Whether novice or amateur, we have all experienced the same common frustrations. Perhaps you are taking a photo of snow on a bright day only the photo turns out too dark or perhaps you are photographing something in the dark, only the photo turns out too bright. So, why does this happen?
Most often, many camera owners falsely believe that they can simply turn on their camera, point and shoot and they will reproduce the scene they were viewing. However, this means your camera is in automatic mode which means it must make its decisions on proper settings for the photo.
When you take a picture, unless you are using a fully manual mode, your camera must decide how much light should be allowed to hit the sensor. Too little, and the subjects of the photo might not be properly visible (this is called underexposed); too much, and areas of the photo might just be rendered completely white, with no detail at all (this is called overexposed).
A camera will make these decisions based on the fact that most scenes, most of the time, are comprised of both light and dark tones that average out about the same. This average is commonly referred to as "18% grey." This premise is what allows the camera to determine how much aperture and shutter speed should be utilized. However, in certain situations, this rule of thumb can break down.
A prime example to better explain this phenomenon is the classic photo of a polar bear in the snow on a bright sunny day. You will use your camera to reproduce this beautiful scene you viewed with your own eyes in a bright, perfect photo. However, because your camera is using its rule of thumb to determine the shutter speed and aperture, it is more likely your photo will depict the snow and polar bear as dirty grey.
The other situation is when you take a photo in dark conditions, perhaps a street at night lit by some streetlamps. Here you want most of the photo to be dark, with perhaps some lighter areas that were illuminated by the streetlights. Instead what you may get is dark areas that are dull brown rather than black, and lighter areas that are overexposed. Again, your camera has assumed this scene, like others, is 18% grey, and has exposed it accordingly.
To manage these situations, you will need to take over control of your camera. This means the camera will no longer be able to make its own decisions. One way to achieve this is to dial the 'exposure compensation' setting on your camera. A good rule of thumb to go by would be one stop forward for bright scenes and one dial back for darker scenes. An additional option is to turn your camera into manual mode. This will allow you room to play and experiment with settings as you view them in your LCD screen until you determine the exposure you are looking for.
Most often, many camera owners falsely believe that they can simply turn on their camera, point and shoot and they will reproduce the scene they were viewing. However, this means your camera is in automatic mode which means it must make its decisions on proper settings for the photo.
When you take a picture, unless you are using a fully manual mode, your camera must decide how much light should be allowed to hit the sensor. Too little, and the subjects of the photo might not be properly visible (this is called underexposed); too much, and areas of the photo might just be rendered completely white, with no detail at all (this is called overexposed).
A camera will make these decisions based on the fact that most scenes, most of the time, are comprised of both light and dark tones that average out about the same. This average is commonly referred to as "18% grey." This premise is what allows the camera to determine how much aperture and shutter speed should be utilized. However, in certain situations, this rule of thumb can break down.
A prime example to better explain this phenomenon is the classic photo of a polar bear in the snow on a bright sunny day. You will use your camera to reproduce this beautiful scene you viewed with your own eyes in a bright, perfect photo. However, because your camera is using its rule of thumb to determine the shutter speed and aperture, it is more likely your photo will depict the snow and polar bear as dirty grey.
The other situation is when you take a photo in dark conditions, perhaps a street at night lit by some streetlamps. Here you want most of the photo to be dark, with perhaps some lighter areas that were illuminated by the streetlights. Instead what you may get is dark areas that are dull brown rather than black, and lighter areas that are overexposed. Again, your camera has assumed this scene, like others, is 18% grey, and has exposed it accordingly.
To manage these situations, you will need to take over control of your camera. This means the camera will no longer be able to make its own decisions. One way to achieve this is to dial the 'exposure compensation' setting on your camera. A good rule of thumb to go by would be one stop forward for bright scenes and one dial back for darker scenes. An additional option is to turn your camera into manual mode. This will allow you room to play and experiment with settings as you view them in your LCD screen until you determine the exposure you are looking for.
About the Author:
Tobias Sterling is a keen photography enthusiast and featured writer on Clivir.com. His articles about Photography basics and tips and Sensual Photography of Female Body can be found on Clivir.com.
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