PRO TIPS TO MASTER EXPOSURE

Capture better detail, colour and drama by controlling the light intensity

- Jeremy Flint

Mastering exposure is one of the most fundamental elements you can learn in photography to help bring your creative vision to life. With the variations of light that can be present within a scene, getting the correct exposure in-camera is crucial. It’s one of the first skills we learn when starting out with a camera and while it can take a reasonable amount of practice to understand the basics, with a little experience, we can confidently understand how to manage any scene.

However, as with any aspect of a creative medium, it is possible to allow our work to become formulaic as we focus on the same subjects many times over several years. Even full-time professional photographers, who have extensive experience of managing camera settings in challenging conditions, can lose track of exactly why they make the choices they do and how their camera interprets a scene differently to their eye. This is especially true as technology advances and old practices become less necessary or new cameras behave differently from how they used to.

An example of this is dynamic range. Modern sensors and processors can capture a broader range of tones, while in-camera exposure blending features are much improved. While a vital skill, these elements make highlight management easier than before, freeing up time for the photographer to focus on creativity and original images.

Sometimes, it’s a good idea to revisit the fundamentals of photography to find inspiration for your technical approach to camera work. Over the next few pages, we will help you manage challenging lighting and achieve balanced exposures.