light
Exposure compensation
When working on location the lighting (sunlight) already exists. There is often little the photographer
can do to lower the brightness range. In these instances exposure compensation is often
necessary to protect either shadow or highlight detail. The results of exposure compensation
are easily assessed via the camera’s LCD monitor. The amount of compensation necessary will
vary depending on the level of contrast present and what the photographer is trying to achieve.
Compensation is usually made in 1/3 or 1/2 stop increments but when a subject is back lit and
TTL metering is used the exposure may need increasing by two or more stops depending on the
lighting contrast. Remember:
Increasing exposure will reveal more detail in the shadows and dark tones.
Decreasing exposure will reveal more detail in the highlights and bright tones.Exposure compensation adjustment
A compensation setting is required when the photographer wishes to continue working with an
automatic metering system instead of manual controls. Using an automatic metering mode the
photographer cannot simply adjust the exposure, from that indicated by the meter, using the
aperture or shutter speed. The automatic mode will simply re-compensate for the adjustment in
an attempt to record the overall tone of the framed subject matter as a midtone equal to the 18%
gray card.
Orien Harvey