Exercise Title: Learn how to read light through practice
Purpose: Really start to learn light by looking at conditions and deciding what the exposure triangle should be without using the camera to help you. By getting to grips with the triangle you gain a proper understanding of how the camera works.
I could get you reading lots of blurb on the science around how this all works and the effect of ISO, Aperture and Shutter Speed on stops of light.....but, a practical exercise will probably be more effective.
Method:
Over the course of 1-2 weeks go out with your camera, set to manual, as often as you can and with whatever lens you feel like on the day. Look at the scene you want to photograph and think about how much light there is available on the subject you want to photograph. There is a basic starting point to help you called the 'sunny 16 rule'. This rule works on the basis that on a bright sunny day you set your shutter speed and ISO to be roughly the same number and your aperture to f16 which will give you a good exposure of the scene. As an example:
- ISO 100, shutter speed 1/125 f16
- ISO 400, shutter speed 1/500 f16
- ISO 400, shutter speed 1/500 f16
On an overcast day you would need more light so you can change the aperture i.e. make it f8 rather than f16. If you want to have a smaller depth of field i.e. f4 then you need to increase the shutter speed or reduce the ISO accordingly.
Take an image and immediately review it on your camera. Is the exposure too light, too dark or just right. Make an adjustment to ISO, shutter or aperture and take the image again and review it. Did that make it lighter or darker? Try again until it looks right. DO NOT DELETE ANY IMAGES!
Analyse:
Put all of your images on to the computer and review them in the order taken. For each set of images i.e. your first guess through to getting it right make a note of how many images it took to get the right exposure and what you changed to get there. Now do the same for each set of images and see how your guessing worked out. Were you getting better on the initial image or worse, were you then able to make changes that got you to the desired exposure quicker.
Create a folder for Ex 13 in DropBox and put in your first set of images and your last set of images. Explain to me what you've learned through the process.