Exposure
Exposure is determined by a light meter, which is generally through the lens (TTL) and in-built in the camera. There are many situations where adjustments need to be made for this exposure reading, in order to get an accurate exposure, as sometimes the TTL meter will over-compensate in very bright or dim light conditions. In these circumstances bracketing can be used so that three frames are shot where in relation to the metered exposure one frame is underexposed, the second is exposed as per the meter reading and the last is overexposed. The frames could be under and over exposed by either a ½ stop or even to 1 to 2 stops.
To achieve an accurate exposure, a hand held light meter can be used. There are two types of light meters, which either measure incidental light or reflective light. The two meters do generate different exposure readings and it is important to know which reading is being taken. For general meter readings, measuring the incident light will be more accurate than measuring the reflected light.
The following table provides an indication of the effects of under and over exposure.
| Under | Normal | Over | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Negative | Thin, lacks density in shadows | Good density in shadows and highlights | Too dense, highlights may be “blocked up” |
| Low contrast, little or no shadow detail | Average contrast with full detail in shadows and highlight | Average contrast, but highlights will be too bright. More grain and less sharpness |
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