PHOTOGRAPHY

 What's the Exposure Compensation and how do you use it?

  When I bought my first camera, I noticed a button on the camera with a -/+ symbol on it, I thought at first that I didn't have to learn the functions of all the buttons on the camera so I didn't pay attention to it.

  Shortly after that, I discovered the big role of that button. Brands like Canon, Nikon, or Fujifilm won't assign a button on the camera to no avail. It's an Exposure Compensation button. Let's find out what it is.

  When you're shooting and your camera is having trouble selecting an appropriate exposure, i.e. the image is dark or bright, you can simply increase or decrease the exposure compensation to get the right brightness in your photo.

  Exposure Compensation* is a setting that helps you easily increase or decrease the brightness of an image without having to readjust one of the three exposure settings (shutter speed, aperture, and ISO).

  How does exposure compensation work and when should it be used? How do you use it on your camera? This is what we will see in this article.

What's the Exposure Compensation

   In what mode can you use exposure compensation?

  What do we mean by shooting modes?

  When you find an interesting scene and you want to shoot it, the first thing you will do is select one of the shooting modes in the disc at the top of the camera.

  This disc contains the Auto mode (denoted by Auto or a green square) and a set of automatic modes also called Scene modes (the modes in red in the image below).

  These modes are not found in all cameras.

  When using these automatic modes you do not have any control over your camera. All you do is press the shutter button.

  The mode dial also includes a manual mode denoted by M, in this mode you adjust all three settings manually (aperture, shutter speed, and ISO), while your camera does nothing but follow your instructions.

  What else does the mode dial include?

  Modes are semi-automatic. These modes are a mixture of manual mode and automatic mode.

  Meaning, you set a setting and leave the camera to set another setting. These situations are as follows:

• Aperture mode (symbolized by A or Av): In this mode, you are the one who sets the aperture while the camera sets the shutter speed automatically. As for the ISO, you can choose to set it manually or leave the task to the camera, using Auto ISO.

• Shutter speed mode (symbolized by S or Tv): This mode is the opposite of the previous mode, where you are the one who sets the shutter speed, while the camera is responsible for adjusting the aperture. As for the ISO, the same as the one we mentioned in the aperture mode.

• Program mode (symbolized by P): In this mode, the camera adjusts the aperture and shutter speed, leaving you the task of adjusting other settings such as White Balance, ISO, and more.

  This was a brief introduction to shooting modes, if you want to know more about when to use each mode, feel free to visit our comprehensive article on shooting modes.

  In which mode can you use exposure compensation?

  Exposure compensation cannot be used in all modes on the dial.

  The camera allows you to use exposure compensation in semi-automatic modes only, and on some cameras, exposure compensation also works in the scene modes we talked about above.

  But why doesn't exposure compensation work in all modes?

  Well, in manual mode, the camera has nothing to do with exposing your photo, you do everything. So it won't let you turn on exposure compensation.

  You can use it in one case in manual mode if you are shooting with it and at the same time you leave the ISO at Auto ISO, that is, only the camera will set the ISO. In this case, you can use exposure compensation.

  Whereas in automatic modes, there is no exposure compensation because you cannot control exposure – the camera does everything for you. This's one of the reasons why I don't use the automatic mode and the other automatic modes.

   How does Exposure Compensation work?

  When you shoot using semi-auto shooting modes, the camera will automatically adjust some of the three exposure settings based on the amount of light available in the scene.

  For example, if you are using the aperture mode denoted by A or Av. In this mode, you are the one who adjusts the aperture manually while the camera automatically adjusts the shutter speed.

  Ok, now you have chosen the aperture you want f/4 for example.

  When you point the camera to take a photo, the camera will automatically set a shutter speed based on the aperture value you've chosen and the amount of light available in the scene.

  It does this by using an internal meter that measures the light in the scene, then choosing the appropriate settings for that light to make the correct exposure. (Don't forget that exposure means the brightness of the image.)

  The counter you can see when looking through the Viewfinder asis shown in the image below.

  This counter tries as much as possible to keep the exposure value at "0".

  The problem here is that the counter misidentifies the correct exposure in some situations, which we'll see later.

  So if you are not satisfied with the exposure the camera has set for you, the solution is to use exposure compensation.

  In other words, exposure compensation is being able to change the level of exposure that the camera sets for you.

   How do you use Exposure Compensation on your camera?

  The location of exposure compensation on the camera varies by camera brand and model.

  In most cases, the camera will have a small button with -/+ on it. This's the button you press to change the exposure compensation.

  While holding this button, at the same time rotate the main dial of the camera left or right (the main dial I'm talking about here is the one in the top right of the camera, usually next to the shutter button).

  If you are using a Nikon DSLR, the exposure compensation button will likely be near the shutter button.

  If you are using a Canon DSLR, there may be an “AV” button on the back of the camera is near the LCD screen.

  On some other cameras, especially mirrorless cameras, you may find a dedicated exposure compensation dial on top of the camera, as shown in the image below:

  On other cameras such as the Sony a6000, you will find exposure compensation by pressing the lower part of the dial, near the LCD screen as shown in the image below.

  In general, you should look at your camera manual. Or look in the camera for a button next to the “-/+” symbol.

  Using exposure compensation is very easy. If the image appears dark, you must choose a positive number (+EV), while if the image appears bright, you must choose a negative number (-EV).

   When do you need to use exposure compensation?

  There are some typical situations where you should consider using Exposure Compensation.

  Many times the cam counter is correct, but sometimes it isn't and needs your help. Especially when shooting a scene that is predominantly black or white.

  For example, if you are taking pictures of a snowy scene, the camera counter will assume that the bright snow should be gray and will choose exposure settings that expose the image less.

  In this case, you will need to increase the exposure compensation to fix this.

  Another great example is night photography – the darkness of the scene should produce darker tones in your photo.

  However, the light meter will tell the camera to light up the image. This will result in a blurry image.

  Lowering the exposure compensation will allow you to fix the problem.

  Another reason you might use exposure compensation is if you don't like the "correct" exposure and want to make something more creative.

  For example, you might want to darken the scene or simply lighten things up to add some drama.

  In this case, exposure compensation allows you to create creativity in your photos.

  Exposure compensation is also useful when photographing a person, for example, standing indoors in front of a window, meaning that the light is behind the person.

  We know very well that when the light is in the background, a person appears dark and his features are poor.

  Exposure compensation can help you make sure that the exposure is set for the face and not what's on the back.

  At a concert, for example, the people you want to take photos of are often lit – with a dark background behind them.

  A black block in the background can make a subject look faded. In this case, exposure compensation will provide adequate brightness.

   conclusion

  All photographers want to be in complete control of exposure, and adding exposure compensation to your shooting routine can help you produce better, more controlled photos.

  If you haven't used exposure compensation before, give it a try and you won't regret it.