Taking the Shot EXPOSURE & LIGHT

EXPOSURE & LIGHT

Along with composition, light is one of the most important considerations when taking photographs. After all, photography really is all about light. You could be witnessing the greatest view of the Grand Canyon, but if it’s in the middle of the night, you’re not seeing much – it’s all about light! With new techniques in post-processing programs like Photoshop and Lightroom, it is getting easier to change exposure and lighting after you take the photo, but the fact remains that you will always be happier with the photo if you take it best in the moment. Not just happy because you don’t have to spend lots of time editing a photo, but happy because the photo will look better.

The first thing to consider when dealing with light and exposure in your photography is simple – getting the exposure right. Not too light and overexposed (or “blown out” in photography jargon), and not too dark either. But how, you ask, is it possible to determine this? Digital cameras now afford us the luxury of actually previewing the image just moments