- If needed, adjust the exposure by using
exposure compensation. In these situations,
I find overexposing by 1/3 to 2/3 stop by
reducing the shutter speed seems to work
well, but it depends on the brightness of the
other lights in the scene. If the shutter speed
is now too slow to freeze the action, then you
have to adjust the aperture or increase the
ISO instead. - Take another photograph and make adjust-
ments if needed.
The scene in Figure 8-14 and 8-15 is filled with
neon light. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be able to
see the people clearly, which meant exposing for
the overall scene and not the neon, or if I wanted
to expose for the neon, making the outside
To capture a scene that has neon in it, without
underexposing the rest of the image, you will
have to overexpose the neon. The idea is to
strike a balance where the neon is not pure white
and the overall scene is not too dark. Just follow
these steps:
- Set the camera on a tripod.
- Compose the image and lock the camera
into place. - Set the camera to aperture priority mode
and pick an aperture that you like. - Set the camera to matrix metering mode or
scene metering mode. - Take a photo and check the exposure on
the camera’s LCD.
ABOUT THIS PHOTO A local Mexican fast-food restaurant. Taken at 1/80 second, f/2.8, and ISO 1600.
8-14