In photography, ‘exposure’ means the amount of light that falls onto the sensor of your digital camera. In modern cameras the exposure is usually set to automatic by default and, most of the time, it can be left there and will produce beautiful pictures. There are times though, when the camera lets us down or we want to produce a particular effect and it would be nice to understand what is going on ‘under the hood’.

Getting a ‘correct’ exposure means recording as much of the relevant information in the scene as possible. In the shot on the left, the important information is the bird. The sky has gone completely white as it was much, much brighter than the bird. If I had let the meter expose for the sky, the bird would have been rendered as a black silhouette.

Even when the exposure is ‘correct’ the problem with all cameras is that they cannot record the entire range of contrast (black to white) that the eye can see. Especially when you take into account that the eye is constantly adjusting to cope with high contrast. On a sunny day if you look into the shadows of a scene then into the bright areas, the iris in your eye will quickly adjust so you can see detail in both.

Faced with the task of recording as much information as possible, the camera will try to average out all the light levels and expose accordingly. As burnt out highlights are normally considered uglier than black shadows, the camera, left to it’s own devices, will normally err on the dark side. Which is no good if you are shooting against a bright background. It’s the subject you want to see, and you don’t really care if the background is white.Auto Exposure Modes

The camera manufacturers have come up with all sorts of ingenious metering systems to try to help, there are now multi mode metering systems, which give you a choice of ‘center weighting’, ‘spot metering’ or ‘multi spot metering’ on many of the better cameras, but none can guarantee to give you what you want every time.

A common use for this technique is when you are taking a close up shot of two people and there is space between their heads, if you’re not careful the camera will focus on the wall or trees behind them. If the background is very dark or very light this can alter the exposure significantly and result in faces that are too dark or too light.

Skin tones are what most meters are set up to consider an ‘average tone’, they are also usually the part of the picture that we most want to get right. If I am photographing a group of people in difficult circumstances, like bright sunlight for instance, I will often move close in to the group and take a light reading from someone’s face or, if we are all standing in the same type of light, I will take a reading from the back of my hand. This is no good, of course, if the subject is in bright sunlight and I am in the shade.
Manual Exposure

Now it’s time to turn that dial away from ‘program’ mode and have a look at the dreaded ‘manual’ mode. There are also a bewildering array of other choices such as ‘aperture priority’, ‘shutter priority’, ‘exposure compensation’ etc., but once you understand the basics you will be able to select the most suitable mode.

The amount of light falling on the film is governed by four things.

• The amount of light reflected from the scene which, if you are outdoors, you can do very little about.
• The ‘shutter speed’ which is the amount of time the shutter is open, measured in fractions of a second.
• The ‘aperture setting’ which is the size of the hole through which the light enters. If you look at the lens of your camera you will see a diaphragm in the middle of the glass which the camera adjusts according to the light. This does exactly the same job as the iris in your eye. Aperture settings are measured in ‘f stops’.
• The ISO setting. This is the ‘sensitivity’ of the sensor. (see ISO Speed)

The shutter speed and aperture settings have other quite separate effects on the photograph which we will discuss in another article, but for the purposes of exposure, making the picture darker or lighter, they are interchangeable. Make the hole twice as big and open the shutter for half the time and you will expose the sensor the same amount.

Why use manual exposure?

The advantage of manual exposure is that the settings do not keep changing as your scene changes. Let’s suppose that you are taking close up photos of cars passing by. Some of the cars will be black or dark colors and some will be light colors or white. If you are filling the frame with almost nothing but car, the meter will be trying to render each car as mid gray. Although it will probably not succeed, what you will notice is that the background is a different shade in each photo.

I often have to take portraits of people, some are wearing very dark clothes and some are wearing white. If I am not careful with my exposure settings will be affected by the clothes.

Although it is by no means always necessary to use manual exposure, an understanding of how it all works will save a lot of disappointment. Below are some links to other articles covering various aspects of exposure.

Any suggestions, ideas? Feel free to comment on this article!

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Publish your creativity on real U.S. Postage

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Zazzle Custom Stamp Sizes:

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• Image aspect ratio: 1×1

Any suggestions, ideas? Feel free to comment on this article!

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Any suggestions, ideas? Feel free to comment on this article!

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Digital Photography Tutorials
Each digital photography tutorial is short, can be read in one sitting…

Macro Photography
Macro Tutorial: how to take close-up pictures of small things.

Black’s is Photography – Black’s Photo Tutorials
This floral photography tutorial teaches you the basics of macro photography by focusing on how to take great pictures of flowers.

Photoshop Tutorial: How to Shoot Macro Photography
Macro photography is one of the most popular forms of photography and can be one of the most rewarding.

Strobist: How To: DIY $10 Macro Photo Studio
Do it yourself Macro Photo Studio.

Strobist: On Assignment: Shoot Your Shiny New Gizmo Like a Pro
Macro Reflector Demo, Flash Synching Options, Pocket Wizard Tutorial etc.

Plonsky – Macrophotography Article
Bug Pictures (Insect Macro Photography) An article on the techniques involved.

General Photography Macro Photography Tutorials
General Photography Macro Photography Tutorials.

General Photography Tutorials – Search for General Photography
Cat photography tutorial.

Insect Macro Photography Tutorial
Insect Macro Photography Tutorial.

Basic Macro Photography Tutorial
This site will introduce you to basic macro photography.

Outdoor Photography Instruction- Macro work – Nature’s Pic Images
Photographic instruction articles – outdoor nature photography.

macro Photography tutorials: flowers, butterfly, insects, tehnical
Macro Photography tutorials.

Digital photography tutorials – Macro Photography Pixagogo
Digital photography tutorials – Macro Photography – Upload & share your photos in your own photo gallery.

Digital photography tutorials – Macro Photography Pixagogo
Macro Photography tutorial. Macro photography, or pictures taken close-up, can be made incredibly easier by using a digital camera.

Video Tutorial: Basic Introduction to Macro Photography – Digital
Singletonj has made this great video tutorial available for anyone who’s interested in macro photography.

Photo Inspiration: Macro Photography – Digital Photography Reviews
Nothomyrmecia macrops – Photo by Alex Wild. Some amazing macro photographs are available in his Photoshop Tutorial: Selective Coloring

Free Photography How-To Guides and Tutorials at Cameratown.com
Title: Up Close and Personal: Macro Photography Tips.

Super Macro Tutorial [Archive] – The Photo Forum – Photography
A video for how to make a super macro with your camera and a SLR lens.

Better Digital Photography: Macro Photography How-to Video
Here is a nice video tutorial of how you can do Macro Photography, producing wild and amazing imagery.

Digital Photography Tutorials
Macro Photography lighting tutorial and the inexpensive lighting setup episode.

Digital photography tutorials – Macro Photography Pixagogo
Digital photography tutorials – Macro Photography

Reversing Lenses for Macro Photography – Tutorials
Reversing Lenses for Macro Photography.

Digital camera help free images photography SLR tutorial
Basic photography tips include aperture, priority, shutter, zoom, landscape, night, macro, nature etc..

Digital cameras help tutorial SLR camera settings
Macro photography. The photos that can be included in this category are those that depict reality at a 1:1 scale.

Paper Minis Tutorial: Home-Made Macro Photography Light Box
State-of-the-art pictorial tutorials for making doll and dollhouse miniatures.

Macro Digital Photography
Exploring Close-up Photography – A good tutorial that looks at the topics of Macro Lenses, Focusing and Depth of Field, Exposures and Backgrounds.

Macro photography tutorials
Macro photography tutorials.

Digital Photography Articles
The Sahara Desert Macro Photography

macrophoto’s deviantART Journal
Macro Tutorials Macro Photography for Beginners – A good introductory tutorial.

What is area focus?
You may find that, besides macro photography, there are other instances when it is the appropriate focus mode to use.

Understanding Depth of Field in Photography
For macro photography (high magnification), the depth of field is actually influenced by another factor: pupil magnification.

Digital Camera and Photography Tips, How Tos and Tutorials
Use this step-by-step digital photography tutorial on eBay selling and Macro photography allows you to take close-up pictures of basically anything.

Macro photography with a Canon G3 – Canon Digital Photography Forums
Macro Photography tips for owners of a Canon G3.

Voigtlander 125mm f/2.5 Lanthar does Macro – Canon Digital
Night & Low-Light Photography Tutorial.

photographyVoter / Published / Macro Photography
Non-lens related equipment that is commonly used in macro photography. A detailed tutorial on how to get great macro shots using a compact camera.

O’Reilly — Tasteful Food Photography
A comprehensive tutorial on macro photography and food products.

Close Up and Macro Photography | Digital Camera Reviews, News
In this tutorial you’ll discover some fascinating insights into the world of macro photography.

How to Shoot Macro Photography.
Asimple tutorials outlining the basics of Macro Photography.

Macro Photography Tutorial – Day by Day – by Rick
Detailed resource for Macro Photography.

Affordable Macro Photography
Reposted on Macro Photography with permission of the author.

Getting Close and Personal
Macro photography is a style of photography that gets you right into the action. So what does macro mean in the photography world?

Light Box / Light Tent Photo Gallery
A tutorial on how to construct a Light Box / Light Tent Photo Gallery.

Photography Tutorials, Photography Tutorial
Taking close-up pictures of small things is called macro photography.

LookingForLight Macro Tips
Photo.net Macro Forum – probably more than one would ever need to know about macro Photography!

PhotoLinks Photography Photography Resources
PhotoLinks Photography Network features over 10000 photography web site listings, Landscape Photography, Macro Photography, Nature Photography etc.

Macro Photography, Macro Photographer, Macro Photographers
Directory of Macro Photography web site listings.

Create a lightweight, cheap photo backdrop from PVC

Abstract smoke photography
How-to guide on making pictures of smoke

Extreme Macro Photography on a budget
So, you like the idea of doing macro photography, but you think you can’t afford it?

No Cropping Zone: Macro Technique
A tutorial on Macro Photography and cropping.

Musings on Photography: Macro Photography
Philip Greenspun’s tutorial on macro photography. Very solid but somewhat old (1997) and oriented to pre-digital Nikon and Canon 35mm SLR cameras.

MAKE: Blog: DIY Extension tube / reverse mount for macro photography
DIY Extension tube / reverse mount for macro photography.

Digital Photography: Macro photography how-to’s for digital
The Digital Photography School has written up a good macro photography tips article.

Photography and Studio Lighting – Do It Yourself
Photography and Studio Lighting – Do It Yourself

Close-up Macro Photography
Macro photography is close-up photography.

Macro Photography with the Nikon Close-up Speedlight Remote Kit .
Check out this great tutorial on getting the best shots with your digital camera.

Macro Photography Lighting Hack
Macro Photography Lighting Hack

Explorations in the artistic world of macro photography.
The High Dynamic Range (HDR) Landscape Photography Tutorial

Outdoor Photography, Outdoor Adventure, Forum, Gallery, Newsletter
A source for outdoor adventure and outdoor photography: newsletter, backpacking, digital editing, snowshoeing, macro photography, climbing and more.

Extreme Macro Photography
Here is a neat tutorial that will show you to Create an Extreme Macro Photography lens with a Pringles Can!

Photography and Travel Taking Your Camera on the Road – Pringles
Photocritic’s Extreme Macro Photography on a budget.

Any suggestions, ideas? Feel free to comment on this article!

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Many dedicated Photoshop users can get substantial speed gains from their existing equipment by simply optimizing their computer and software so that it runs Photoshop more efficiently.

Here is a quick collection of speed-enhancing tips for getting the most efficient usage out of your software and computer:

Allocate a Scratch Disk
Photoshop uses RAM memory to run itself, store picture information, and to save undo and History State steps. Unless you are working with particularly small photo files it won’t take too many editing changes before the RAM is completely used up. At this point Photoshop cleverly uses a portion of hard drive space as “fake” RAM. This is not a new idea. Most operating systems use the same approach (called Virtual Memory) to ensure that enough memory is available for running essential programs. Photoshop calls this extra memory a “Scratch Disk”, and correctly setting up the disk will provide immediate speed and efficient benefits.

To set your Scratch Disk, select Edit>Preferences>Plug-Ins & Scratch Disks. Then choose a drive that has the most free space from those listed in the pop-up menu. If you have other drives listed you can also allocate these as extra Scratch Disks. Photoshop will make use of the drive listed first until it is full and then move to the next drive, even if more memory is needed. Most imaging professionals who regularly work with large files install a specific “fast access” drive just to be used as a Scratch Disk by Photoshop.

Set RAM percentage
Photoshop shares the RAM on your computer with the operating system (Windows or Mac OS X) and any other programs running at the same time. The percentage designated in the Photoshop Memory & Image Cache preferences determines the upper amount of RAM memory that can be used by Photoshop. Most new users push this setting as high as possible, some as much as 90 percent, thinking that this will speed up the processing of their files.

Unfortunately if this allocation is set too high, the operating system, as well as Photoshop, may need to move information from the fast RAM memory to the slower hard drive memory while processing. This action is called “page swapping” as the data is moved back and forth between the different memory spaces, and results in Photoshop actually running slower.

If you experience slower performance when raising the percentage of RAM allocated to Photoshop, try reducing the total amount to 50-60 percent for systems with up to 2GB, and 70 percent for computers with 4GB of RAM. Remember that you have to restart Photoshop after making any memory changes to ensure that these alterations will take effect.

Defragment your drives
As images and files are saved and resaved to disk they tend to become fragmented. This means that rather than the whole file being saved in one continuous space on the hard drive the information is broken into bits and stored in several locations (where ever there is empty disk space). Later, when the file is reopened, the document is reconstructed from each of the individual pieces. This file fragmentation slows down the opening and saving of files, as well as the running of programs such as Photoshop, if they were fragmented when initially installed. You can overcome this problem by regularly defragmenting the drives you use to store your images and load your programs.

To defragment a drive in Windows XP: Click Start>All Programs>Accessories> System Tools>Disk Defragmenter. Choose the drive to be defragmented and then select the Defragment button.

To defragment a drive in Mac OS X: Despite the fact that the latest version of Mac OS X contains automatic defragmentation of files smaller than 20MB, most Apple users prefer to defrag their drives with third-party utilities.

Minimize History States
The Photoshop History palette is a great feature, especially if you make mistakes as often as I do. Each successive edit is recorded as a step in the palette, enabling you to step back through the changes, gradually reversing your edits as you go. But this great feature does come at a cost. Each step uses memory resources and, when you make complex changes to large files, you can imagine how much memory is used to store a collection of steps.

Thankfully Adobe provides a setting in the Edit>Preferences>General dialog that can be used to alter the number of History States (or undo steps) stored by your system. By default it is set to 20, but if you find that Photoshop is running slowly after making a few editing changes then try reducing the number. Less History States does mean less opportunity to reverse editing changes, but this action frees up memory resources and can bring new life back to a slow running machine.

Reduce the number of open files
It may seem like stating the obvious, but the more pictures you have open in Photoshop the more of the total resources of the machine is taken up just maintaining each open file. When you add in the memory used to ensure undo or multiple History States for each file, it is not too hard to imagine that you will very quickly run out of RAM, forcing Photoshop to use the much slower Scratch Disk space. To speed up the processing, make sure that you only open (and keep open) files that are essential for your current editing task.

Run Photoshop by itself
A simple measure to speed up Photoshop is to make sure that no other programs are running at the same time. Seemingly simple utilities such as iTunes, Outlook, and Word all chew up memory and processor resources that could be used to drive Photoshop more efficiently. The golden rule is that if the program is not essential for the editing task then close the software. Click on the photo below to enlarge.

Alter the tile size
When Photoshop processes a photo it splits the picture into smaller image sections called tiles, and works on each in turn. By default the size of each of these tiles is 132KB. You can increase the amount of memory used for the processing of each tile by activating the Bigger Tiles plug-in.

To enable the Bigger Tiles plug-in: Close Photoshop and find the ~Bigger Tiles plug-in file in the following directories:
Mac OS: Applications/Adobe Photoshop CS2/Plug-Ins/Adobe Photoshop Only/Extensions/Bigger Tiles
Windows: Program Files/Adobe/Adobe Photoshop CS2/Plug-Ins /Adobe Photoshop Only/Extensions/Bigger Tiles
Now rename the file and in the process remove the tilde (~) from the title. Restart Photoshop. Now if you assign from 261MB to 1GB of RAM in the Memory & Image Cache preference, the tile size increases to 260KB. Increasing the allocation to more than 1GB increases the tile size to 1MB. Larger tile sizes reduce the amount of time Photoshop takes to process an image, especially on computers with more than 1GB of RAM.

Scratch Disk vs. Virtual Memory
Both Photoshop and the Windows XP operating system use hard drive space as extra “fake” RAM. Adobe recommends that Photoshop Scratch Disks be positioned on a different drive to the one used by Windows for its Virtual Memory system. On most setups the Windows swap file is stored on the Startup or C drive. To help with overall Photoshop and Windows performance, ensure that you don’t position the Scratch Disk on the same drive. To set the location of your Scratch Disk select Edit>Preferences>Plug-Ins & Scratch Disks and choose the drive to use from the drop-down menu. Remember don’t select Startup or C drive unless you have no other choices.

Alter the Image Cache setting
Photoshop uses a special Image Cache to help redraw high-resolution images quickly. Instead of displaying all the information contained in these big files, Photoshop creates lower-resolution versions of the photo that are then used to update the screen quickly.

You can elect to store from 1-8 cached versions of the photo. A value of 1 disables the caching. Higher values store multiple versions of the file, which in turn produces faster screen redraws. The default setting is 4, but inputting higher numbers will help speed up the redraw process.

When a high cache number is set, it will take longer to open files as Photoshop creates the low-resolution versions of the photo at this point. To alter the Image Cache setting select Edit>Preferences> Memory & Image Cache and enter a value from 1-8 in the Cache Levels text box.

Any suggestions, ideas? Feel free to comment on this article!
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