Understanding Exposure

This newly revised edition of Bryan Peterson's most popular book demystifies the complex concepts of exposure in photography, allowing readers to capture the images they want.

Understanding Exposure has taught generations of photographers how to shoot the images they want by demystifying the complex concepts of exposure in photography. In this newly updated edition, veteran photographer Bryan Peterson explains the fundamentals of light, aperture, and shutter speed and how they interact with and influence one another. With an emphasis on finding the right exposure even in tricky situations, Understanding Exposure shows you how to get (or lose) sharpness and contrast in images, freeze action, and take the best meter readings, while also exploring filters, flash, and light.

With all new images, as well as an expanded section on flash, tips for using colored gels, and advice on shooting star trails, this revised edition will clarify exposure for photographers of all levels.

BRYAN PETERSON is a professional photographer, internationally known instructor, best-selling author, and founder of The Bryan Peterson School of Photography at www.bpsop.com. His trademark use of color and strong, graphic composition have garnered him photographic awards from Communication Arts and Print magazines. He makes his home in Seattle, Washington.

Introduction   1
Defining Exposure  
What Is Meant by Exposure?   8
The Photographic Triangle   10
The Heart of the Triangle: The Light Meter   16
White Balance   19
Six Correct Exposures Versus One Creatively Correct One   24
Finding Creative Exposure Options   28
Aperture  
Aperture and Depth of Field   32
Storytelling Apertures   36
Isolation or Singular-Theme Apertures   48
“Who Cares?” Apertures   54
Aperture and Macro Photography   58
Shutter Speed 
The Importance of Shutter Speed   64
The Right Shutter Speed for the Subject   66
Freezing Motion   68
Panning   73
Implying Motion   76
Implying Motion with Stationary Subjects   80
Making “Rain”   83
Light  
The Importance of Light: The Importance
of Exposure   86
The Best Light   88
Frontlight   92
Overcast Frontlight   95
Sidelight   98
Backlight   102
Exposure Meters   106
18% Reflectance   110
The Gray Card   112
The Sky Brothers   113
Mr. Green Jeans (The Sky Brothers’
Cousin)   116
Night and Low-Light Photography   118
Flashlights and Starlight   124
Light Painting   126
Special Techniques 
Polarizing Filters   132
Graduated Neutral-Density Filters   134
Multiple Exposures   136


Electronic Flash  
The Photographic Triangle and Flash   142
The Three Factors for Correct Flash
Photography Exposure   144
The Dangers of Becoming a Flashaholic   148
The Limitations of Your Teenie-Weenie
Pop-Up Flash   150
Powering Down the Flash   152
Flash as a Fill Light   153
Wireless Flash   158
Colored Gels   162
Rear Curtain Sync   165
Index   168