A method for sensing a level of ionizing radiation directed from a radiation source through a subject and toward a digital radiography detector, executed at least in part by a logic processor, obtains image data that relates the position of the subject to the digital radiography detector and assigns one or more radiant-energy sensing elements of the digital radiography detector as one or more exposure control sensing elements. The one or more exposure control sensing elements are sampled one or more times during exposure to measure the exposure directed to the subject. A signal is provided to terminate exposure according to exposure measurements obtained from the one or more exposure control sensing elements within the digital radiography detector.
