nail your exposure

Heed these hints and tips to really get the most from tricky lighting situations

it would seem as if everything is on your side in summer: fair weather, clear skies and long days. However, as soon as the sun does rise, it rises high and fast in the sky. The morning shadows quickly retreat, and this diminishes any sense of depth in the landscape. At the same time, contrast can be a big challenge for accurate exposure. There’s nothing inherently wrong with photographing in high-contrast conditions, but they can be very hard to meter for. In an Evaluative metering mode your Canon’s meter will measure the light intensity across the whole frame, then come up with an average value. In bright, contrasty conditions, this often renders your actual subject too bright or dark. If you switch to Spot or Partial metering mode, bear in mind that you’ll need to be able to judge tones accurately to get the most from them. Follow the three step tutorial, below, to take back control of the way you expose such scenes.