Alright, some people recently asked me a few questions about how to get their photos exposed correctly so they're not always washed out or too dark. I'm attempting to codify everything here. If you have any questions, fire away and I'll do my best to answer them as well as I can.
First of all: for correct exposure information, your best friend is your handy light meter. It will give you a pretty good indication of whether or not a shot is going to be exposed correctly. Whether it's the "stick" method used in an old Pentax K1000, an LED scale like in the Minolta X-series or a digital viewfinder display, your camera's light meter should be your best friend. Learn how to read it correctly, and your number of "good" photos will climb steadily.
Second: exposure consists of a "triangle" of values. These values are: aperture, shutter speed and ISO. Each of these values affects the other two, and will have different effects on your photographs. I'll get into this relationship at some point in another thread.
Third: It is entirely possible to know what the correct exposure value will be before you even raise your camera to your eye. I'm not talking about going out and buying yourself a handheld light meter, either, although it would certainly be smart money. Light meters can sometimes be more accurate than a camera's meter. No, I'm talking about the old "Sunny f/16" rule. It's one of the oldest rules in photography, and it is as true today as it was the first time it was said. The rule is as follows: At f/16 in bright sunshine, your shutter speed should be the inverse of your ISO. For instance, on a bright, cloudless day, if you set your aperture to f/16 and you're using ISO100 film, your shutter speed should be around 1/100sec. You can then adjust your settings to match your personal shooting style. For instance, if you prefer a "dirtier" look to your photos by using higher ISO ratings, you'll need to use a faster shutter speed to prevent blowing out all your photos. 1/200sec for ISO200, 1/400 for ISO400, etc. If you change your aperture, you'll also have to change one of the other values.
Another quick note: for every full-stop change in one value of the exposure triangle, you'll have to change one of the other values a full stop to compensate. e.g. if you open your aperture from f/16 to f/11, you'll either have to cut your shutter speed in half (e.g. from 1/100 to 1/50) or cut your ISO in half (e.g. from ISO400 to ISO 200) or your photos will be hopelessly dark. Here's a perfect example:
Too bright...
Just right...
In the first photo, my shutter speed was too slow. I had set it for the darker interior of the building, and it was too slow for the bright light streaming in the windows. I adjusted my shutter speed by two full stops (1/30 to about 1/125) and the second shot came out just right. (These were both taken at ISO200 and f/2.8 aperture.)
Hope this was helpful! Stay focused!
First of all: for correct exposure information, your best friend is your handy light meter. It will give you a pretty good indication of whether or not a shot is going to be exposed correctly. Whether it's the "stick" method used in an old Pentax K1000, an LED scale like in the Minolta X-series or a digital viewfinder display, your camera's light meter should be your best friend. Learn how to read it correctly, and your number of "good" photos will climb steadily.
Second: exposure consists of a "triangle" of values. These values are: aperture, shutter speed and ISO. Each of these values affects the other two, and will have different effects on your photographs. I'll get into this relationship at some point in another thread.
Third: It is entirely possible to know what the correct exposure value will be before you even raise your camera to your eye. I'm not talking about going out and buying yourself a handheld light meter, either, although it would certainly be smart money. Light meters can sometimes be more accurate than a camera's meter. No, I'm talking about the old "Sunny f/16" rule. It's one of the oldest rules in photography, and it is as true today as it was the first time it was said. The rule is as follows: At f/16 in bright sunshine, your shutter speed should be the inverse of your ISO. For instance, on a bright, cloudless day, if you set your aperture to f/16 and you're using ISO100 film, your shutter speed should be around 1/100sec. You can then adjust your settings to match your personal shooting style. For instance, if you prefer a "dirtier" look to your photos by using higher ISO ratings, you'll need to use a faster shutter speed to prevent blowing out all your photos. 1/200sec for ISO200, 1/400 for ISO400, etc. If you change your aperture, you'll also have to change one of the other values.
Another quick note: for every full-stop change in one value of the exposure triangle, you'll have to change one of the other values a full stop to compensate. e.g. if you open your aperture from f/16 to f/11, you'll either have to cut your shutter speed in half (e.g. from 1/100 to 1/50) or cut your ISO in half (e.g. from ISO400 to ISO 200) or your photos will be hopelessly dark. Here's a perfect example:
Too bright...
Just right...
In the first photo, my shutter speed was too slow. I had set it for the darker interior of the building, and it was too slow for the bright light streaming in the windows. I adjusted my shutter speed by two full stops (1/30 to about 1/125) and the second shot came out just right. (These were both taken at ISO200 and f/2.8 aperture.)
Hope this was helpful! Stay focused!
**Don't b scared be prepared for the worst**
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