5 Ways to Greater Competence & Control
In my last dispatch, I talked about competence, hoping that asking “Is my work getting better?” might lead you to more productive places in your craft than asking “Is it good?” I suggested that a first step might be to get better at the basics of your craft before running off all half-cocked to make “art.” Baby steps, right?
“Craft” is a hypernym, an umbrella word covering a hundred different ideas and techniques, and it might be helpful to narrow it down a bit—and since nothing will ruin a potentially good photograph like blowing the exposure, I’ve got five ideas for you, or things you can change or work on, to gain competence with and control of your exposure. Remember: competence leads to confidence, and since confidence opens the way to experimentation and play, it’s one doorway to greater creativity and stronger photographs.
Drop the Brightness
If you’re one of those photographers who cranks the brightness up on your back-of-camera LCD or your electronic viewfinder (EVF), then it’s time for some tough love: knock it off. Or rather, knock it down. If you want your images to look brighter on the LCD, then there’s a better way: make them actually brighter by giving them more exposure. Cranking the LCD up won’t help.
When you’re happily shooting away with a really bright LCD/EVF, you’re also probably wildly underexposing because you “think it looks good.” It won’t.
Your LCD/EVF is fantastic for seeing composition, not for judging the brightness of an image. It’s the same reason we don’t use our laptop or desktop displays at full brightness; 50% is usually about right. You do all your development, it looks great, you print it, and whoa! Why’s it so dark? It’s dark because your monitor (LCD/EVF) is too bright, and it’s giving you a false impression.
Dial your LCD/EVF brightness down to 50% and you’ll begin exposing differently.
Turn on the Blinkies!
Before I return to the “don’t use your LCD/EVF for judging your exposure” lecture, grab your camera and make sure your blinkies or highlight warnings are all turned on. Don’t know how? Just Google your camera model and the words “how to turn on highlight alerts.” Three minutes on YouTube will have you sorted out.
Your blinkies will not only tell you that parts of the image are overexposed, they’ll also tell you which parts and give you the ability to decide if that’s what you want or not. Specular highlights glinting off something metallic? That’s probably OK, since there’s no detail in there anyway, and trying to reclaim them will make the rest of the picture way too dark. But a wide patch of blinkies on the forehead of your portrait subject? Not so much. Dial your exposure down until that goes away.
If you’re shooting in RAW, you’ve got some leeway to recover those lost highlight details later in development, but not so much that you can afford to be lazy about this. My blinkies are always on, and they are a big help when I get distracted by other things.
Learn to Use the Histogram
If you can’t use your LCD/EVF brightness to judge exposure (you can’t), what do you use? The histogram. This is a non-negotiable for digital photographers: you must learn to read your histogram. It’s the only way to know what your exposure is doing. I did a video about this 10 years ago, and you can see it here. It’s not the worst explanation ever, but if histograms are a mystery to you, consider spending some time watching several videos about this so you really understand it.
My histogram is always visible in my viewfinder, and I keep an eye on it constantly.
Consider Using M+Auto-ISO
Now might be a good time to wean yourself off Aperture or Shutter priority mode and go fully manual (sort of). The control you gain from this will serve you for the rest of your life.
A few years ago, a friend showed me how he had recently learned to expose: set the shutter speed manually, set the aperture manually, then turn on Auto-ISO. “No way,” I said. And then I tried it, and I haven’t looked back since. Why? Total control over the settings that make the most difference to the way a photograph looks and feels. I always know what those two settings are doing to my image; the camera doesn’t get to change them. Ever. But ISO? Well, now that our sensors are so good and noise reduction software has come so far, I don’t even think twice about it. My max ISO is set to 12,800, and I’m careful to nail my exposure (see points 1, 2, and 3 above), and I let the ISO go where it needs to (mostly—see below). This approach means I control what’s important, and the camera still helps with exposure.
Shutter and aperture are something you should decide, not your camera. ISO is less important. Switching to this way of shooting means fewer surprises and greater control. Almost every photographer I know who shoots this way wouldn’t go back. Give it a try.
Learn to Use Your EV Compensation
Any photographer using any auto mode (including what I described above) needs to understand and use EV compensation. I’ve programmed my cameras to control the EV compensation with a small scroll wheel on the back, easily the most accessible control on my camera. I set my shutter and aperture, and let the camera control the exposure with ISO. But I keep an eye on my blinkies and always watch my histogram, and when the camera doesn’t make the same decision I would have, I step in and spin the EV Compensation wheel. A little lighter. A little darker.
Exposure Value compensation, or EV comp, is your way of telling the camera, “Hey, nice try, but I want this one to be two stops darker or brighter,” and the camera (if you’re shooting as above) will then raise or lower the ISO as needed. It won’t touch shutter or aperture because you control those manually. And if it’s too bright and your ISO can’t go any lower, the camera will blink a warning. Same if it’s too dark and the ISO can’t go higher. And then you can decide what to do with your shutter or aperture to correct that. (Note: when I say the camera will blink a warning, I don’t in this case mean the blinkies. The exposure information, probably at the bottom of your screen, will blink to tell you it can’t give you a proper exposure with the settings you’ve set).
You must learn to use your EV compensation when using any auto or program mode: it’s your only way to tell the camera you want a little more or a little less exposure. A quick Google search with your camera model and “EV compensation” ought to get you there if you don’t know where to find this on your camera. It’s usually on a button with a +/- symbol.
In Real Life
The “make it brighter” button in real life is a bit harder to find, but I’m convinced it lies in our choice to be kind to one another, to show empathy, compassion, and generosity: qualities that feel conspicuously in short supply these days. Qualities we’ve always celebrated at this time of year, and which—I’m convinced—are the secret to the yet-unrealized dream of peace on Earth, if it’s ever going to come at all. But in the meantime, it can get pretty dark, and this year’s been a tough one. Spin the dial on that exposure compensation, knock the kindness up a little. Photographers, of all people, should be particularly sensitive to the beauty of light. I wish you all the light you can get, the happiest of holidays, and a new year filled with love.
I hope this helps. If you’ve got questions, or just want to say hello, I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
For the Love of the Photograph,
David
Comments
I shoot a lot of local arts events in low light (theatre, bands in bars, etc.), so I use A + Auto ISO, plus exposure compensation. There’s far too much motion — people moving in and out of lights, reflections or lights in the frame, and sometimes constantly changing lighting, depending on the venue, etc. — to keep up with manually adjusting aperture and shutter speed. I set the aperture for a reasonable shutter speed based on the average stage lighting, and I use the EV dial to compensate for whatever else happens.
The EVF is good, but the histogram is essential.
If you wanted to produce a deliberately over exposed image for creative reasons would you over expose in the camera or try to get a correctly exposed image and then get the desired effect in processing?
It’s all about data. Expose for what matters. If you can get all the data in one exposure (ie no clipping of either highlights or shadows) then make the best exposure you can to get it all in. But if you have to choose, for example blowing out the sky in order to get the most amount of detail in a leopard in the shadows on a tree branch, then expose for the cat, get the most amount of data to be able to play with the file without too much noise, and let the unnecessary highlights blow out.
Another great article. I’m doing most of the tips, but I have to start paying attention to the Blinkies and learn to use EV Compensation. Thanks for all the articles this year. Happy holidays!
David, I will give it a trial – M+Auto-ISO. I love to have full control. Thank you for the task for holidays. Reading your blog and the comments, is always inspiring.
I wish you David and everyone here a holiday that you enjoy and that does you good.
Great article. I definitely made a few changes – four to be exact – on my camera. I already use the M and Auto ISO combination. Thank you for the holiday wishes.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your family.
Thanks, Susan. Glad I could help! Have a wonderful holiday. Wishing you light!
David,
Thank you for the excellent Holiday Wish. We can all use a good deal more of compassion, kindness, and most of all “Light”. I would like to think that it would come in the form of people abandoning the common tendency towards self-interest in favor of Altruism and consideration for others. “Do unto others” as it were.
I wanted to send a note of thanks for all of the books and courses that I have been able to have access to since the rekindling of my love for photography several years ago. Photography became important to me back in the early 70’s when I was in college. I managed to work my way through bulk loading film, developing, and printing In my own simple darkroom. I had to set photography aside because of the need to focus intensely on the rigors of Doctoral and Post-Doctoral education, as well as starting a family. When my youngest went off to college I got my hands on a simple “point and shoot”, second hand. It was so pathetic that my kids chipped in and got me a Sony Power Shot with a little more capability for Christmas. Concurrently, my work gave me the opportunity to lecture and travel, so it was a timely gift that I made good use of. I concurrently began to document my work in photographs for inclusion in my lectures and presentations. In the lead-up to the end of my practice, I took the opportunity to purchase some upgraded equipment in anticipation of taking it with me to continue my transition into digital photography.
As much as I have appreciated your excellent technical advice, I have really come to treasure the more “visceral” aspects of your advice, and your approach of “inviting” rather than simply instructing. For me, the most important of these was your invitation to “get closer”. In the 70’s I was obsessed with the telephoto lens and it’s properties. Now I live with my 16-35mm zoom lens on my camera. My camera has a crop sensor, so we’re really talking 25-56mm equivalent – but it’s the immersion into the experience of making photographs that I have come to enjoy more than the reach of any long lens.
I also enjoy the value of making “collections” as well individual images. (I am especially enjoying a project that I simply refer to as “Side B”.)
In any event – thank you, please keep it coming, and sending more “light” your way.
Paul
(P.S. I have also appreciated your very candid sharing of your transition to becoming an amputee, and the spirit and grace with which you have taken on that experience.)
What a gift your words are, Paul. Thank you so much for that. I’m so encouraged by what you’ve just said. On the first page of my journals I always right the words of Rumi: ““Be a lamp, or a lifeboat, or a ladder. Help someone’s soul heal. Walk out of your house like a shepherd.” – these are my purpose in everything I do, and to know I’m making a difference, especially as you say, in the visceral stuff, means the world to me. Thank you!
Thanks as always David. I understand the computer screen at 50% for prints. If an image is for Instagram or Fb do you process a different copy at 100%?
Nope. Keep the monitor at 50%. At 100% the display will misrepresent the image, making you think it’s brighter than it is. If you use a hardware display calibrator (the kind that hangs from your display and actually measures outputted light and colour, it will always make you dial the brightness down first so you’re looking at the true brightness, and true colour. Trust me, your images will look better, no matter where you output them to. Of course, I’m no colour scientist and there are people better equipped to weigh in on this but this is my understanding. Thanks for asking!
I too shot Aperture, low ISO for landscapes. I never gave Manual + Auto ISO. Going to try it out. Merry Christmas!!
Give it a try, Frank. Takes a bit of getting used to but I think you’ll like the added control. Merry Christmas to you too.
David,
I am still thinking about my winter project, but I have decided that whatever I choose to do, I will do it with M + Auto ISO. I will also turn down the brightness on all of my screens and buy some ink for the printer.
Wishing you a safe and wonderful holiday season.
Alec
Can’t wait to see the results, Alec. Sending love to you and Diane.
This is absolutely the best argument for M+Auto-ISO that I have read. I mostly shoot landscapes, and mostly use aperture priority with the lowest ISO I can get away with, letting the shutter speed fall where it may. But as soon as *anything* in the frame is moving, even a cloud or a leaf, that approach breaks down (I have plenty of evidence on my HDD!) and M+Auto-ISO is the better answer because you are also in control of the shutter speed and hence the appearance of those moving items.
Thanks, and all the best for the holiday season!
Thanks, Gord. Let me know how it goes. I admit I was a little reluctant at first but this has become the only way I want to shoot anymore. Happy holidays to you and yours.
Thank you! I appreciate both your instruction and your comments on real life.
Wishing you the best of the holiday season.
Kind of you to say, thank you. Very best to you and yours as well, Robert.