Light - Measuring exposure 2

Exercise: Measuring Exposure Part 2 (36 Photographs)

For part 2, the task was to take 5-6 different photographs of any subject. For each photograph I was to take 5 exposures around what would be measured as the correct exposure. 

The first -1 stop darker, second- half a stop, the third -the average exposure, the fourth - half a stop lighter and finally the fifth- 1 stop lighter. 

As with the first part of this exercise, the following images were taken in the RAW format with minimal post production, and the D4 was set to 'M' manual. 

Not sure if this old BMW had been put out with the rubbish, but it certainly hasn't moved in a long time. 

Nikon D4 f11 @1/500sec ISO 800

The camera suggested 1/250sec for this scene to be correctly exposed with the selected aperture setting.

This photograph to the left was taken at 1 stop under with a speed of 1/500sec. This showed dark areas to the image were underexposed and clipping was present in these areas on the histogram. 

Nikon D4 f11 @ 1/350 sec ISO 800

1/2 stop under with a shutter speed of 1/350, there was minimal clipping present on the histogram. These settings give the image a darker look without losing too much of the details in the darker areas.

Nikon D4 - f11 @ 1/250sec ISO 800

The picture to the left, shows the correct setting of shutter speed with the selected aperture as suggested by the cameras sensor. 

Still a darker, gloomy photograph this is possibly down the areas of light to the edge of the frame causing the sensor to read that the scene was slightly brighter than it really was. 

Nikon D4 - f11 @ 1/180sec ISO 800

A brighter photograph taken at 1/2 stop over, the darker areas are better defined and the green wheelie bin stands out as a brighter green, as does the foliage in the foreground.

 Nikon D4 - f11 @ 1/125sec ISO 800

1 stop over exposed, the dark areas at the back of the photograph are now well exposed and the detail in the foliage is apparent. 

Even though this photograph is 1 stop over exposed it doesn't have the look of being too bright. 

As demonstrated in part 1 of this exercise, the metered settings suggested by the camera are not always correct. In the above series of photographs, in my opinion the 1/2 over exposed image has got the correct balance of dark and light. 

The A30 Underpass was a good challenge for the cameras sensor. The bright sunny areas at each end coupled with the dark under the bridge made for some interesting results. 

Nikon D4 - f4 @1/350sec ISO 800

The suggested shutter speed for the aperture setting of f4 was 1/180sec, 1 stop under being 1/350sec. 

The sign in the distance had the sun reflecting off it therefore this was shown as a clipped highlight on the histogram, along with the grass verge below it. The dark area under the bridge was dark, but not as much as to show as the detail of concrete walls. 

Nikon D4 - f4 @ 1/250 sec ISO 800

1/2 stop under brightens the overall photograph slightly, there was more highlight clipping around the area of the sign and a change is seen in the colour of the green foliage. 

Nikon D4 f4 @ 1/180 sec ISO 800

The metered setting, shows that the area under the roof of the bridge is clearer and the blocks of concrete are visible. However the area around the sign is now visibly blown out.

The matrix setting of the cameras meter has taken the majority of its reading from the foreground and dark areas of the underpass, therefore creating the clipped area. 

Nikon D4 f4 @ 1/125 sec ISO 800

1/2 stop over, lightens up the underpass but creates a larger clipped area around the sign. 

Nikon D4 f4 @ 1/90 sec ISO 800

1 stop over, creates a photograph that is clearly over exposed and looks washed out. The clipped area around the sign now consists of the sign, verge and road. The bright stops in the foreground now also show as clipped highlights. 

In contrast to the first series of photographs of the abandoned car, the 1/2 stop under exposed photograph here is, in my opinion the best combination of dark and light and therefore makes the better photograph. 

Nikon D4 f4 @ 1/250 sec ISO 800

Photographing in a dense wood looking upwards towards the sky is going to be a challenge for any camera's metering system. The problem here is to correctly expose the trunk of the tree whilst not over exposing the sky.

The camera metered this scene with a shutter speed of 1/125 sec. This photograph was shot 1 stop under exposed. It gives the shot a nice dark feeling and the detail is still visible on the majority of the trunk. Even 1 stop under exposing this scene did not prevent the sky as showing as clipped highlights on the histogram. 

Nikon D4 f4 @ 1/180 sec ISO 800

1/2 stop under exposing the scene revealed more detail on the darker areas of the trunk and lighten the green leaves. More highlight clipping was apparent on the histogram. 

Nikon D4 f4 @ 1/125 sec ISO 800

At the metered setting the camera has produced a well exposed scene, however with more highlight clipping visible on the histogram. 

Nikon D4 f4 @ 1/90 sec ISO 800

1/2 stop over exposed produces a scene that has lost detail around the leaves at the very top of the frame due to the highlight clipping. 

Nikon D4 f4 @ 1/60 sec ISO 800

1 stop over exposed has created a large highlight clipped area, that has not only lost detail in the leaves but also in the branches. 

In this series of photographs the camera's sensor has created a well exposed scene and at 1/125 sec the photograph has a good balance of the dark tree trunk and light areas in the sky. 

The next two series of photographs are of the same subject but were taken using two different metering patterns. The first using Matrix and the second using spot metering. The subject I chose to demonstrate the different metering patterns was a statue of Sir Francis Drake in Tavistock Devon. As the grey statue was framed by a cloudy overcast sky I thought it would be the ideal subject. 

Nikon D4 f4 @ 1/500 sec ISO 100

1 stop under exposed using matrix metering, the lighter coloured clouds are causing the subject, which is a smaller part of the photograph to be too dark and under exposed. 

Nikon D4 f4 @ 1/125 sec ISO 

1 stop under exposed using spot metering. The camera has exposed the image according to the statue and ignoring the cloudy sky. The detail in statue is clear and well exposed and the formation of the clouds can still be seen in the sky.

Nikon D4 f4 @ 1/350 sec ISO 100

1/2 stop under exposed using matrix metering has slightly more detail visible on the statue, but is still too dark and under exposed. 

Nikon D4 f4 @ 1/90 sec ISO 100

1/2 stop under exposed using spot metering, an acceptable photograph and well exposed. 

Nikon D4 f4 @ 1/250 sec ISO 100

The metered setting of the camera using matrix metering. The camera has exposed the scene for the clouds causing the stature to appear too dark. 

Nikon D4 f4 @ 1/60 sec ISO 100

The metered setting of the camera using spot metering. The statue is bright and well exposed but large areas of the sky were showing as clipped highlights on the histogram, losing more detail than when using matrix metering. 

Nikon D4 f4 @ 1/180 sec ISO 100

1/2 stop over exposed using matrix metering, lighter clouds but the statue appears still to be too dark.

Nikon D4 f4 @ 1/45 sec ISO 

1/2 stop over exposed using spot metering, large areas of the sky show as clipped highlights losing all the detail within the clouds.

Nikon D4 f4 @ 1/125 sec ISO 100

1 stop over exposed using matrix metering, a much better exposed scene, more detail can now be seen on the statue. 

Nikon D4 f4 @ 1/30 ISO 100

1 stop over exposed using spot metering, all of the sky is now shown as clipped highlights and the statue is also over exposed. 

This series of photographs clearly demonstrate the advantages of using spot metering for this type of scene. It is interesting to note that the two photographs that represent the best exposed photograph, whether using matrix or spot metering both use a shutter speed of 1/125 sec. Using matrix metering, this was 1 stop over exposed, and spot metering 1 stop under exposed.