Photography 101

Part 1: ExposureChapter 3

Tools

Contents

Part 1: Exposure

  1. 1 Mastering the Exposure TriangleBalance aperture, shutter speed and ISO for brightness, depth, motion and noise.
  2. 2 ISO and image noiseWhen to raise ISO, why grain appears, and how to trade it for a faster shutter.
  3. 3 MeteringWhat the meter aims for, how to read it, the four metering modes, and Sunny 16 when there's no meter.
  4. 4 Shooting modes and the histogramLet the camera set one setting, steer it with exposure compensation, and check the result with the histogram and zebras.
  5. 5 Dynamic rangeHow many stops a camera can hold at once, what to keep when a scene is wider, and measured figures for real cameras.
  6. 6 Shutter speed and motionCamera shake, freezing or blurring a moving subject, and ND filters for long exposures.
  7. Part 1 cheat sheetFormulas and starting settings from chapters 1–6.
  8. Part 1 quizCheck yourself on chapters 1–6.

Part 2: Focus and depth

  1. 7 Camera LensLens anatomy and how to choose wide, standard, telephoto, prime, zoom and specialist lenses for real subjects.
  2. 8 Aperture and depth of fieldWhy a wider aperture blurs the background, what else controls blur, and the shape of bokeh.
  3. 9 Sensor size and crop factorWhat a smaller sensor crops, equivalent focal length and aperture, and why phones fake the blur.
  4. 10 Hyperfocal distanceSharp from here to infinity: focusing landscapes with blur circles, focus stacking and a cheat card.
  5. 11 Diffraction and the sharpest apertureWhy f/22 looks soft, where your lens is sharpest, and how pixel size changes it.
  6. Part 2 cheat sheetFormulas and starting settings from chapters 7–11.
  7. Part 2 quizCheck yourself on chapters 7–11.

Part 3: Composition

  1. 12 The composition reading planAll 15 chapters of The Elements of Composition, with printed page numbers and a photography lesson for each.
  2. 13 Introduction to compositionComposition as visual communication: choose what to show, compare three frames, and see how viewers read them.
  3. 14 What is composition?Arrange subject, space and edges to change what a photograph says; compare photos and make three versions of one scene.
  4. 15 Focal pointsChoose where the eye lands first, use contrast and space to build a visual path, then test thirds and diagonals in a field exercise.
  5. 16 LinesFollow straight, curved and implied lines through a photograph, then make three frames of one subject from different positions.
  6. 17 ShapesFind shapes made by subjects and space, use a frame within the frame, and compare three ways to place one subject.
  7. 18 TexturesMake a surface feel tangible with light, detail and context, then photograph one material three ways.
  8. 19 PatternsUse repetition to build rhythm, break a pattern to draw attention, and make three versions of one repeated scene.
  9. 20 SpaceUse positive and negative space, fill the frame, and simplify without losing meaning.
  10. 21 DepthLayer foreground, middle ground and background, and use perspective or deep space to show distance.
  11. 22 BalanceWeigh elements with symmetry, asymmetry and radial arrangements; explore the golden ratio as an optional guide.
  12. 23 ContrastCreate meaning and focus through contrasting subjects, light, shadows and colour.
  13. 24 ColorChoose hue, saturation and brightness, then compare complementary, triadic, analogous and monochromatic palettes.
  14. 25 ToneRead shadow, midtone and highlight; shape global and local tone while keeping meaningful detail.
  15. 26 AngleChange camera height and tilt to compare level, straight up or down, high and low viewpoints.
  16. 27 Composition conclusionBring the elements together in a four-frame story and develop your own way of seeing.

Part 4: Color Theory

  1. 28 Color Theory in PhotographyUse HSL, warm and cool depth, four color harmonies, white balance and selective editing to guide attention.
  2. 29 White balanceRead the color of light, match Kelvin and tint, and choose what to preserve when lights mix.

Tools

  1. Color wheelExplore hues, adjust saturation and luminosity, enter RGB or hex values, and preview the color live.
  2. Photo editorTry light, colour, detail and crop adjustments on a sample or your own photo, then save the result.
  3. Golden hour plannerSunrise, sunset, golden hour and blue hour for where you are, and where the sun rises and sets.
  4. ND filter calculatorYour shutter speed with an ND filter on, and a countdown timer for bulb mode.
  5. Depth of field calculatorHow much is sharp for your lens, aperture and focus distance, and the hyperfocal distance.
  6. Photo info and location removerSee a photo's camera settings and where it was taken, then remove the location before you share it.

Chapter 3Part 1: Exposure

Metering

Your camera measures the light and suggests an exposure. See what it aims for, how to read its suggestion, and how each metering mode decides which part of the frame to listen to.

Metering lab

Face
Blown out

Metering mode
Subject
Shooting mode

What happened

The photos have their real-world contrast restored: the window is about six stops brighter than the face, and the stage curtain much darker than the singer. Each mode weighs the frame in a simplified way; real matrix metering uses each camera maker's own scene analysis. Photos by Andrea Piacquadio and ANTONI SHKRABA production on Pexels.

What the meter aims for

The meter measures the light coming back from the scene. It can't tell a white card in dim light from a grey card in bright light, so it assumes whatever it reads is a middle tone, middle grey, and suggests the exposure that makes it one. Point it at a white card, a grey card or a black cloth filling the frame and see.

What your eye sees
What the camera records
Result
Highlights
Spot-meter a

This assumes spot metering on a surface that fills the metered area. Matrix metering looks at the whole scene and may not be fooled as much. See Nikon's comparison of metering modes.

Reading the meter

The scale in the viewfinder shows how far your settings are from what the meter suggests. 0 is the meter's suggestion; +1 is one stop brighter, −1 one stop darker. Past ±3 the needle blinks.

It's advice, not a verdict. For snow, +1⅔ may be exactly right, as the grey card lab shows. Check the result with the histogram.

Try it in the lab

Switch the metering lab to M and drag the shutter speed: the needle moves while the camera leaves your exposure alone. In A, the needle shows your exposure compensation instead, because the camera is following the meter. The next chapter covers what each shooting mode does.

The four modes

Every mode measures the same light. They differ in which part of the frame gets a say. Names vary by brand, and not every camera has all four.

Matrix

Also called evaluative or multi-segment

Listens to
The whole frame in zones. It judges the pattern of bright and dark, the colours and where you focused, and aims for what your eye would expect.
Use it for
Almost everything. Leave it on by default.
Watch out
It can't know what you intend. A silhouette, or a white wall you want to stay white, may still need exposure compensation.

Centre-weighted

Sometimes centre-weighted average

Listens to
The whole frame, but gives most of the weight to a circle in the middle. Some cameras let you change the circle's size.
Use it for
A subject that stays in the centre, when you want a predictable result.
Watch out
It keeps listening to the middle even when your subject is at the edge.

Spot

Canon's partial metering is a larger spot

Listens to
Only a small circle, about 1.5 to 5% of the frame. It usually follows the active focus point; some cameras use the centre.
Use it for
A small subject against a much brighter or darker background, like a spotlit face on a black stage.
Watch out
It makes whatever it reads middle grey. A white dress comes out grey and a black jacket too bright, unless you add or subtract exposure.

Highlight-weighted

Called Highlight on some cameras; not on all

Listens to
The brightest parts of the frame, and keeps them just below pure white.
Use it for
Spotlit performers, bright costumes, anything where the highlights matter most.
Watch out
Everything else can go dark, which is often right on a stage. If the scene is too contrasty for one exposure, it can't save both ends.

In practice: start with matrix and check the histogram. Switch only when a scene keeps fooling it: spot for a small subject, highlight-weighted for a spotlit one, centre-weighted when the subject stays in the middle.

Sunny 16: exposure without a meter

On a bright sunny day, set the aperture to f/16 and the shutter speed to 1 over the ISO: at ISO 100, that is 1/100 s (1/125 on most dials). Less light, open up one stop at a time. It's a handy check when the meter is fooled, and good practice at thinking in stops.

LightShadows lookAperture at 1/125, ISO 100
Snow or sand in sunDark, sharpf/22
Bright sunSharp edgesf/16
Hazy sunSoft edgesf/11
OvercastBarely theref/8
Heavy overcastNonef/5.6
Open shade, sunsetNonef/4

Trade it for what you need

f/16 at 1/125 is only a starting point. Trade stops to get the look you want. Every row below is the same exposure:

f/16, 1/125 s
Sunny 16
f/8, 1/500 s
2 stops wider, 2 faster
f/4, 1/2000 s
Blurred background
f/2.8, 1/4000 s
Near the shutter's limit

Try it yourself