How to Experiment With Exposure Time
Experimenting with exposure time is a gateway to interesting photography. By adjusting the amount of time your shutter stays open and exposes your film to the light, your pictures will come out vastly different. One key to great photography is understanding exposure times and how to use them to your advantage. Follow a few guidelines to get off the ground and begin experimenting with exposure.
Instructions
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Find the controls to adjust the shutter speed. The shutter is the key to experimenting with exposure. On older cameras this will be, most likely, a small knob that you turn to focus on different numbers that correspond with the amount of time the shutter is open, usually tenths of seconds. On digital cameras you can adjust this by selecting this option from your menu screen.
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Adjust the shutter so it stays open as long as possible. This will expose your film to the greatest amount of light. If you have a film camera, use an entire roll of film shooting different items around the house. If you have a digital camera, take 10 to 20 shots and review. Keep a log of where the setting is for which pictures.
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Change the shutter speed to something very quick, so there is very little light exposed. Take another roll, or 10 to 20 pictures, and keep a log. You will most likely find that the higher shutter speed will make the indoor shots clearer, since there is limited light.
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Repeat your experiment with the long shutter time outdoors on a sunny day. Keep notes and shoot about a roll’s worth of pictures. You will most likely find that these pictures will be whited out, because there is too much light from the sun coming in. A quicker shutter is usually good outdoors.
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Experiment with a long exposure time and moving the camera or shooting quickly-moving things, like cars or a sporting event. You will find your pictures come out blurry and capture the motion.
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