What Your Camera's Meter Doesn't Know

Your camera does not know what the scene looks like to you.

In the first example I set my camera in P mode. If you are not familiar with the various settings on DSLR cameras "P" mode is almost fully automatic. However unlike the Auto, or Green Camera mode found on many DSLRs the P mode allows you  to control ISO settings and it allows what is called, exposure compensation. Usually controlled with a small button marked with plus/minus signs like this [+/-]. Let's look at the first shot, fully automatic, and it's not bad. Notice the light range is so great that the trees and foliage are rendered as silhouettes. It is obviously sunrise/sunset (actually, sunset I'm not usually an early riser) there is good color in the sky and as I said before it's not bad, but it's not what I saw. By the time I shot this photo the world, locally, was pretty dark, the sky was not the pale blue you see here and the reds and oranges were much more vivid.

So, let's get back to "exposure compensation". The scene I wished to photograph was the one I saw before me. It had richer colors than the automatic one and more texture in the water. In manual exposure mode I could have used a faster shutter speed or a smaller lens opening. In the "P" mode I can use the +/- button and dial in the amount of over or under exposure that I wanted. Here in the second version I dialed in -2 also referred to as -2EV (Exposure Value). It is now 2 stops underexposed from the meter reading.

Please keep in mind that the meter reading does not give you a correct exposure, THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS CORRECT EXPOSURE. I do not even claim that the exposure in the second version of the shot is better than the first one, my only claim is that I like the second one better. I am the photographer and I get to decide what exposure I like best. Had you been standing beside me at the time this shot was taken and taken your own it might look quite different. Hey, I might even like yours better than mine.

Photography is based on artistic decisions. Knowledge of photographic techniques equips you with the tools you need to get the shot you want.

It's been awhile since my last post and it feels good to be back typing. Comments are always welcome.