My Lightroom Adventure book tech editor, Doug Nelson, and I got in an argument the other day about the value of placing certain camera EXIF data under the Library module Histogram.
Tech editors, I should point out, have an inherently adversarial relationship with authors. Their job is to push us into areas we don’t normally go, or want to go. I’ve been working with Doug for many years now. He’s one of the best in the business, and also runs the very popular web site retouchpro.com. There is a predictable pattern to our conversations. At first, when he makes a comment, I usually yell, and scream and say “what are you talking about?” Then I calm down, think about it for a moment, and almost always end up agreeing with him.
Anyway, on this particular occasion, Doug wasn’t complaining about something I wrote for a change, but something Lightroom did that he totally didn’t understand. Our conversation went something like this:
Doug: “For the life of me I don’t understand why Adobe places ISO, focal length, f/stop, and shutter speed information under the histogram, as if that information is just as useful as the histogram.”
Me: “Doug, it’s not my fault.”
Doug: “What’s with the obsession with f/stop, ISO–which I still think of as ASA– and shutter speed? Magazines and books always show them under photos, but is this actually useful? Would we ever go out and emulate them? Would we ever say, “beautiful photo, shame it was shot at f/11″? Or, “ah, ISO 400, brilliant choice!”
Me: “Doug it’s not my fault.”
Doug: “It’s particularly odd in the digital age, since ISOs are simulated, shutters can be semi-virtual, and f/stops and focal length are arbitrary unless referenced to chip size.”
Me: Doug, it’s not my fault.
After our conversation I pondered Doug’s point. I’m a big fan of metadata. I love how you can search for something in Lightroom based on information provided automatically by a digital camera. I also like setting up my thumbnails in the Library grid mode to give me verbal information about my image at a glance. As for the information under the histogram in the Library module…well, I like seeing at a glance what my ISO is and anticipating whether or not to apply de-noising to a high ISO image. I like knowing my shutter speed. Slow shutter speed? Watch out, could mean a blurry image.
But then I’m thinking about what Doug said at the very end of our conversation.
“Just look at the darn photo, for gosh sakes!”
Good point, Doug. Funny how we sometimes forget.
I actually agree with what you're saying here...with one reservation. Beginners can learn a lot about what they should have done to make a photo better or different by being reminded of what they did...even if the ASA/ISO and shutter speed only relates to their particular camera. To them, it's the only camera that matters.
I'm sure this article was written to provoke a response so here is my short little essay as to why this topic inflames me to no end! I'm joking of course...
There are many important reasons that the ISO, f-stop and shutter speed should be included with the histogram. In fact I'd be arguing why it wasn't there if Adobe had excluded it. Lightroom's raw work flow is aimed at the professional, if not informed user, but any photographer amateur to professional can extract extremely informative and timely clues to why an image is failing to live up to technical scrutiny. Having the information available at all times allows a photographer to compare and contrast several images very intuitively, almost like one would quickly glimpse at a watch to see the time. This photographic data can be an invaluable learning tool to use for future reference as well. Most "snapshot" photographers view the technical aspects of photography to be rudimentary, confusing and in these days of automatic digital cameras unimportant. However, for the creative photographer those technical "burdens" of ISO's, f-stops, shutter speeds and focal lengths are the very tools of creativity. They are vital to expanding your abilities to capture a dynamic and compelling image. As a professional in digital pre-press and an advanced amateur photographer, I don't understand why people think that the basic rules of photography do not apply anymore with digital cameras. You can look at a poor image all day on your 30" cinema display and not understand why it failed if you don't understand those basic photographic principles. We have replaced film with image sensors, but ultimately photography is still light going through a lens with a variable sized opening onto a photo receptive receiver, timed by a shutter. Whether those stages are mechanical or digital the end result is the same. It is true that there are differences between digicams and full frame DSLR's, but there were differences between APS, 35mm, medium format film as well. Unfortunately, this lack of knowledge and understanding is a revealing indication that the basics of the photographic discipline were never grasped by "Doug" or others who share similar opinions. So the next time he has a grainy, blurry image with a lack of depth of field ask him why the histogram didn't tell him anything? Ask him what information would indicate to him why his image did not turn out as expected? The response maybe a sarcastic "Whatever" or an "I don't know, my camera sucks." ...or perhaps he will want to learn more about ISO, f-stops, shutter speed, and focal length after all. We shouldn't be afraid to learn new things even if they are old ideas in the digital age.
As a professional educator, the information found under the histogram helps me quickly see how my students are doing managing the camera and making smart exposure choices.
I appreciate the camera settings because it allows me to quickly see if a group of images taken under similar lighting conditions can be synched with exactly the same development settings. But he has a point...
What it is good for? I'll tell Doug: "oh, it's been taken below f8, so this must have vignetting, let's correct that". or, "ah, ISO800, maybe a touch of noise removal would be needed, let me make it 1:1 to check that".
I have found this information useful in calculating exposure value (EV).
I've been playing around with high-dynamic-range panoramas, and knowing the EV of differently-exposed segments lets me correct for exposure precisely when stitching them together. Happily, HDR software lets you apply precise corrections in stops rather than computer-abstracted RGB levels. I found a useful EV calculator online.