Photography Tutorial : Exposure

Posted: September 13, 2007

Categories: Default

Welcome to the Camera-Warehouse exposure tutorial (see Tech Tip: Exposure). At each stage of the tutorial, please remember to save the photos you take to send to your tutor for evaluation and discussion.

Before you start, in order to minimise the size of emails when sending your images for assessment, please set the resolution of your camera's images to no more than 3 megapixels, or reduce the images to this size prior to sending (this should be sufficient for evaluation purposes). Thank you.

What you'll need:

digital compact or SLR camera and lens with exposure compensation adjustment
tripod if available
willing subjects (these needn't be people - try an orange, lemon and lime on a dark table for great colour contrast and texture)
about 40 minutes

1. ARTISTIC EFFECT OF VARYING EXPOSURE

a) Take a picture with your camera set to use automatic settings. This will be the 'control'. Adjust the exposure compensation on the camera to first overexpose (try +0.7EV and +2EV) and then underexpose (-0.7EV and -2EV) the same shot.

The five shots should create a range of heavily underexposed to heavily overexposed shots (if they don't try adjusting the exposure compensation to different values).

b) Which of the shots do you prefer and why?

c) Adjust the exposure compensation to what you consider to be the optimum level and take a final shot.

2. UNDEREXPOSURE FOR COLOUR ENHANCEMENT

a) Take a picture in bright light conditions using your camera's automatic settings (the control).

You may notice that the colours in the image look slightly (or very) washed out?

b) Use the exposure compensation on your camera to find the optimum level of underexposure for maximum colour in the image. What level is this?

3. OVEREXPOSURE TO COMPENSATE FOR SURROUNDINGS

a) Take a picture of a subject in a bright background setting using your camera's automatic settings (the control)

b) Use the exposure compensation on your camera to find the optimum level of overexposure to maximise the subject detail, and take a picture.

c) If the above shot washed out more background detail than you'd like, find the optimum exposure for the scene and take a third picture.

4. SUMMARY QUESTIONS

a) Which of the following situations are likely to require under- or over-exposure compensation (please indicate which):

i) midday beach scene (landscape)
ii) portrait against a sunset
iii) sunrise landscape (sun behind you)
iv) nightclub scene
v) portrait against a dark background

b) What is the effect of flash on exposure, and how might you compensate when using flash?

c) How might exposure be affected by taking the photo:

i) from below the subject
ii) from above the subject

d) What other methods are available for adjusting exposure before resorting to exposure compensation:

i) generally
ii) on your camera

5. SUBMIT YOUR WORK

Please send your photos, answers to the questions and any comments to tutor@camera-warehouse.com.au for assessment. We will endeavour to contact you within 5 days of receipt.