Sat Nov 17, 2007 12:58 am
First of all, photography is not a "perfect" or an "exact" science. There is no really a unique solution to your question.
If the histogram presents a spread peak close to the middle, then try to center it. If no, you are obliged to "interpret" the histogram: if burnt areas exist, where are they? if there are low level areas (close to zero), where are they, where are the greys. You are the only one to decide what areas must be dark, grey or black, depending of what you want to obtain.
Your shot does not present such a peak. We can see a burnt area, the sky: it's not a problem for the photo and its subject because it's white. You just have to sligthly overexpose or use the tool of PS to improve the dark areas because it's probably interesting to have more details in the trees located onthe right side of the raiway, it's enougth. The second PP picture is globally too much overexposed.
For such cases, it's true that a calibrated screen (for the PP) is very fruitful and can help you to choose the right correction. Impossible to use a screen when shooting, you must estimate the exposition with camera itself (and the H too) in order to have the range you want, it's a question of practice.
It's now very late for me (2:00 in the morning...), see you tomorow,
Alain.