Are your photos too light or too dark? Look no further: the problem is your camera’s exposure. Exposure relates to the amount of light that reaches your camera’s sensor. To get the right exposure, you have to know how to measure the light and achieve the right balance. Follow these useful tips!

The right exposure

Perfect exposure doesn’t exist. What’s important is the effect you’re going for: underexposing works well in very sunny conditions to emphasize contrasts while overexposing works well indoors to get sharper and notably brighter images. The right exposure value is therefore the one that allows you to get the perfect light for bringing out your subject or creating an atmosphere.

Effectively managing exposure

Several camera exposure options are available to you:

• Use automatic mode to have the camera control exposure. Although convenient, don’t blindly expect it to resolve all lighting issues, especially when in bright sunlight or indoors.
• Shutter Speed Priority mode (S or Tv) and Aperture Priority Mode (Av) are very useful. These allow you to control one parameter (such as the shutter speed or aperture) and let the camera take care of the rest. Generally, use Shutter Speed Priority mode for moving or dimly lit subjects and Aperture Priority mode for portraits or for playing with field depth.
• Manual mode (M) is more complex. Ideally, you should start by adjusting your ISO sensitivity and then the aperture and shutter speed. If you choose a wide aperture you'll generally want to decrease your shutter speed.