diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index bfa7d5d..8bfabcb 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -362,7 +362,9 @@ fn apply_image_parameters(lr: *mut libraw_data_t, args: &Args) {
 
         // Apply exposure adjustment
         if args.exposure != 0.0 && !lr.is_null() {
-            libraw_set_bright(lr, args.exposure);
+            // Convert EV stops to brightness multiplier: EV 1.0 → 2x, EV -1.0 → 0.5x
+            let multiplier = 2.0f32.powf(args.exposure);
+            libraw_set_bright(lr, multiplier);
         }
 
         // Apply contrast (map to brightness multiplier for tonal range)