Basic exposure 31
The age of aquarius
Photographically, we’re in an age of enlightenment (pun intended).
Whether you’re a fi lm convert or began your photographic
journey with digital capture, the trip will go smoothly if you have
a good understanding of basic exposure. If you don’t properly
expose the photograph, understanding light, fi guring out color
balance, and visualizing the perfect shot will be a waste of time.
Images captured with digital cameras have the same sensitivity to
light as color slide (transparency) fi lm does. If the exposure doesn’t
let enough light reach the sensor, the image—or part of it—will be
too dark. Conversely, too much light reaching the sensor results in
a blown-out, or overexposed, shot. Accurate exposure begins by
correctly setting the lens aperture and shutter speed in relation to
each other. You can set the proper exposure yourself manually or
let the camera do it for you. The manual method requires either a
separate handheld light meter, or you can use the one that’s built in
by setting the camera to Manual mode. We admit that for 90
percent of photographs made, the metering systems inside digital
cameras do a fantastic job in producing correct exposure.
Believe it or not, there was a time when cameras did not have
built-in light meters. Photographers used either a separate hand-
held exposure meter or relied on the traditional guesswork
methods to set their cameras à la Mr. Mortensen’s quote at the
Look up now and then. It’s a great way to spot photographic opportuni-
ties. The trade-off, of course, is that by not looking down, you’re liable
to miss that $100 bill lying in the gutter. There’s nothing outstanding
about the light on the Hotel St. Francis in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In fact,
the photograph was taken during the noon hour, but the subject matter
and cropping provide the interest. Barry was getting into his car parked
nearby when he noticed these two women tending the fl ower boxes. He
invested about 45 minutes shooting when they were at different windows,
switching between his 300 mm and 70–200 mm lens, settling on this
image (taken with the 70–200 mm fully zoomed to 200 mm). He cropped
from both top and bottom to further strengthen the composition.
