Using your camera on manual settings. • Exposure • Shutter speed • Aperture
• Light meters • Film speed / ISO
Exposure • Correct exposure – records all tones as they were in the original subject. • Overexposure – all tones are lighter than in the original subject, highlights look bleached out and lack detail • Underexposure – all tones are darker than in the original, shadows lack subtle detail.
Over exposed
Correctly exposed
Under exposed
Underexposed photograph, not enough light let into the camera, all tones darker than original, shadow areas lack information and detail.
Overexposed photograph, too much light has been let into the camera, all tones are lighter than original subject, highlights are ‘blown’ and lack information and detail.
Correct exposure, tones look similar to how they appeared at the original scene, there is still subtle detail in the shadows and highlights even in this case where there is extreme contrast between the lightest and darkest areas.
Three things control exposure
•Shutter speed. •Aperture. •ISO
Shutter speed • The shutter is a blind inside the camera that opens and closes when the shutter release button is pressed. • The amount of time this shutter is opened can be changed to control the amount of time light enters the camera. • Common shutter speeds in DSLR cameras range from 1/4000 second to 30 whole seconds and ‘BULB’ setting enables the shutter to be open as long as the shutter release button is pressed down. • The shorter the time (e.g. 1/4000) the less light is let in. • The longer the time (e.g. ½) the more light is let in.
Shutter inside the back of SLR film camera. Similarly positioned inside the DSLR camera.
Screen showing Manual settings on DSLR Number on top left – Shutter speed Number on top right – Aperture (f.stop) Exposure meter scale below.
SHUTTER SPEED AND MOVEMENT
3 types of movement • Photographer body movement • Subject motion • Camera movement
Camera shake
FAST SHUTTER SPEEDS • • • •
‘Freeze’ movement. Eliminate camera shake 1/4000 = very fast shutter speed Tripod not usually needed
Fast shutter speeds
Recommended shutter speeds • 1/125 – ‘Freeze’ a walker, still recognise face. • 1/250 – ‘freeze’ someone running or jumping. • 1/500 – ‘Freeze’ a cyclist or slow moving vehicle. • 1/1000 – ‘Freeze’ vehicle moving at 60mph.
1/1600 F4.5
Slow shutter speeds • • • •
‘Blur’ movement. Cause camera shake. 1 second = very slow shutter speed. Tripod usually needed to avoid camera shake.
1/5 shutter speed F29 Aperture -1 Exposure compensation
1/5 shutter speed F29 -1 Exposure compensation