Dealing with gross overexposure or underexposure
One of the main reasons for shooting RAW files is that they are not processed in the camera, which essentially means that they end up containing a lot more picture information than you'd find in a typical JPEG file. JPEGs are processed in-camera, which is a bit like running them through a mini processing lab before the result appears on the camera's LCD screen. It's a great concept, but a machine cannot always make the best decisions when there are so many variables to account for, such as lighting, atmosphere, and the photographer's intent.
Underexposure
The main issue with underexposed images is the presence of ugly digital noise, a grittiness that appears mostly in high ISO files, and more so if the file has been underexposed. To fix the visual problems created by underexposure, try following these steps:
- Open the RAW file in the Camera RAW window.
- Use the Exposure, Highlight, and Whites sliders...