reproduce a photographed scene with the best possible quality, even under difficult lighting conditions.

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