Common Questions about Exposures Lite
We focus on images that are completed in-camera. Modern cameras provide a wide range of creative tools, and photographers are encouraged to use them. Our emphasis is not on restricting creativity but on making photographic decisions before the image leaves the camera.
Here are answers to the questions we hear most often from photographers interested in Exposures Lite and our approach to Straight Out Of Camera (SOOC), or “As Shot In Camera,” photography.
Exposures Lite uses the terms “As Shot In Camera” (ASIC) and Straight Out Of Camera (SOOC) to describe images that are completed within the camera itself. Photographers are encouraged to make creative and technical decisions before the image leaves the camera. This may include choices such as exposure, composition, white balance, picture styles, HDR, multiple exposures, focus stacking, image stacking, and other built-in camera features. What matters is that the final image is created and rendered by the camera rather than through external editing software. The emphasis is on intentional image-making at the moment of capture and on understanding the capabilities of the camera itself.
Edited photography treats the camera file as a starting point. Exposure, colour, contrast, and composition can all be adjusted after the fact in software like Lightroom or Photoshop. As Shot In Camera (ASIC), often referred to as Straight Out Of Camera (SOOC), treats the capture itself as the final result. Neither approach is better in an absolute sense, but SOOC practice tends to develop stronger observational habits, and a deeper understanding of how the camera sees light. Many photographers find that time spent shooting SOOC makes them better editors too.
Yes. Exposures Lite encourages photographers to explore the creative capabilities of their cameras. Features such as HDR, focus stacking, multiple exposures, monochrome modes, picture styles, and other camera-generated effects are welcome when the final image is produced entirely within the camera.
The goal is not to limit creativity. The goal is to encourage photographers to make those creative choices before the image reaches external editing software.
The brand and price of your camera are not important. What matters is that your camera offers manual or semi-manual control — aperture priority, shutter priority, or full manual mode. Most DSLRs and mirrorless cameras, regardless of age or price, are well suited to this kind of work.
You do not need to be an expert photographer to participate. However, Exposures Lite is designed for people who are interested in moving beyond automatic settings and making more intentional in-camera decisions. If you already have a basic understanding of aperture, shutter speed, and ISO, you’ll likely feel comfortable in the discussions..
Smartphone cameras are not part of this group. The focus is on cameras that provide meaningful manual control over exposure and composition, and where the photographer — not the device — is making the key decisions. Smartphones increasingly automate those decisions in ways that work against the SOOC approach.
Many photography clubs focus on competition, scoring, and post-processed results. Exposures Lite is built around a different set of values: shared practice, deliberate in-camera decisions, and open discussion. There are no scores, no winners, and no pressure to produce a polished final image. The emphasis is on the process of seeing and deciding, not on the finished product.
The group traces its roots to the One Day in the Life of Burlington photography challenge, an annual event that brought together as many as 200 local photographers to document the city over a single 24-hour period. To ensure fairness between film and digital photographers, participants did not edit their images. This was a constraint that shifted attention toward timing, observation, and in-camera decisions. That same spirit carried forward into the Exposures Group, formally established in 2016, and eventually into the current form of Exposures Lite.
Photographers retain full ownership of their images. Photographs are shared within Exposures Lite for discussion, learning, and feedback. Any public display of images occurs only with the photographer’s knowledge and participation.
The goal is not to prove that one approach to photography is better than another. The constraint simply encourages a different way of working. When editing is removed from the process, photographers often become more aware of light, timing, composition, and exposure at the moment the image is created. Many participants find that these habits strengthen all aspects of their photography, whether they continue working exclusively As Shot In Camera or later choose to edit their images.
Exposures Lite encourages photographers to create their final image within the camera. This includes traditional photographic decisions such as exposure, composition, focus, and timing, as well as the use of camera features like picture styles, HDR, multiple exposures, focus stacking, image stacking, and other built-in creative tools.
The guiding principle is simple: if the final image is created and rendered by the camera itself, it aligns with the Exposures Lite approach. Images requiring external editing or post-processing software fall outside the scope of the group.