In a method and an apparatus to generate an x-ray image of the female breast, a digital image transducer is used as the x-ray receiver. In a first time segment, an exposure ensues of the entire reception area of the x-ray receiver with an x-ray beam, at least until a point in time at which the position and size of the breast are detectable in the x-ray image. Subsequently, in a second time segment the x-ray beam is limited to a partial beam that irradiates only a sub-area of the reception area containing the breast, or a part of the breast, and the irradiation is continued only with this partial beam.