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?
Unfortunately, most people believe that they can just point and shoot their camera and reproduce a photo depicting exactly what they saw. However, this is not the case when a camera is in its automatic mode. This mode makes the camera decide for itself what the proper settings should be.
Unless you are using a fully manual camera, your camera must make the decision as to how much light to allow the sensor to be exposed to. If there is too little light, the subjects of the photograph may appear almost invisible, also known as 'underexposed." In reverse, if there is too much light allowed, areas of the photo may be completely white, also known as "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 and featured writer on Clivir.com. His articles about Beginners Photography tutorials and Sensual Photography of Female Body can be found on Clivir.com.
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