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Microsoft Picture It! Companion Guide
Chapter 2: Making the Most of Your Camera
20
Automatic exposure does not work well if your scene is dominated by large
sections of very light or very dark colors. A bright field of snow, for example,
has so much bright light that the automatic exposure lowers the brightness until
the snow looks gray. To work around this shortcoming, you can use exposure
compensation.
Exposure Compensation
Some cameras have an exposure compensation feature that lets you manually
override the automatic exposure setting. Exposure compensation lets you adjust
the exposure with settings such as +2, +1, -1, and -2. A +1 setting, for example,
tells the camera’s automatic exposure system to make the middle tones brighter.
When taking a photo dominated by bright snow, increasing the exposure with
the +1 setting might correct the light level for the snow-filled scene. Your
actual results will vary according to your camera and the brightness of the day.
With bright snow in a scene, setting your camera’s exposure compensation setting to +1 or +2
may help you to get the right exposure.
Aperture
The aperture is the opening through which light passes to reach the film, or, in
digital cameras, the image sensor. Aperture is measured by f-number, where a
specific setting is called an f-stop. With f-stops, a low number, such as f/4,
represents a wider opening that lets in more light. A small aperture, such as f/
16, lets in significantly less light.
Increasing your
chances with
bracketing
If you’re not sure what
the best exposure
setting is, try
bracket-
ing.
Bracketing
involves taking
multiple photos of the
same scene. Start by
using the automatic
exposure, and then
use exposure compen-
sation to take addi-
tional frames with
increased and
decreased exposure
levels. With a series of
photos taken at
different settings,
there is a good chance
that one has the
exposure just right.