My long exposure picture is too bright

[Mach0]

I think i understand, my shutter speed was set at 30 sec and iso was at 1600. There was no filter attached to my lens because the amazon hasn't delivered yet. My camera was set on the picture with mountains on it. I only know how to set my focus on a single point like a hamster. I'm sure there is a setting in there that lets me pic more dots to focus on. <img src="http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=58180"/>

Try it at ISO 100 and see how it does

 

[pgriz]

Well, the high iso of 1600 means that the signal created by the sensor will be amplified. A 30-second exposure will let in LOTS of light, which will now be amplified by the high ISO setting. The camera may try to reduce he aperture (the only thing you allow it to control) but it cannot reduce the aperture anywhere near enough to get a decent exposure. If you wish to experiment (always a good way to learn) you need to be systematic about it. Vary ONE variable throughout its range, keeping everything else constant, and see how that variable changes the image.

 

[astroNikon]

Hey, he's trying to learn. Experimentation is the first step to understanding.

the exposure triangle meant nothing to me when I first ventured into Manual mode of terrestial objects .... the camera took care of everything up to that point.

But just taking a regular picture, then transposing those ISO, Aperture and Shutter into Manual,
then adjusting one setting up then down and seeing what happens then one starts to learn.

He just went to an extreme with the super long shutter speed during the day.

 

[hamlet]

Well, the high iso of 1600 means that the signal created by the sensor will be amplified. A 30-second exposure will let in LOTS of light, which will now be amplified by the high ISO setting. The camera may try to reduce he aperture (the only thing you allow it to control) but it cannot reduce the aperture anywhere near enough to get a decent exposure. If you wish to experiment (always a good way to learn) you need to be systematic about it. Vary ONE variable throughout its range, keeping everything else constant, and see how that variable changes the image.

I messed up there, i thought that higher iso meant less light. I was just walking around the city taking some pictures. Next time i'll find a bench and try your suggestion.

 

[hamlet]

Hey, he's trying to learn. Experimentation is the first step to understanding.

the exposure triangle meant nothing to me when I first ventured into Manual mode of terrestial objects .... the camera took care of everything up to that point.

But just taking a regular picture, then transposing those ISO, Aperture and Shutter into Manual,
then adjusting one setting up then down and seeing what happens then one starts to learn.

He just went to an extreme with the super long shutter speed during the day.

So this triangle. If i move the shutter speed down, does that mean that i have to move the aperture and the ISO in the other direction to get a triangle?

 

[480sparky41 40]

30 second exposure
iso 1600
That's all i know because i set on the S symbol. The camera decides all the other settings, but i changed my iso in the menu manually.

Load the image into View NX 2. It came with the camera. If you don't have it, you can download it free from Nikon. On the right of the screen, you will be able to see your aperture.

 

[480sparky41 40]

So this triangle. If i move the shutter speed down, does that mean that i have to move the aperture and the ISO in the other direction to get a triangle?

Yes.... you must change one of the others (or both), in order to maintain proper exposure.

 

[astroNikon]

If you have a good picture with proper exposure

and you make the shutter speed shorter

you would have to do one of two things to equal it out for a proper exposure
change the aperture (a smaller f number) which lets more light in
OR/and increase the ISO which makes it more sensitive to light

 

[hamlet]

I would have to move into uncharted territory...

View attachment 58187

 

[limr31]

I would have to move into uncharted territory...

View attachment 58187

Do it! Do it! C'mon! You know you wanna!

 

[hamlet]

Tomorrow i will put most of my day into figuring this triangle out.

Here are some pics i took today in the old and new brewery streets with my camera on the mountain mode.

I have to figure out how to take these pictures in M mode.

 

[480sparky41 40]

If you have a good picture with proper exposure

and you make the shutter speed shorter

you would have to do one of two things to equal it out for a proper exposure
change the aperture (a smaller f number) which lets more light in
OR/and increase the ISO which makes it more sensitive to light

OR: Change the aperture AND the ISO......

 

[raventepes]

Shooting in manual is, I think one of the easiest ways to understand exposure. Since you were using a 30 second shutter speed, you would have wanted to drop down your ISO to 100 or 200, and perhaps even with that, you may have needed to drop your shutter speed as well, depending on how dark or light it was in the tunnel itself. Your aperture is like the pupils in your eyes. It controls how much light is coming in. The smaller it is (Or larger f/stop number, such as f/22), the less light gets in. The bigger it is (the smaller f/stop number, such as f/2.8), the more light gets in. The shutter speed controls how long light is allowed to enter. And as mentioned, the ISO controls its amplification.

Regardless of what you're shooting, if you keep an eye the exposure on your meter, if it's dead center, it should end up with a balanced exposure, though I'll warn that different exposure modes read light slightly differently. What's shot in, say "Spot" metering at ISO 400, f/8, and with a 1/600 shutter speed, could look very different than the same settings shot in "Matrix". Sometimes, you'll want to over expose, sometimes under expose, depending on circumstances, but that's something that takes a bit of time learning the basics first.

So my suggestion is go out with your camera and shoot in Manual for some practice. Play and experiment with it. Keep an eye on your meter, and have fun! The More you shoot, the better understanding you'll get, and will eventually get to a point to where you can recall rough settings for any given situation.

 

[limr31]

Just google "exposure triangle" and you'll have more reading material than you'll ever be able to consume in one lifetime. Once you start practicing it, it'll become much easier and more intuitive. And y'know, once you go Manual...

 

[astroNikon]

It took me some time to start feeling comfortable in it. The exposure meter in your D3100 is your BEST friend to learn how to do photographs in manual without really understanding it. Then the understanding will come with more experimentation.

d3100 exposure meter
http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-read-and-adjust-the-exposure-meter-on-a-nik.html

here's an example of the D5100
Reading and Adjusting the Exposure Meter on a Nikon D5100 - For Dummies