Noob ? .. reading Understand Composure

[Michael.McBee]

The author states...

"To get this image, I set my lens to autofocus, and with my shutter speed at 1/500 sec., I aimed the camera at the blue sky and adjusted my aperture until the camera meter indicated that f/8 was correct. I then recomposed and shot several rolls over the course of the next fifteen minutes.

I'm just really getting a firm grasp on somethings, but I'm not exactly sure what the heck is going on here. I know you guys will be able to bring it down to my noobish level.

Thanks for any help.

 

[kn4ds]

It's hard to say without seeing the image... aperture has to do with depth of field, or what is in focus in the image. Smaller apertures (higher f numbers) mean that more of the image will be in focus.

Frankly, I'm not terribly sure what the original "author" was after, either. Could you provide a link to the photos in question?

 

[Michael.McBee]

It's hard to say without seeing the image... aperture has to do with depth of field, or what is in focus in the image. Smaller apertures (higher f numbers) mean that more of the image will be in focus.

Frankly, I'm not terribly sure what the original "author" was after, either. Could you provide a link to the photos in question?

I'm actually reading the paperback version. The photo just of his daughter at the waterpark.

My main interest is what meter is he referring to? I'm lost everytime I read this in the book.

 

[Mgw189]

It sounds like he is adjusting his exposure by essentially metering off of the blue sky. He aimed the camera at the sky with his aperture set to f 8 then adjusted the shutter speed until he had the correct exposure. Some cameras have the ability to tell you when the image is properly exposed there may be a range of numbers that goes something like -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 when the 0 is lit or indicated that would mean that the image should be properly exposed (based on the info the camera is getting anyway) He started at 1/500 and came down from that shutter speed until the 0 would be indicated.

 

[kn4ds]

I'm actually reading the paperback version. The photo just of his daughter at the waterpark.

My main interest is what meter is he referring to? I'm lost everytime I read this in the book.

Probably the meter in the camera... cameras over the last 20+ years have had internal metering. That includes film cameras (like my Minolta X-370 that's almost 25 years old).

The camera looks at the image, and decides the correct exposure based on the rules the camera company decided would make a good image. For snapshots, those rules work out pretty well.

Sometimes, though, we would like to change what the camera, with all its intelligence, thinks is the best exposure. That's where the art lies...

I suggest shooting an image (presuming it's a static subject) with what the camera wants to do, and then under exposing 1 stop, then 2 stops... then over exposing 1 stop and 2 stops. That way, you get 5 images, all exposed differently, and you can decide which one works for you.

 

[Michael.McBee]

Thanks for the help fellas!

 

[Josh66]

It sounds like he is adjusting his exposure by essentially metering off of the blue sky. He aimed the camera at the sky with his aperture set to f 8 then adjusted the shutter speed until he had the correct exposure.

Sounds like the opposite is true. He set shutter speed to 1/500th, then adjusted the aperture until the meter said it was good (which wound up to be f/8).

 

[ANDS!]

Grammatically speaking thats not the opposite but the reverse.

And the guy settled on a Shutter Speed of 1/500th most likely because there was a need to absolutely stop action. He then chose an AP of F/8 that would effectively expose the scene. Essentially the action he did was what you do if you set your camera to Shutter Priority mode.

 

[Josh66]

Grammatically speaking thats not the opposite but the reverse.

...Close enough.

 

[puyjapin]

ive ordered this book, in hope i might understand something. perhaps i wont now !!

 

[Michael.McBee]

ive ordered this book, in hope i might understand something. perhaps i wont now !!

The book is a great read. I'm just working to figure out using the camera's meter to find out when the shot is supposed to be correct. This stuff is confusing .. lol

 

[cosmoepic]

isnt it called understanding exposure?


(yeah i know i'm splitting hairs)