LocalNavy433 Photography

Hello and how the hell are you and if this is your first time here thanks for stopping by.  In this weeks blog we are going to talk about how to get the perfect exposure for every image.  There are so many different ways that you can achieve this. You can turn around and make sure that you know the settings to a tee which will always give you the perfect exposure.  The way that I do this is an old fashion way of doing it.  I use three things to check and make sure that I am getting the perfect exposure.  

The way that you want your photo to look is important to the viewer and making sure that you get this right in camera is the hardest thing to learn when you first start out.  The one reason that I keep going back to a Canon system is their auto exposure feature in live view is the best that I have ever used.  I can say that because I have shoot with Nikon, Sony, Pentax, and Canon.  Out of all of them the Canon was the best I have ever experienced.  The Sony system was good but it was always giving me a darker image and I was not happy with that.  The Nikon only had this feature if you bought the higher end models so if you are starting out with a Nikon you will not get this feature.  Pentax had the second best auto exposure feature but the other features on that body really held it back in my opinion.  The tops was even in the basic model of the t6 that I started out on.  

This feature allowed me when I was starting out to really learn how to get that perfect exposure every time.  I was using the auto exposure feature to get me in the ballpark for the images that I was after.  The second method is a simple as using the meter system that you have at the bottom of the viewfinder and at the bottom of the live view screen.  I use the evaluative metering selection because I tend to shoot more into the sun so that gives me the best exposure that I could get.  I found that if I put the meter which is integrated with my focusing system on the horizon it will give me the best exposure.  This feature is on that I have used since I figured out how to use the meter to get an exposure.  

The two methods that I mentioned above are still what I use when taking my photos.  They are such a huge help for me when in the field shooting. I have grown so used to shooting on the Canon system that I have had issues when switching to other brands.  The one system that has been true every time that I shoot with it is the Canon metering system and the auto exposure in live view.  I hate to say this and the sad part is that it’s true I feel lost when trying to shoot on another system and I am never happy with trying to get the perfect exposure.  

The last one that I use is knowing my settings to get the perfect exposure.  I know that I want to set my f stop to say F11 so that way I can get everything pretty much in focus I will also have my iso at 100 to keep the noise levels down my shutter speed is all that is left.  I will pick a shutter speed depending on the light.  This method is good for getting a base for an image and then I lean on using the other two methods to get that exposure nailed in.  Knowing how to use the metering system will allow you to get an even better looking image.  The auto exposure allows me to see what the finished image is going to look like.  The fact is you cannot just know how to use only one of these methods you have to be able to use at least two of them to have an easier time while out shooting.  I like using all three of them.  I know my setting well enough to walk up to a scene and put the settings in and only be off by one stop of light.  

The most freeing thing about shooting with these methods is that once you learn how to use two of them it will not matter what system you are shooting you will be able to get a good exposure.  I mean with the other three systems that I talked about earlier I was not able to use the auto exposure and I was still getting the perfect exposures with them because I was able to know my settings and I knew how to use the meter system.  The key to learning all of this is really as simple as shoot in full auto then hit the info button to see what the setting the camera chose and you then put the camera in manual mode and copy it.  This will teach you how to use the settings and by keeping an eye on what the meter says right before you take the shot will allow you to see what the camera sees.  

I loved learning this because it really helped me when I switched to shooting on different camera brands.  At the core of every camera is the three basic steps that you will have to take to get the perfect exposure.  You have to know what f-stop to use along with what iso you want for the scene.  The last is to know what shutter speed you want.  If you want to show movement then the shutter speed is going to be slow if you want to freeze motion then you need a faster shutter.  The only way to truly know what you want out of a photo is so simple you just have to get out there and shoot as many different types of images as you can.  I love a good landscape image but I really love a good nightscape, but lately I have been shooting more wildlife photos.  This is simple I want to know how to take as many different types of images so I can walk up to anything and just shoot.  I won’t need to look at a camera I will know that I got the shot and it was properly exposed.  

Thanks for reading this and I hope that you learned something remember to go check out my other social media accounts and I started a YouTube channel so go watch the videos.  Give this a like and a follow if you enjoyed it.