Exposure for Outdoor Photography eBook Review

Photography Tips

Exposure for Outdoor Photography

Another eBook released this week, EXPOSURE For Outdoor Photography by Michael Frye teaches photographers how to master natural lighting situations in landscape photography.

The most essential technical skill a photographer must master is exposure. On the surface, exposure seems easy. It’s simply a matter of making the image bright enough—not too dark, and not too light. But the endless variety of light makes exposure challenging. No two situations are the same, so there can be no exact formula for getting the right exposure.

Frye says, “In photography, creativity and technical skill are both essential. A wonderful eye and imagination might help you find fantastic compositions that nobody else would see, but if the images are three stops overexposed, and unintentionally blurred, no one will be able to appreciate your genius—they’ll just see washed-out, fuzzy photographs. Good technique can amplify a photograph’s message, and bad technique can detract from it.”

Topics Covered (51 Pages):

• Introduction – Why Does Exposure Matter?
• The Exposure Triangle
• Shutter Speed, Aperture, and ISO
• Metering Modes
• Exposure Modes
• Reading Histograms
• Handling High-Contrast Scenes
• Case Study 1: Sierra Aspens (Using the Histogram to Find the Right Exposure)
• Exercise: Photograph both Low and High-Contrast Scenes

Pages from Exposure for Outdoor Photography

• Case Study 2: Three Brothers (Getting Everything in Focus)
• Focusing for Maximum Depth of Field
• Case Study 3: Coneflowers (Using Shallow Depth of Field)
• Exercise: Controlling Depth of Field
• Case Study 4: Upper Yosemite Fall (Freezing Motion)
• Reciprocity
• Case Study 5: Wildcat Fall (Blurring Motion)
• Case Study 6: Stormy Afternoon at Mono Lake (Pushing the ISO)
• Case Study 7: Grey Pines after a Snowstorm (Highlight Recovery, and Exposing to the Right)
• Exercise: Test the Limits of Highlight Recovery
• RGB Histograms
• Case Study 8: Oaks and Mist, Autumn (Including the Sun in the Frame)
• Case Study 9: Unicorn Peak (Spot Metering and the Zone System)
• Case Study 10: Sun Breaking Through Mist (HDR and Exposure Blending)
• Conclusion: Technique and Vision

Case Study from Exposure for Outdoor Photography

“If the exposure helps you say what you’re trying to say, then it’s correct enough. If it detracts from your message, then it isn’t correct—at least for you, in that instance. Exposure must always serve your vision—not someone else’s, nor some arbitrary ideal.”