The Secret Formula to Nail Perfect Exposure Every Time

Practice This Every Time You Shoot

You know a perfect exposure when you see one, right? But how do you achieve that with every shot?

As a beginner, you’ve probably learned about the exposure triangle; shutter speed, aperture, and ISO. And hopefully, you’ve spent some time learning the reciprocal values of each one. For instance, if you increase your shutter speed by one stop, you need to open your aperture one stop or increase ISO one stop to compensate for it.

But knowing this in theory and putting it to use in practical terms are two different things. I know, I’ve been there. You come upon a scene with f-stops and shutter speeds bouncing around in your head. You set your camera to one of the so-called creative modes and take a shot. It’s not what you wanted, so in frustration, you switch back to full auto so that at least you’ve captured something.

Or worse, you’ve listened to all the well-intentioned advice telling you to shoot in manual mode if you want a good picture and completely flub it up. Then you switch it back to full auto and give up on all this exposure triangle nonsense.

But there’s a better way. It’s not an easier way, but it is a better way. It will require patience and practice every time you go out to shoot. It’s a formula you have to learn to use and do so over and over until it becomes intuitive. Having this knowledge will empower you to take perfect exposures every time, but you have to work it.

But first, let’s break down this ‘secret formula’ nonsense. What does that even mean? Well, by formula, I mean it’s like those high school algebra equations you learned. Except you are solving for X, Y, and Z. And all three of these numbers are on a different scale. To make matters worse, there are many ‘right’ answers, but only one perfect one.

And by secret, I mean private. Only you can know the perfect answer, so only you can solve the formula. If I go to the same location with the same light, my solution will be different. My shot will be perfect for me. At least in theory.

Sound complicated? Well, it is, and it isn’t. It’s all about the light and capturing it in a way that suits you, your equipment, the scene in…

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