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Rules of thumb for compositionexposure
- Thread starter saspencr
- Start date
> What other rules are useful when considering composition/exposure?
The only rule is that their are no rules !! Seriously , the rule of thirds are a useful back up , but many great pics break the so called rules . So use whatever works - for exposure too , sometimes a bit over or under can make a big difference..... Steve
The only rule is that their are no rules !! Seriously , the rule of thirds are a useful back up , but many great pics break the so called rules . So use whatever works - for exposure too , sometimes a bit over or under can make a big difference..... Steve
Thanks, Stephen, I understand the rules are meant to be broken. Maybe that is a rule in itself. 
But they are helpful to know. Before I can break them, I should learn them and hope it helps to develop an eye for composition.
Thanks, Michael for yours. Do others have any?
But they are helpful to know. Before I can break them, I should learn them and hope it helps to develop an eye for composition. Thanks, Michael for yours. Do others have any?
Another rule (connected somehow with f/16) is the following:
Northern side of clear blue sky 45 degrees above horizon at noon is middle-grey.
I use it occasionally to check, when in doubt if my exposure meter is sti= ll accurate, but more often as a reference point, when shooting objects whic= h are far from middle grey, for ex&le snowscapes in bright, sunny days - = just point your camera at sky, AE-lock exposure, compose, and shoot.
My own modification of the above is this: although with this procedure yo= u obtain middle gray objects middle gray on your slides, but sunlit snow, w= hich is more than 3 f-stops brighter than middle-grey, is washed-out. To make = it look nicer, I underexpose the sky by 1 f-stop. This makes the sky really = deep blue and middle grey objects (trees, people, etc.) underexposed, but when= the main subject of your picture is snowy landscape, it looks ok. So my own r= ule for shooting snowscapes is:
Dial -1 f-stop exposure compensation, point the camera at sky (not necess= arily at north, but away from the Sun, horizon and clouds), AE-lock exposure, compose, and shoot.
For me works, esp. in the mountains, so well, that I stopped bracketing, = since I'm pretty sure my slides are exposed just as I want them to be. I wish I= had a spot meter in my camera, since when the sky is partly clouded and I use= a wide angle, it becomes tricky to get rid of clouds when metering...
Northern side of clear blue sky 45 degrees above horizon at noon is middle-grey.
I use it occasionally to check, when in doubt if my exposure meter is sti= ll accurate, but more often as a reference point, when shooting objects whic= h are far from middle grey, for ex&le snowscapes in bright, sunny days - = just point your camera at sky, AE-lock exposure, compose, and shoot.
My own modification of the above is this: although with this procedure yo= u obtain middle gray objects middle gray on your slides, but sunlit snow, w= hich is more than 3 f-stops brighter than middle-grey, is washed-out. To make = it look nicer, I underexpose the sky by 1 f-stop. This makes the sky really = deep blue and middle grey objects (trees, people, etc.) underexposed, but when= the main subject of your picture is snowy landscape, it looks ok. So my own r= ule for shooting snowscapes is:
Dial -1 f-stop exposure compensation, point the camera at sky (not necess= arily at north, but away from the Sun, horizon and clouds), AE-lock exposure, compose, and shoot.
For me works, esp. in the mountains, so well, that I stopped bracketing, = since I'm pretty sure my slides are exposed just as I want them to be. I wish I= had a spot meter in my camera, since when the sky is partly clouded and I use= a wide angle, it becomes tricky to get rid of clouds when metering...
> Northern side of clear blue sky 45 degrees above horizon at noon is> middle-grey.So my own r= ule for shooting> snowscapes is:
Not sure if that works here in the Southern hemisphere , but then we dont usually have to worry much about snow....... Anyway , another similar trick is to meter off grass [the bright green lawn coloured variety] - I do this quite abit and it works fine ..... Steve
Not sure if that works here in the Southern hemisphere , but then we dont usually have to worry much about snow....... Anyway , another similar trick is to meter off grass [the bright green lawn coloured variety] - I do this quite abit and it works fine ..... Steve
I found a couple of websites that are very helpful.
The first explains how to systematically figure out a correct exposure without a meter. http://www.fredparkerphotography.com/ultexp1.htm
The second one explains how to know what size lens is needed to capture the subject. http://www.fredparkerphotography.com/vislize.htm
There is lots of useful information out there, just a matter of finding it huh? Hope this helps and I hope others will feel free to add useful information on this thread.
The first explains how to systematically figure out a correct exposure without a meter. http://www.fredparkerphotography.com/ultexp1.htm
The second one explains how to know what size lens is needed to capture the subject. http://www.fredparkerphotography.com/vislize.htm
There is lots of useful information out there, just a matter of finding it huh? Hope this helps and I hope others will feel free to add useful information on this thread.