The Right Exposure

THis image is underexposed by intent to create a sense of mystery and potential danger. Not what the meter wanted

Hey folks. I recently got to review a post-live conversation on the topic of “the right exposure”. I sincerely regret not having my Wellingtons on (high rubber boots for those unclear). I say this because it got quite deep and smelly very fast, kind of like you might find in a muddy pig pen. This is not a slur against pigs, they are what they are and are both quite delicious and superb for getting rid of a body, but that’s a different subject entirely.

The vast majority of the dialog kept running in an ever decreasing circle of the alleged exposure triangle. I say alleged because while the three primary exposure variables all work together, they are not locked together in a consistent relationship. Although a surprising number of people seem to think that they are.

So let me define what I see as “the right exposure”. As this is my opinion, based on my experience and study, it is not a fact per se, and no one is under any obligation to agree. If you don’t that’s cool, but there’s no need to expend your time to tell me that I am an idiot.

The right exposure, in my consideration, is the one that a) best serves the story you are desiring to tell in your image and b) makes you happy. Now if you don’t care about telling a story with your image, it’s a snapshot and has no bearing here. And if you think an exposure is perfect and hate it, perhaps a different person could assist you better.

By overexposing, the creator has made the background irrelevant and put more brightness in the eyes and face. This is not what the light meter would have proposed.

How does an exposure serve the story? First you have to have a story and sadly most of the dreck that gets posted couldn’t spell story with Vanna White putting all the letters in order, let alone tell a story. All stories have at least a primary subject, contextual background and a setting. Fortunately because you the creator have the control, all these things are at your control. If you make an image and find that the story is not as light as you might like, you might consider a slower shutter speed to introduce a tiny bit of motion blur. If your story is clinical, you might alter the aperture to provide more than the expected depth of field. If your story is meant to evoke classical documentarys, you might raise the ISO to where you get digital noise with intent, then convert to black and white and add digital grain. You might choose to overexpose to make your colours more pastel or watercolour like. You might choose to underexpose to crush the shadows and create a more sinister feel to tell your story.

With respect, if all you do is just accept what the light meter RECOMMENDS, then you may not be supporting your story as best you can. The only right exposure is the one that fulfills your story goals, whatever they may be.

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