We have such marvelous tools available to us, but in order to select the right one for the task at hand, we have to first ask, “The problem is …” and then come up with the answer. We all approach our photography differently, that’s how it is supposed to be! And while that is true, there are many aspects of the craft we all have in common. One of those is this thing called exposure. The light and how it falls on our subject and then is related by our meter to the pixels is a magical and maddening process at times. There are many aspects to this formula but the one that is the hardest for most to wrangle with is the light. While we can see with our eyes/brain a range of 14 stops of light with a single glance, most cameras can only hold detail in 5 stops, and a couple, 6 stops, in a single click. And I know right there, in that one sentence, I just lost many of you. That’s why I think I was flooded with questions from the confusion generated by my post yesterday. To get the full, long winded explanation to this, I encourage you to get our FREE Photography FUNdementals. But here’s the abridge version.
If we were to measure the light using a spot meter (this is a “IF” proposition, I DO NOT use a spot meter) falling on the top and front of this Leopard, keeping a constant f/stop, we would see the shutter speed change by just less than 5 stops. That tells us we have a 5 stop range of light on the subject. The camera can hold all the detail in one click. The background, which is shadow, if we measured it the same way using the top of the Leopard’s head and just the background behind the head, we would see we have a 7 stop range in the shutter speeds. And because of this, the background shadow is going black, loosing detail in that busy bush. I have no doubt this very, very, very brief description of the problem is just as confusing to many. That is to be expected because we are trying to use words to describe a visual issue that manifests itself technically. Yuck! That’s why in the 90’s I came up with the Teddy Bear Exercise in my own process of mastering this very important part of our visual storytelling. In grasping this limited 5 stop range of light, you have three important variables: Light, Camera, You! Exposure = Emotion but to get to this point in your photography, you must master light, camera and your storytelling. So before you try to grasp how the D4s works with a 6 stop of light of light, master how your camera you have now works and communicates light through exposure to tell your story. There is no race, time is your friend, you just gotta remember to find the right answer for your photography when you ask, the problem is …