Exposure Basic Tips for Gaining The Perfect Shot

How fast is the subject moving? Will you be able to "hand hold" the camera? Should the entire scene be in focus or is there one specific subject that should be highlighted? All of these questions should be considered before pressing the shutter button and in reality there is only a few split seconds to make these decisions. Truly mastering the shutter speed and aperture combination is a skill that can only be perfected with time and taking a lot of photographs. But here are some tips and tricks that can give any photograph the professional look of a balanced exposure and depth of field.

Deciding how much of the photo will be in focus, depth of field, is a decision left entirely up to the photographer. It all depends on how much you'd like to see. If you are taking a close up picture of one singular flower, for example, then a greater depth of field is not much of a concern. Since the main subject of the photograph is only a few inches from your lens. In a situation such as this the more information recorded in the background (greater depth of field) can cause major distractions from the main subject. The same rings true for the opposite end of the scale. If you are photographing a wide landscape scene then you would want to record the most information possible. It is in situations such as this that you would use a wide open aperture to gain the most depth of field. It is important to keep in mind however that the depth of field is only a tool, a way to obtain a certain look for your photograph. If you primary concern is gaining the proper exposure and an all around sharp image then depth of field should not be your primary concern. Each camera and lens combination has an optimal aperture setting. Consulting your cameras manual will tell you this setting depending on the focal length of your lens. For example a 55mm lens takes the sharpest picture at an aperture of F8.0 and to be honest this the setting where most of your photographs will be taken. Knowing this setting will eliminate having to factor in the aperture number in gaining perfect exposure leaving shutter speed to be your primary concern.

Since most of your photographs will be taken at the optimal aperture number, that leaves only shutter speed to be considered when trying to calculate the best exposure. The easiest way to make a determination on shutter speed is the motion of your subject, the faster the subject the faster the shutter speed. It is as simple as that. An easy way to determine the proper shutter speed is to take what is called bracket exposures. Since your aperture number wont be changing, pick a starting point for your shutter speed (1/60 is the slowest shutter speed to use, unless you have a tripod) and shoot the photograph. If the photo is to dark than means you need to use a slower shutter speed and if your photo is to light than use a faster shutter speed. By systematically eliminating the settings that cause the image to be to dark or to light will make it easier to find the middle ground i.e the proper exposure.

Although it may seem daunting trying to match the perfect combination between shutter speed and aperture just keep in mind the majority of photos will be taken at the optimal aperture setting leaving only the shutter speed to be determined. All it takes is time an practice to gain the perfect exposure. The more time and photos taken with your camera will allow you to make these decision faster. Until then using bracketed exposure will visually allow you to see the different effect of the shutter speed settings allowing for perfect exposure.