Canon EOS Rebel T4i/650D Digital Field Guide

Chapter 5: Exploring Exposure and Composition

When photographers talk shop, the most common subjects discussed are equipment and exposure settings, such as the f-stop or shutter speed used for a particular shot. Budding photographers especially want to understand the thinking behind their choices. If you want to be a professional photographer, you need to understand the mechanics of exposure. There is no such thing as a perfect exposure. If you correctly exposed every point in your photograph, it would produce a gray sheet of paper. The exposure process is a series of under- and overexposures. It is your job as the photographer, with the help of your camera’s metering system, to find the right combination. Although there are many automatic exposure options, I encourage you to explore and learn more about how exposure works. Don’t settle for what the camera gives you; take charge and create the results you want.

The shallow depth of field in this image was achieved by using a large aperture.

Choosing the Right Exposure

You can turn almost anything into a camera, which is just a lightproof box. Even the room you are in could be a camera if you cover the windows and keep out all of the light. If you place a large white piece of paper on one wall and drill a hole in the other, you see an image of the outside world reflected upside down on the paper. Light travels in a straight ...