Exposure
Exposure comparison
Image Exposure Comparison
Adjust exposure and compare whether the edited photo became brighter or darker, including clipping changes.
- Browser-local processing
- PNG · JPG · WebP
- No account needed
Original vs current edit
Compare the original image with the current adjustment state.
Upload an image to compare exposure changes with the original.
Brightness lift
Highlight clipping
Shadow clipping
Advanced metrics
Upload an image to calculate luma, clipping, contrast, and chroma metrics.
Luma histogram
Histogram appears after an image is uploaded.
Original Current edit
Image session actions
Upload an image to compare exposure changes with the original.
How to read this page
Exposure is an EV-style multiplier
Exposure comparison focuses on light change and clipping. A positive exposure value lifts the image more like an EV adjustment, while a negative value darkens it. Use highlight and shadow metrics to see whether detail is being lost.
Scope
This estimates visible exposure change. It does not recover camera exposure or Lightroom settings.
Exposure comparison guide
What Exposure Comparison Shows
Compare photo exposure
The exposure comparison tool shows the original and current exposure edit so underexposed or overexposed areas are easier to review.
Exposure vs brightness
Exposure uses an EV-style multiplier. Brightness applies a more direct value shift, so the two controls affect highlights and midtones differently.
Check highlight and shadow clipping
Use P95, P99, shadow clipping, and highlight clipping metrics to catch detail loss after an exposure before after change.
Exposure terms and calculations
How to Read an Image Exposure Comparison
Image exposure comparison is about visible light change. A photo exposure comparison should answer three practical questions: did the subject become easier to read, did bright detail survive, and did shadow detail stay usable? Exposure before after review is different from a simple brightness check because exposure is commonly understood as a multiplier on light. When the image exposure comparison shows a brighter current edit, the best result is not always the brightest result. The best result is the edit that lifts important detail while keeping highlights and shadows believable.
The useful physical idea is exposure value, often shortened to EV. In a simplified model, +1 EV means about twice as much light and -1 EV means about half as much light. In browser image processing, a practical model is linearLightOut = linearLightIn * 2^EV, followed by conversion back to display values and clamping. This is why a small positive exposure can quickly affect skies, lamps, pale clothing, or glossy product highlights. Use image exposure comparison to inspect highlight clipping, shadow clipping, and the histogram shift before keeping an exposure before after edit.
Use image exposure comparison when the edit decision depends on light, not color or sharpness. A careful image exposure comparison checks the subject, the brightest important highlight, and the darkest important shadow in the same pass. If image exposure comparison improves the subject but increases clipping, pair the exposure change with levels or contrast instead of pushing the exposure slider farther.
EV-style exposure
EV-style exposure treats exposure as a light multiplier rather than a direct pixel offset.
- Role in the image
- In an image exposure comparison, EV-style movement explains why highlights can change faster than expected when the edit is raised.
- Concept or calculation
- The compact formula is multiplier = 2^EV. A value of +0.5 EV is about 1.414 times the light; -0.5 EV is about 0.707 times the light.
- Watch for
- Do not treat EV in this tool as recovered camera metadata. It is a visible browser-local adjustment.
Highlight clipping
Highlight clipping happens when bright values hit the top of the output range and lose recoverable texture.
- Role in the image
- Photo exposure comparison uses highlight clipping to show whether a brighter edit damaged bright detail.
- Concept or calculation
- In 8-bit display terms, clipped highlights are values at or near 255 after the adjustment pipeline.
- Watch for
- Clouds, white shirts, reflections, and backlit windows are common places to inspect.
Shadow clipping
Shadow clipping happens when dark values collapse near black and lose separation.
- Role in the image
- When exposure is lowered, shadow clipping shows whether dark areas became blocked.
- Concept or calculation
- A shadow threshold near zero is used to count the share of pixels that no longer carry useful dark detail.
- Watch for
- Hair, dark clothing, night scenes, and product edges can look cleaner at first while losing important texture.
Mean and median luma
Mean luma is the average brightness. Median luma is the midpoint brightness when pixels are ordered by luma.
- Role in the image
- These values help explain whether the whole image moved or only a smaller bright or dark region changed.
- Concept or calculation
- A practical luma estimate is Y = 0.2126 R + 0.7152 G + 0.0722 B on normalized values.
- Watch for
- A bright background can raise mean luma even when the subject remains underexposed.
Histogram shift
The histogram shows how many pixels sit in shadows, midtones, and highlights.
- Role in the image
- In an exposure comparison tool, the histogram should move right when exposure increases and left when exposure decreases.
- Concept or calculation
- The shape matters as much as the average. A pile-up at either edge signals clipping risk.
- Watch for
- Do not rely on the histogram alone. Always compare photo exposure visually against important subject areas.
Exposure before brightness
Use image exposure comparison first when the image feels globally underexposed or overexposed. Use brightness comparison later if the exposure feels right but midtones still need a direct lift or drop. This sequence prevents a photo exposure comparison from becoming a flat value shift.
Exposure with contrast
After raising exposure, contrast may need a small reduction if highlights become harsh. After lowering exposure, contrast may need care because shadows can become dense. Run image exposure comparison before the contrast change, then repeat image exposure comparison after it so exposure before after review checks both clipping and tonal separation.
FAQ
About this page
How is exposure different from brightness?
Exposure uses an EV-style multiplier. Brightness applies a more direct value shift, so the two controls can affect highlights, shadows, and midtones differently.
Can this recover camera settings?
No. It only shows visible browser-local adjustment changes against the original image.
What should I check after raising exposure?
Check highlight clipping and P99 highlights first. If they rise too far, bright detail may be clipped even when the image looks brighter.