From the course: Photography Foundations: Night and Low Light

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Exposing to the right

Exposing to the right

From the course: Photography Foundations: Night and Low Light

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Exposing to the right

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There's a certain amount of light in this room right now that's illuminating me this much. If we double the amount of light, if we bring them twice as many of the exact same kind of lights and turn them all on, our eyes will not actually register a doubling of illumination. Our senses don't work that way. All of our senses are that way. If I hand you a bowling ball and then hand you another bowling ball, you don't actually perceive a doubling in weight. Our senses are nonlinear; they actually look on a logarithmic scale. Film is the same way. If you double the amount of light in a scene, you don't get a doubling of illumination when you're shooting film. Your digital camera, though, is different; it employs a linear capture system. What that means, practically, is that when you're working in low light there is an exposure strategy that you can employ that may help you keep noise down. Here is how it works. There are a certain number of levels of brightness that your camera can…

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