Trying in Av/Tv setting, way overexposed

[jenn76]

I am in a photography class, and I'm trying to do my homework... we have an assignment to shoot 2 photos in Av setting, one with low f-stop and one with high f-stop, to show difference in DoF. We are also supposed to shoot 2 photos in Tv setting, one stopping motion, and one showing motion. I have been working on this today (with some help from my kids!), and everything looks way overexposed. I had my son stand with the trees from our backyard behind him, and the trees look ok, but his face is blown out on both settings (high and low f-stop). With the Tv setting, only the one with a slow shutter speed is overexposed. Is there maybe a setting on my camera that I've changed and don't realize it? I shot some with various apertures the other day at high noon, and they were fine, and everything I'm shooting in auto today is fine. Help! TIA!

 

[Josh66]

What metering mode was it on? Sounds like maybe it was on matrix metering and it exposed for the background (which I assume was darker than your son's face). Try spot or center weighted metering and meter off of his face. You should get better results.

 

[srt86hil]

You need to remember that whenever you have a longer shutter speed or wider aperture, you are allowing more light to register on the sensor. This is inevitably why your shots are over exposed- when you have a slower shutter speed, you need to up your f-stop, and when you have a wider aperture, you need to increase the shutter speed. It's all about balance!

 

[Josh66]

You need to remember that whenever you have a longer shutter speed or wider aperture, you are allowing more light to register on the sensor. This is inevitably why your shots are over exposed- when you have a slower shutter speed, you need to up your f-stop, and when you have a wider aperture, you need to increase the shutter speed. It's all about balance!

Yes, but she's shooting in Av and Tv mode - the camera does all of that automatically.

 

[jenn76]

Yeah, what Josh said. And I don't know how to meter yet... we haven't gotten that far in class.

 

[Josh66]

Look up metering in the manual for your camera, it will give you a brief description of what each metering mode does (it will also tell you how to change it).

Every time you press the shutter button half way, you're metering. The different metering modes just change where in the scene the camera is taking it's readings from.

If it's an evenly lit scene you probably won't notice much difference. If it's a scene where you have both light and dark areas you probably will see a difference between the metering modes. Once you understand how the different modes work you will know which one you should use for a given scene.

 

[Josh66]

Also make sure you didn't accidentally change the exposure compensation. The little needle in the viewfinder should be centered.

 

[jenn76]

You nailed it, Josh. I had changed my exposure compensation, and it was all the way up! (And I learned a little bit, too!) Thanks! :hail:

 

[Josh66]

Any time.