What is Exposure and Types of Exposure?

Exposure is a quantity of light. It’s the amount of light that reaches a photosensitive material to create an image.

Understanding the Terms

There are 3 things that affect the “Brightness” of an image in any given level of light – Aperture, Shutter speed and ISO Sensitivity. Of these three settings, aperture and shutter speed are the only two that actually let you gather more light in the field, which is why they form your Exposure.

What is OverExposure?

Overexposure is when an image appears brighter than it should, or brighter than neutral exposure. When too much light hits the camera’s sensor, it results in an extremely bright image that is now overexposed. Overexposure limits detail in the photo and reduce any opportunity for shadowing or distinguishable highlights in the image. In order to reduce the possibility of an overexposed picture or overexposed film, the photographer controls the amount of light that gets into the camera.

Basically, there are two settings that control exposure: One is Aperture and the other is Shutter speed. These two settings allow the photographer to collect light and bring that light into the camera.

ISO is another setting that can be adjusted to help regulate brightness, but because it doesn’t function to let light in, it doesn’t regulate exposure.

What is UnderExposure?

Underexposure is when an image appears darker than it should, or darker than neutral exposure. An underexposed image is the result of not enough light hitting the camera’s sensor. Underexposed images often lack detail and the objects or subjects can even blend together in the shadows of the image.

The photographer controls the amount of light that gets into the camera in order to reduce the possibility of underexposure. Camera settings, aperture, and shutter speed, control exposure because they are responsible for collecting light into the camera.

ISO, another setting, adjusts brightness but doesn’t serve to draw light in and so it doesn’t regulate exposure.

What is Correct Exposure?

Good or Correct exposure in photography is generally the right combination of aperture, shutter speed, and ISO that best reflects the subject you are trying to shoot. So a correctly exposed image is one that feels just bright or dark enough so that both the shadows and highlights areas they feel the most natural and comfortable to look at.

Theoretically, such a photograph contains no lost highlights or shadows, meaning all the detail is clearly distinguishable and as close as possible to real life.

How do you choose your Exposure?

You may prefer to set my exposure using manual mode, not in program mode. This gives us more control and accuracy with the camera settings and exposure adjustment than if I am using any of the auto exposure modes.

When the camera is in any of the auto or semi-auto exposure modes it is programmed to give a correct exposure based on middle grey. Unless you override these settings you will not have so much control over how your photo is exposed. In high contrast situations, the camera on auto would probably expose the photos unsatisfactorily.

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