Exposure is the total amount of light allowed to fall on a sensor or film during the taking of a photograph. This is determined by the exposure time (shutter speed) and amount of light admitted (lens aperture). Today, sensor/film sensitivity (ISO speed) is often also considered to be part of ...
9
votes
4answers
698 views
How to choose the correct exposure?
I have a Canon 60D that I use for my primary hobby that is photography, but sometimes the pictures that I took are with the incorrect exposure like this:
So I want to know how I can choose the ...
9
votes
4answers
1k views
Should I use low-end expanded ISO?
My Pentax K-5 comes with a "regular" low ISO setting of 100, but if you enable "expanded ISO" you can set it as low as 80 (plus go up to an absurd 51200!). I know that in general to reduce noise, ...
4
votes
3answers
561 views
Why would one recompose after setting exposure?
I am reading Bryan Peterson's book Understanding Exposure. Quoting text from the book:
I set up my camera and 75-300mm lens on
a tripod. I set my focal length to
130mm and aperture to f/32 and ...
23
votes
3answers
2k views
What is the meaning of “white balance”?
I would like to understand the term white balance. My camera has settings for white balance with the following options:
Auto white balance
Daylight
Cloudy
Shade
Flash
Incandescent lights
White set1 ...
29
votes
6answers
1k views
What is the best technique for long-exposure photography in good light?
Can anyone offer any tips on achieving long exposures (with the intention of blurring water, clouds etc)?
1
vote
1answer
180 views
Photography concepts using SX20
I've bought a Powershot sx20 half a year ago and I'm quite happy with it although I know it doesn't compare to a DSLR.
I've learning photography on my own: bought a 58mm ring and some filters (cpl, ...
6
votes
4answers
3k views
What does “long exposure” mean?
Very often, when people are talking about photography, they use the expression "long exposure". Here's a quote from a recent answer:
A tripod and long exposure were required for this shot.
Where ...
12
votes
4answers
791 views
Why should I use the Zone System when the histogram gives me all the information I need?
DSLR cameras, by and large, give very complete information about how the photo is exposed, in the form of a histogram and image of a trial exposure. It shows the light distribution for both luminance ...
55
votes
9answers
11k views
How should I photograph falling snow?
We don't get much snow in the UK, so I don't have much experience photographing it, and when I tried photographing falling snow last year I found it very hard to capture the snowflakes in the air — ...
5
votes
1answer
1k views
How to calculate Lux from EV?
Instead of looking up a chart, how can I calculate Lux from EV? Thanks!
8
votes
3answers
1k views
1
vote
2answers
424 views
What is the quantitative relation between f/# of the lens (aperture), exposure, and ISO?
Let's say we shoot with a DSLR camera and we have two interchangeable lenses.
Lens #1 has aperture f/X, X between 1 and 2 (see below).
Lens #2 is f/4.5. Same focal length and other characteristics as ...
2
votes
4answers
437 views
Consistent image exposure using Canon AV (aperture priority) setting for artwork
Sorry this isn't a clearcut question.
I've been setting up to shoot artwork. I'm using the AV setting on my cannon which allows me to set a higher aperture (5.6) and set the ISO (100). The problem ...
6
votes
4answers
6k views
How do I know I have the correct exposure when shooting in manual mode?
I have a Canon XTI which I've been using for a few years now. Most of the time I'm been shooting in one of the "semi-manual" modes like aperture priority or shutter priority, but now I'd like to try ...
12
votes
4answers
953 views
How to achieve pictures filled with light like these?
I would like to know how to achieve the effect of highly exposed pictures filled with light like the ones presented below:
unknown source
From http://dziecisawazne.pl/iza-faber/
Is this ...
9
votes
4answers
696 views
Do any other manufacturers other than Canon use the terms Av and Tv?
Canon uses "Av" (aperture variable) for the automatic exposure mode that entails the user choosing the aperture and the camera body choosing the shutter speed. This mode is called "A" by Nikon, and I ...
25
votes
7answers
3k views
When to use shutter priority instead of aperture priority?
Under what circumstances would you use aperture priority vs. shutter priority and vice-versa?
I typically don’t use shutter priority (ever) and favor aperture priority to try to get a max aperture ...
11
votes
6answers
503 views
How do I compensate for a bright sun with a point and shoot?
So I'm in the bright sun with no shade around. What can I do to minimize over exposure and shadows with just a regular point and shoot? Should I go into "manual" mode? If so, which mode and what do ...
16
votes
5answers
1k views
Does longer exposure increase saturation?
I have read that longer exposure times lead to increase/improved saturation and that landscape photogs use ND filters to allow for longer exposures to get better saturation.
Is this true and does ...
13
votes
2answers
567 views
Capturing vapour or faint steam
I was trying to capture a scene that was in a dark area with a bright background. There was faint steam that I wanted to be the focus of the picture. I tried first by having a very large aperture and ...
3
votes
1answer
741 views
Creating Proper Exposure with a Pentax PZ10
Not long ago, my Pentax K1000 was damaged and I upgraded to the Pentax PZ10 (both film cameras). I feel lost with trying to get the right exposure on the PZ10; with the K1000 I used a third-party ...
9
votes
4answers
4k views
What are good exposure and timing choices for time lapse photography?
I am shooting a time lapse and am doing some calculations beforehand to make sure I get everything right.
I am shooting a road trip from the west coast to the east coast and am planning to compress ...
10
votes
2answers
341 views
Why does exposure compensation have no effect with my hotshoe flash?
Taking photos with my Canon XTi and 550ex. Camera exposure compensation did not seem to effect the exposures. I figured out I needed to use the on-flash exposure comp.
But the flash output is ...
16
votes
3answers
5k views
How do I predict exposure when using flash?
So I've got the basics down for the exposure triangle, but sometimes you just need to add more light to the room and the flash can be the most convenient way of doing that. The problem is that the ...
20
votes
4answers
485 views
What's “real” and what's “virtual” on a (digital) camera?
I recently upgraded from a standard compact digital camera to one of the newish "halfway cameras", hoping to get a bit better at taking photographs through having a little more control over the ...
15
votes
4answers
2k views
What are general rules for ISO settings?
Being a novice in photography and reading about preferable settings of my camera I'm a little bit confused about ISO settings. Sometimes I'm advised to set as little ISO as possible to have higher ...
11
votes
3answers
582 views
How do you photograph Christmas Lights?
How can you best photograph Christmas lights? I've had tons of problems, the auto-meters don't work at all, and I'm fairly clueless, other than to get a tripod and keep trying until something ...
8
votes
2answers
988 views
Creating silhouettes in a studio environment
The trick to creating silhouettes in the field, as far as I know, is to use spot-metering and to expose for the background. However, this is a bit more difficult in a studio environment. What is the ...
21
votes
6answers
441 views
Are there specific techniques/filters for snowscapes?
It is fast becoming winter, and this will be my first winter that I have a decent camera, so I was wondering how to make the most of the seasons beauty.
I am wondering if there are any techniques ...
8
votes
1answer
295 views
Alternative photosensitive materials
Apart from film and photographic paper, what are the most interesting photosensitive materials on to which photographic images can be successfully exposed?
For example, the artists Heather Ackroyd ...
13
votes
4answers
254 views
Why do cameras often produce digital images that benefit from levels adjustment?
See: http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/levels.htm
In the examples on that page, the original image doesn't have any pure white or pure black in it, so contrast can be added by changing the ...
8
votes
3answers
293 views
Which setup should I choose for taking pictures of Trick-or-Treaters tonight?
I've dug up my dad's old Pentax K1000 SE, along with his old lenses, and picked up some 400 film. I'm wondering which of these lenses I should go with to get the best shots tonight (outdoors, no ...
15
votes
3answers
574 views
What is an effective exposure strategy?
What strategy do you follow when setting ISO, shutter speed and aperture to achieve the correct exposure?
Do you have different strategies for different shooting conditions?
I believe that all ...
7
votes
2answers
493 views
Metering mode in panasonic Fz35
I am new to photography, recently I bought a new camera which is Panasonic Fz35 which has lots of nice features in it. However while browsing through the settings mode, I found an option for Metering ...
4
votes
3answers
988 views
Is shooting multiple exposures the best way to do night portraits with the E-PL1?
I recently had the experience where I was attempting to get a night portrait of someone but still maintain some of the background. For example, getting an image of someone on top of Rockefeller ...
2
votes
2answers
138 views
Is my Rebel broken?
Today I got a Canon S90 and took a few shots in the Auto mode. The images are perfectly exposed and the well balanced color in both outdoor shots and indoor shots under fluorescent or incandescent ...
11
votes
3answers
1k views
How can correctly measure light using a built-in camera meter?
Many times I shot photos, but the photo is some times too bright or too dark and the colors are incorrect.
Some times the white on the photo is not the white that I have on background but gray and I ...
