Digital Photo School 1 - Exposure

Question 1

You are presented with a photograph that you have taken. You note it to appear “grainy.” How might you correct this problem?

Answer 1

There are two ways, essentially, to correct this: lower your ISO setting and increase your shutter speed (Ex: from 1/8 to 1/60).

Lowering the ISO will decrease the sensitivity of the SLR sensor to light.

Increasing your shutter speed will decrease the length of time the shutter is open. This will decrease the length of time light is reaching the sensor.

Question 2

-3…2…1…0…1…2…+3 on the camera viewfinder indicates what?

Answer 2

The exposure level of the shot.
(-) = underexposed (dark)
(+) = overexposed (washed out)

Question 3

The ____ acts to expose the SLR sensor to light by opening when the button is pressed.

a. Lens
b. Aperture
c. Shutter

Answer 3

c. Shutter

Question 4

How is shutter speed measured?

Answer 4

In fractions (1/x) of a second.

Question 5

What would be the primary difference in a captured image between a slow shutter speed (ex. 1/20) versus a fast shutter speed (ex. 1/2000)?

Answer 5

The slow shutter speed allows more light to be sensed by the SLR sensor. Therefore, there is motion blur, as the object moves.*

*This can cause motion blur even in still objects, unless the camera is on a tripod.

Question 6

The ___ is the area of the image that is in focus.

a. depth of field
b. aperature length
c. ISO

Answer 6

a. depth of field

Question 7

A large “f-stop” number indicates what?

Answer 7

A wide area is in focus (Ex. f/22 has more of an area in focus than f/5.6). Or, it can be thought of as a “wide depth of field.”