Think Fast: Exposure Quiz!

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Arthur Morris

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You are at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm with a 70-200mm lens in your hands. Your camera is (as it should be) set at zero exposure compensation. A woman screams. A gator--in full sun--has just grabbed an adult Cattle Egret. Let us know what camera you are using and how you would compensate. Remember, if you hesitate, you miss the image as the creature is headed for the water to keep others of his ilk from grabbing its meal. (See item two below...)
 

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Three seconds later, the gator is in the shadow of the boardwalk. Do you change your compensation or leave it. Remember, all of the action is over in five seconds. Only those with a thorough understanding of exposure theory have a chance in situations like this. Every once in a while you will find that you simply do not have time to make an image an check the histogram. I will comment on the answers on Thursday evening. Note: the answers will be different for different camera bodies... Please be sure to answer both parts of the question.

BTW, those who insist that manual mode is best at all times would be hard pressed at best to keep pace in the two situations out-lined above...

ps: Do let me know what you think of the images.
 

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Awesome images Artie. the second would be - a lot since the meter sees all the darks, o would give you roasted whites.

How do you manage to get these each and every year!!! Amazing, good work Artie!!!

Robert
 
Hey Robert,

What if your camera is set to Manual?? The meter does not count! :)

I use the meter to set the exposure in Manual, I just glance over when I set the manual exposure.

On Nikon you have to be careful, the Exposure Comp still works in Manual!! If you have it set in Manual -3 according to the meter and you dial in +3 in Exp Comp you get the equivelent of shooting at 0 on the meter or metered at 0 in manual.

Robert
 
Artie I just realized a point in regards to the first image in full sun. A canon meter at zero comp would give you a good histogram in the first image, although I would be -1/3 probably, but only for Canon. A Nikon meter would lose all the whites at zero in the full sun, -1 would be safe guess without the time to check the histogram.

Robert
 
#1 I'm going -1 (D3) and metering off the brownish top of the CE's head. If the whites are a little hot, so be it, that's not where the action is.

#2 Assuming my buffer isn't full ;) back to zero, but in the heat of the moment, I probably wouldn't think about it or have time.

Now, for the dose of reality. In full Florida sun with white birds around, I would probably be at -.5 to -1 anyway unless I just happened to be looking into some deep shade.
 
So far our two experts above are somewhat avoiding the questions:

1-What camera are you using?
2-How would you compensate with gator in the sun?
3-How would you compensate with the gator in the shade?

Only #1 is easy...

My point about working in manual mode is that it would be much more difficult to get to the correct exposure in #2 and #3 while in manual mode. Working in Av Mode as I often do (especially when unexpected action may occur or when the backgrounds are relatively consistent) I was able to dial in the EXP COMP for #1 and then change it instantly in #3,

Let's hear from more of you nature photographers out there. And lets have definitive answers from Maxis and ROT. <smile>
 
If I was standing there and saw this the last thing on my mind would not be the exposure but getting the **** out of there!! i must say though that is a fantastic capture!
 
So far our two experts above are somewhat avoiding the questions:

1-What camera are you using?

I am not avoiding the question Artie I just thought a general answer was better. A good expoure for my cameras will probably not be the right exposure for others so I used a general comp number. Even when we had the same cameras we needed different comp for the same histogram with the same camera.

2-How would you compensate with gator in the sun?

Okay okay, Zero comp on an average camera with that image but I would use -1/3 for a Canon pro body.

3-How would you compensate with the gator in the shade?

For a Canon pro body -2/3 comp or more. Zero or plus would toast the whites as the BG is almost black, the meter would attempt to make the darks a gray tone.

Robert
 
Okay, I'll bite (pun intended):

#1 - I use a Canon 20D
#2 - for the first image I'd dial to -2/3, due to the white bird in a largely dark image
#3 - I'd go back to 0, again due to the white bird (if no white bird may have dialled in +1/3).

I think they'd go close (could be very wrong!)...but the images would be blurry due to my shaking hands!!

P.S. Awesome images and questions Artie. Can't wait to see what you dialled in.
 
OK, here is what my instinct tells me, my settings would be similar to Dean's:

1. Canon 40D (no instinct needed for that one!!)
2. -2/3 for the egret and the surrounding dirt looks like it was rather bright (compared to the alligator)
3. Most likely back to 0. The water's surface looks like it is ever so slightly brighter than the alligator - and must have looked closer to neutral gray before the splashing.
Viva RAW!! :)
 
Hi Artie!

This is tough!!!

1. Canon 40D
2. Thinking in manual exposure and starting from a 0 neutral setting, I would probably click less light -2/3 ~ -1 to prevent blowing out the white Egret..
3. I am guessing the water was near-by and hence subject was still in the same light ... just the water background was dark. I would probably leave the same setting as #2 above, again to prevent blowing out the white Egret. If in the same light, the gator should maintain the same exposure.

Great quiz ... very curious and really interested to see all the response, and eager to learn more on this subject!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
:)Edit May 22:)

I realize I failed this quiz, and accept my defeat ... at multiple levels:

1. Failed to read the quiz carefully (that answer is in AV mode)
2. That the gator moved to a shady area (light was NOT the same)
3. I didn't think or act quickly (as I had 2 days :) to think about this!!)

But just to finish the thought process of what I started above in manual mode (forces me to think & learn from mistakes), if the gator moved quickly into the shade (and I was still in manual mode from taking the 1st image) ... then I would have to think similar to a situation where the light changed (as if the sun went behind the clouds).

So for the 2nd image, I would have to quickly dial the opposite direction ... to let in more light. But again failing the quiz, because by now, I have lost my neutral position, and therefore just guessing at the number of clicks for the correct exposure!:(

I am anxious to learn the answer, and to also practice a new technique!!!
Really great stuff Artie!:D
 
Also forgot to add, great action with the gator capturing the Egret at the height of moment. Also very nice head position, and nice diagonal coming into the frame. 2nd image very powerful with the splashing water.
 
OK I'll jump in - but not with the gator!!!

Camera 1D Mark 2

Image 1 I would do -1/3 as the gator and the ground will be brightened by the meter but not too much as it is mostly just a bit darker than neutral - except for the gator's head

Image 2 I would try to think clearly enough to do - 2/3 as the gator and water are rather dark so I would try to avoid blowing the whites.

Problem is that I don't think I could react fast enough in real life.

This exercise is fun.
 
Hey Artie,
This is a very interesting question...........although quite unfair! I do understand your point by asking this question................but if i posed the same question to you......as an AV shooter.......................and the BG and lighting were changing..............would you still shoot AV??? As an all the time manual shooter...........I always check my exposure readings in the shadows on white subject and black subjects................note the difference.............and check the same in the light...........B4 I even took my first shot...............so when this happens.........i know how many clicks to turn the dial!!!..........I don't even think about it any more I just turn the dial between the differnece of the 2. Lets see if you can do that in AV! Proper preparation B4 shooting is the key!..........and I'm always checking! If you want to leave something to chance........go play the lottery!
 
i am sure i would have just pointed and fired away but in theory:

nikon d300, -0.67 for first scene; +.03 for second

phil seu
 
For pic #1...

1. Canon EOS 1D Mark II, Because its in full sun, I would just follow Artie's rule that the metering system
is smart in the sun and leave it at 0.

For pic #2...same camera, but with it being in the shadows, at least +1 on the comp.

Doug
 
Dear Mr. Curry-Check,

re:

This is a very interesting question...........although quite unfair!

Why unfair? It was a real life situation that I had to deal with and did...

I do understand your point by asking this question................but if i posed the same question to you......as an AV shooter.......................and the BG and lighting were changing..............would you still shoot AV???

Those who read the Bulletins and or ABP II know that I advise and urge folks to learn to use manual mode when the backgrounds are changing and the subject is in the same light. My point is that if you were in manual mode when this happened you might have gotten the first one right--assuming that you were set for "sun" and that you knew exactly what you were doing, but that you would have had no chance of getting the second one right.

As an all the time manual shooter...........I always check my exposure readings in the shadows on white subject and black subjects................note the difference.............and check the same in the light...........B4 I even took my first shot...............so when this happens.........i know how many clicks to turn the dial!!!....

Not that I am buying that at all, but in this case, you would not have a chance to turn as many clicks as you would have needed. Period. And that is why I almost always set Av Mode when I am simply walking around.

......I don't even think about it any more I just turn the dial between the differnece of the 2. Lets see if you can do that in AV!

Roman, this is not a contest. It is a matter of teaching folks how to get the image in a rapidly changing situation. If you understand exposure theory and are working in Av mode you can get this right in about one second. In this situation you simply cannot do that if you are working in manual mode no matter how much B4 preparation you have done.

Proper preparation B4 shooting is the key!..........and I'm always checking! If you want to leave something to chance........go play the lottery.

Again, if you are working in Av mode and you understand exposure theory (and many folks above are quite close) there is no need to be lucky (so I am really not getting your point about the lottery).

Respectfully posted.
 

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