It is advisable that you get to understand more about portable photography lighting before you embark in utilizing it. Eyes are known to see a range of tone that are broader as compared to most cameras which are available in the market. The human eye can see up to 30 stops of light. That is what is referred to as the static contrast range.
At any one given time, you can see up to ten stops of light. It is referred to as the dynamic range of the eyes as it changes with time. The brain make adjustments constantly and what you are able to see is well exposed. For the modern cameras such as canon and Nikon, they vary in the amount of stops of light which they can be able to capture. The best one is known to capture up to 14 stops during a test situation. There are some claims regarding what it can do in real world or real life situation.
The range which is most extreme is normally limited to the ISO setting that is the lowest. At an ISO that is higher, the dynamics range normally reduces. It doesn’t really matter the camera that you are using, you will require making a decision about having a proper exposure. To take photos in high contrast situations, when the light is bright and harsh, you require making choices which are careful. Your eyes might be able to see details in the shadows and highlights, but your camera might not be in a position to record all that you are seeing.
Choosing your exposure
To make a choice on how your photographs will be exposed, it is a requirement that you should be in control of your camera. There are those who prefer setting the camera in a manual mode, and not program it. It enables them to have more control and accuracy with the setting of the camera and adjustment of the exposure than if you were using any of the modes which are on the auto exposure.
When the camera is in any of the semi-auto or auto exposure modes, it is normally programmed to give an exposure that is correct that is based on the middle grey. Unless you are trying to override the settings, you will not have a lot of control over the way the photo is going to be exposed. In the situations of high exposure, the camera that is on auto would be able to expose photos unsatisfactorily.
Having to include the sun as well as its reflection tends to increase the range of tone dramatically. The digital sensor doesn’t have to record details in the darkest and brightest areas in similar exposure as the tone range is quite broad.
What is the middle grey and why does it matter?
The middle grey refers to the tone halfway between white and black. Exposure meters are calibrated to the standard tone. When you are able to expose a photography and there are extremely dark and light areas you will not be able to have an exposure which is on the overall correct.