Question:
I had a question about the 1st assignment. You have provided us with a table to set our cameras for the correct exposure in direct sunlight.
Exposure settings for direct sunlight | ||
ISO | Shutter Speed | Aperture Setting |
100 | 1/125 | f16 |
200 | 1/250 | f16 |
Does this mean that when we take a picture in TV, AV, or P mode, we have to alter the aperture, IOS, and shutter speeds, or do we just take the picture and record those values that the camera automatically sets for us?
And if we do not simply record the values (for aperture, shutter speed, and IOS the camera automatically sets for us in the automatic modes)…and I wanted to take pictures around 4-7 in the afternoon, would I have to calculate the correct aperture, IOS, and shutter speed to use and alter them on my camera? I read that in dark or shady circumstances, you would need to increase the values by 4-5 stops. Would I have to do that f I am shooting in mid-afternoon/ shady locations?
Answer:
Great questions. Thanks for asking.
The exposure settings are meant to have your camera on Manual (M) mode. This means you control the light coming into your camera with your shutter speed (how long the exposure is) and aperture settings (how big the hole is inside the lens during the exposure.)
When you shoot in Tv mode, you are controlling how long the shutter is open. The camera will set everything else based on how much light is available
When you shoot in Av mode, you choose how wide you want your aperture to be and the camera will set everything else.
P mode is program mode. With Program mode, you can change the ISO and it will stay at that setting. It will then adjust the aperture and shutter speed for you. If you want to change one of these two two, you can and it will work to recalculate the exposure with the other. For example: if you are using Program mode while taking pictures at an indoor birthday party you can set a high ISO so you don’t need to use the flash, and your camera will choose a combination of aperture and shutter speed to get a properly-exposed photo. You can then rotate the command dial (on some cameras it might be pressing a button) to change these values if you decide you want a wider aperture or slower shutter. Essentially your camera says “Here’s what I think will be good,” and then you take over and say “Thanks bro, I’ll take it from here” as you shift the values of your shutter and aperture using the dial on your camera.
Now, for the first assignment, the selfie one, you are welcome to shoot in any of the camera modes listed above. If you want full control of your exposure though, the camera will need to be in Manual mode. If you are shooting late afternoon or in the shade, you will need to either slow down your shutter and/or open your aperture and/or increase the ISO to compensate for the lack of lght. Choose one and play around with it. (I encourage experimentation.) Then choose another an experiment with it too. 🙂
Hope this helps,
Say