black + white photography - special issue - digital exposure handbook

Digital ExposureHANDBOOK
ROSS HODDINOTT
Revisededition
SPE
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OFF
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Digital Exposure HANDBOOKRevised edition
ROSS HODDINOTT

First published 2008 This edition published 2013 byAmmonite Pressan imprint of AE Publications Ltd166 High Street, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 1XU, United Kingdom
Text and photographs Ross Hoddinott, 2013 Copyright in the Work AE Publications Ltd, 2013
All rights reserved
The right of Ross Hoddinott to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, sections 77 and 78.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior permission of the publisher and copyright owner.
This book is sold subject to the condition that all designs are copyright and are not for commercial reproduction without the permission of the designer and copyright owner.
The publishers and author can accept no legal responsibility for any consequences arising from the application of information, advice or instructions given in this publication.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Publisher: Jonathan BaileyProduction Manager: Jim BulleyManaging Editor: Gerrie PurcellSenior Project Editor: Dominique PageEditor: Rob YarhamManaging Art Editor: Gilda PacittiDesigner: Chlo Alexander
Set in Bliss
Colour origination by GMC Reprographics
Picture credits
All photographs by Ross Hoddinott, except for the following:
2020VISION/Ross Hoddinott: 77, 98, 173, 179Ollie Blayney: 87, 88Tom Collier: 64 (top)
Additional images by: Canon 24, 129; Datacolor 182; Epson 185 (top); Hoya 151 (far right), 160; Lastolite 121, 144; Lee Filters 151, 155, 158; Lexar 168; Nikon 66, 67, 126, 130, 132; Permajet 184/185; Sekonic 17; Wimberley 145.

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Contents
Introduction 8
The basics of exposure 13
Exposure in practice 71
Ambient light 103
Flash light 123
Filters 147
Exposure in the digital darkroom 165
Glossary 188
Useful websites 190
Index 191

8Introduction
exposure / noun.The act, or an instance, of exposing a sensitized photographic material, or the product of the light intensity multiplied by the duration of such an exposure.
Exposure is the heartbeat of photography. Put simply,
it is the process of light striking a photosensitive
material, such as lm, photographic paper or a digital
cameras image sensor. Understanding and being
able to control exposure is critical to successful
photography. However, it is a subject that, at times,
can appear complex and confusing not only to
beginners, but enthusiasts as well. So many things
can in uence exposure, including the time of day,
focal length of the lens, subject movement, light
source and any lters attached. Certainly, when I rst
began taking photography seriously as a teenager,
I found the theory and technicalities of exposure
tricky to understand. However, I quickly realized that
if you try to overlook this key fundamental, your
photography will suffer and never realize its full,
creative potential.
Exposure is a combination of the length of
time and the level of illumination received by
a light-sensitive material. This is determined by
three settings: shutter speed, lens aperture and ISO
equivalency rating. The shutter speed is the duration
of time that the cameras shutter remains open,
allowing light to enter and expose the sensor. The
aperture or f-stop is the size of the adjustable
lens diaphragm, which dictates the amount of light
entering the camera. The ISO speed indicates the
sensors sensitivity to light. At lower sensitivities,
the sensor requires a longer exposure to get a good
result, while at high sensitivities, less light is needed.
If the combination of shutter time, aperture
and ISO sensitivity is incorrect, the picture will be
wrongly exposed. Too much light falling on the
sensor will result in an overexposed image with
washed out highlights; too little light and the
image will be underexposed, appearing too dark.
Simply speaking, a good photograph relies on the
photographer employing just the right combination
of settings to form the correct level of exposure.
However, while this might be logical in theory,
I often ask myself: Is there really such a thing as
the correct exposure? While you could say that
a correctly exposed image is one that records
the scene or subject exactly as our eyes see it,
photography is a subjective and creative art. There
is no rule stating that a photographer must always
capture images that are authentic it is subject
to individual interpretation. Therefore, arguably,
a correct exposure is simply one that is faithful
to the vision of the photographer at the moment
he or she triggers the shutter.
Todays breed of digital cameras boasts highly
sophisticated and accurate internal metering
systems, which are rarely fooled even in awkward
lighting conditions. They have simpli ed many
of the technical aspects of exposure, for which
we should be grateful. However, a camera is still
only a machine; it cannot predict the effect and
look the photographer is striving to achieve. It is
for this reason that you shouldnt always rely on
your cameras automated settings. Remember:
you are the artist and, as such, you need to grasp
control from your camera. Fail to do so, and your
images will never truly convey your own individual
interpretation of the subject you are shooting.
XDamsel yEvery time you take a photo, you are recording
a unique moment that can never be repeated.
A good understanding of exposure is vital to
ensure your image is compelling to others and
faithfully captures the light, essence and mood
of that particular moment.
Nikon D800, 150mm, ISO 200, 1/3sec at f/22, tripod.

9Introduction

10
Digital Exposure Handbook
Basically, without a good understanding of exposure,
your images will never progress beyond the realm
of pleasing snapshots.
Exposure can be manipulated for creative effect
in so many different ways. For example, it can be
used to create the impression of movement, or to
freeze fast action that otherwise would be too quick
for the human eye to register. However, the skill isnt
just to know how to create such effects; you also
need to be able to judge when to employ certain
settings. This handbook will help you make the right
choices. It is designed to be an exhaustive manual
on the subject, covering every aspect of exposure as
well as offering helpful and practical advice on ways
to improve your photography in general.
My hope is that this guide will inspire you,
helping to open your eyes to the skills and techniques
required to manage and control exposure in order to
create images that succeed in relaying your artistic
vision. However, reading this book alone will not
improve your photography; you have to adopt and
implement the things you learn in your own picture
taking. After all, photography is a skill and, if you wish
to improve, it has to be practised.
X Church silhouetteIn many ways, there is no such thing as a correct
exposure. For example, technically speaking,
a silhouette is the result of poor exposure the
subject being grossly underexposed. However, no
one could deny that silhouettes create dramatic
and striking imagery.
Nikon D300, 2485mm (at 85mm), ISO 200, 2min at f/11, 10-stop ND, tripod.

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1 The basics of exposure

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