Perfecting Exposure

One of the more readily accessible tools on our cameras is the exposure meter. The exposure meter is a fairly easy to read bar line representation of the light we have coming into our camera through our lens and shutter. Usually running from a readout of -3 through to +3, it lets us know whether our camera believes the frame we are creating is well exposed, under exposed, or over exposed.

And the exposure meter is a great way to get started with exposure within photography. But as we progress within our photography, it becomes apparent that the exposure meter is not always accurate. It is at this point that we tend to learn about a technique known as ‘exposure compensation’. This is where we use the exposure meter to ‘dial in’ a negative or positive adjustment, basically refining the ‘perfect exposure’ algorithm that your camera has been programmed with.

However, these methods of evaluating the light entering your camera will only get us so far. Whilst they are quick and easy ways to get started with exposure, they are based on assumption, averages, and guess work. The camera meter within your camera is programmed to believe certain scenarios and make average assumptions based on them. It relies heavily on user input in order to refine those assumptions. And, when faced with more difficult lighting scenarios, will often be way off in the readouts it gives.

In the video below, we are going to take a look at another way that we can read our exposure. How to use it and how to look beyond the averages that your camera works within.