Photoshop

Whether novice or amateur, we have all experienced the same common frustrations. Perhaps you are taking a photo of snow on a bright day only the photo turns out too dark or perhaps you are photographing something in the dark, only the photo turns out too bright. So, why does this happen?

Well, first of all it is important to note that because a lot of the time cameras reproduce more or less what we see with our eyes, it is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that we can just put the camera in fully automatic mode, point, shoot, and get a photo that looks just like what we saw. But this is not always possible, and it is because of the way your camera makes decisions when you press the button.

When you take a picture, unless you are using a fully manual mode, your camera must decide how much light should be allowed to hit the sensor. Too little, and the subjects of the photo might not be properly visible (this is called underexposed); too much, and areas of the photo might just be rendered completely white, with no detail at all (this is called overexposed).

Basically, your camera makes this decision based on the fact that most scenes, most of the time, are a mixture of light and dark tones that average out about the same. This average is called 18% grey. It uses this rule of thumb to work out what combination of shutter speed and aperture to use. However, this breaks down in some situations.

A prime example to better explain this phenomenon is the classic photo of a polar bear in the snow on a bright sunny day. You will use your camera to reproduce this beautiful scene you viewed with your own eyes in a bright, perfect photo. However, because your camera is using its rule of thumb to determine the shutter speed and aperture, it is more likely your photo will depict the snow and polar bear as dirty grey.

To give an example of the reverse side, perhaps you wish to take a photo of a street at night with streetlamps illuminating certain areas. With your camera using its rule of thumb to determine shutter speed and aperture, you are more likely to end up with a photo where areas that were black are now dull brown and the illuminated areas are now white or exposed. This is due to your camera believing in the 18% grey factor.

To capture photos as you see them, you will need to take control of the camera and no longer allow it to make its own decisions. The most common way to do this is to dial the ‘exposure compensation’ setting on your camera. Add one stop for light conditions and decrease one stop for darker situations. In addition, you can try putting your camera in manual mode and trying different settings. This allows you the opportunity to experiment while using your LCD screen until you find the exposure you desire.

Tobias Sterling is a keen photography enthusiast who loves to write and share his photography knowledge online. He does so by contributing his articles including Photography Creative Blur Examples and Camera Aperture Guide to Clivir.com.