FORGET metering modes, do this instead for perfect exposure!

Summary

In this video, the host offers a $100 discount on their Photoshop course for landscape photographers during Black Friday. They discuss various camera metering modes, emphasizing that for landscape photography, these modes are less critical as photographers can manually adjust exposure to achieve the right balance. The host demonstrates how to get perfect exposure in aperture priority and manual modes, using exposure compensation and histograms. They also touch on advanced techniques like luminosity masks and the importance of not clipping highlights. The video concludes with a teaser for a tutorial on manual mode exposure and a plug for the host's editing course and eBooks on composition.

Takeaways

• 🎥 The instructor is offering a $100 discount on their Photoshop course for landscape photographers due to Black Friday.
• 📚 The course covers both manual and aperture priority exposure techniques, emphasizing why traditional metering modes are less relevant in landscape photography.
• 📸 The script explains different camera metering modes: Multi, Center, Spot, Entire screen average, and Highlights, and how they affect exposure.
• 🔄 The instructor demonstrates how to adjust exposure compensation in aperture priority mode, affecting shutter speed, and in shutter speed priority, affecting aperture.
• 🚫 The use of 'Separate Stripes' is highlighted as a method to avoid blowing out highlights, with a recommendation to set it to 100 to ensure proper exposure.
• 📊 The importance of the histogram in achieving the right exposure without clipping highlights is discussed.
• 🌄 The concept of 'exposing to the right' in the histogram is introduced as a technique to maximize image quality in landscape photography.
• 📷 For different types of photography like wildlife, metering mode can be significant, but for landscapes, photographers usually have time to set up for correct exposure.
• 🌅 The video includes a practical demonstration of adjusting exposure in different lighting conditions, including a sunny scene and a winter sunrise.
• 🛠️ The instructor mentions using Photoshop for editing, including techniques like luminosity masks and focal stacking, and refers to a course covering these techniques in depth.
• 📚 Two eBooks on composition in landscape photography are mentioned, with a link provided in the video description for interested viewers.
• 📧 A newsletter subscription is offered for updates on new workshops and further information on composition and photo editing techniques.

Q & A

What is the current discount offer mentioned in the video for the Photoshop course?

The video mentions a $100 off discount for the Photoshop course due to the Black Friday season.

What does the instructor plan to teach in the video?

The instructor plans to teach how to achieve a perfect exposure in both manual and aperture priority modes and why traditional metering with a camera is less relevant in landscape photography.

What are the different metering modes discussed in the video?

The video discusses five metering modes: Multi, Center, Spot, Entire screen average, and Highlights.

How does the instructor explain the use of exposure compensation in aperture priority mode?

In aperture priority mode, the instructor explains that you can adjust the exposure compensation wheel to get a brighter or darker exposure, which changes the shutter speed while keeping the ISO and aperture locked.

What is the purpose of using separate stripes in photography as mentioned in the video?

The separate stripes help to ensure that the highlights are not blown out. If the exposure goes beyond the separate stripes, it indicates that the highlights are being clipped or blown.

Why does the instructor recommend exposing to the right in the histogram when shooting landscapes?

Exposing to the right in the histogram helps to avoid underexposing the photo, and it allows for a cleaner image with less noise when adjusted in post-processing software like Photoshop or Lightroom.

What technique does the instructor suggest for combining two exposures in Photoshop to avoid overexposure?

The instructor suggests using Luminosity masks in Photoshop to combine a properly exposed image with one that is slightly overexposed, thus preventing any part of the photo from being overexposed.

What is the instructor's approach to editing photos, as mentioned in the video?

The instructor mentions using a Photoshop course to share various editing techniques, including Luminosity masking, focal stacking, adding glow and atmosphere, and cleaning up photos, which are based on the editing algorithm of Camera Raw, which is also used in Lightroom.

What are the instructor's recommendations for capturing long exposure water streaks in landscape photography?

The instructor recommends using a slow shutter speed to capture the movement of water as waves come crashing in and retreat back into the ocean, creating long exposure streaks.

Why does the instructor prefer manual mode when photographing waves?

The instructor prefers manual mode for photographing waves to maintain a consistent shutter speed, as the camera's light meter in aperture priority mode would adjust the shutter speed due to the changing light conditions caused by the foam on the waves.

What settings does the instructor use for a specific photo of waves in the video?

For the specific photo of waves, the instructor uses ISO 100, an aperture of F14 (previously F13), and a shutter speed of 0.4 seconds in manual mode.

Outlines

00:00

📷 Understanding Metering Modes in Landscape Photography

The video script introduces a discount on a Photoshop course for landscape photographers and discusses the importance of exposure in photography. It explains different metering modes available on cameras, such as multi, center, spot, entire screen average, and highlights, and argues that while these modes can affect the exposure displayed on the screen, they are less critical for landscape photographers. The speaker emphasizes the practice of exposing to the right without clipping highlights, using exposure compensation and the histogram as guides. The use of separate stripes as an additional tool to avoid overexposure is also mentioned.

05:01

🌄 Achieving Perfect Exposure in Landscape Photography

This paragraph delves into the nuances of achieving the perfect exposure in landscape photography, particularly when the lighting conditions are challenging. The speaker discusses the use of aperture priority mode to adjust exposure compensation and the importance of not overexposing highlights. Techniques such as taking multiple exposures and combining them in post-processing using luminosity masks are introduced to ensure a well-exposed image. The paragraph also touches on the value of the Photoshop course being advertised, which covers editing techniques including luminosity masking, focal stacking, and other advanced processes.

10:01

🌅 Capturing Dynamic Landscapes with Manual Mode

The final paragraph of the script focuses on the practical application of photography techniques in dynamic environments, such as seascapes with waves. The speaker explains the preference for manual mode in these situations to maintain consistent exposure settings, as aperture priority mode can lead to fluctuating exposures due to changing light conditions caused by moving waves. The importance of selecting the right shutter speed for the desired effect of water movement is highlighted, along with the process of adjusting ISO and aperture to achieve the desired exposure. The paragraph concludes with a note on subscribing to the photographer's newsletter for updates and references to additional resources on composition and editing.

Keywords

💡Exposure

Exposure in photography refers to the amount of light that reaches the camera sensor, affecting the brightness or darkness of the photo. In the video, the creator explains how to achieve 'Perfect Exposure' in landscape photography by balancing aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. The concept is crucial as it determines the clarity and detail in photographs, especially when shooting in different lighting conditions.

💡Aperture Priority

Aperture Priority is a camera mode that allows the photographer to set a specific aperture value while the camera automatically adjusts the shutter speed to achieve proper exposure. In the video, the creator uses this mode to control depth of field and explains how it interacts with exposure compensation to manage the light entering the lens during landscape photography.

💡Metering Modes

Metering modes are settings on a camera that determine how it measures the light in a scene to set the exposure. The video details different metering modes like Multi, Center, Spot, and Entire Screen Average, and explains their limited impact on landscape photography due to the practice of exposing to the right of the histogram.

💡Histogram

A histogram is a graphical representation of the tonal values of a photograph, showing the distribution of light and dark areas. The creator uses the histogram to ensure they are exposing to the right, avoiding overexposure and preserving details in the highlights of landscape photos. This tool is essential for fine-tuning exposure settings.

💡Exposure Compensation

Exposure compensation is a camera feature that allows the photographer to adjust the exposure level set by the camera's metering system. In the video, this feature is used to make images brighter or darker without changing the aperture or shutter speed directly, which is crucial for achieving optimal exposure in varying lighting conditions.

💡Luminosity Masking

Luminosity masking is a post-processing technique used to make selective adjustments to different brightness levels in an image. The video discusses using this technique in Photoshop to blend multiple exposures and enhance dynamic range in landscape photos, ensuring that both dark and bright areas are well-exposed.

💡Blowing Highlights

Blowing highlights occurs when the brightest areas of an image are overexposed to the point where detail is lost. The creator emphasizes avoiding this by using zebra stripes and histograms to monitor exposure and ensure that the brightest parts of the scene retain their details, which is critical in maintaining image quality.

💡Post-processing

Post-processing refers to the steps taken to enhance and refine a photograph after it has been captured. The video highlights a course on post-processing techniques in Photoshop, which includes adjustments like exposure correction, color balancing, and cleaning up images, helping photographers achieve a polished final product.

💡Shutter Speed

Shutter speed controls how long the camera's sensor is exposed to light. It is pivotal in capturing motion and adjusting exposure. The video explains how altering shutter speed in both Aperture Priority and Manual mode affects exposure, especially in dynamic scenes like waves, where slower speeds create a smooth, flowing effect.

💡Manual Mode

Manual mode is a camera setting that allows the photographer to independently control aperture, shutter speed, and ISO without automatic adjustments. The creator uses manual mode to have full control over exposure, particularly in changing conditions like seascapes, where consistent settings ensure precise capture of movement and light.

💡Landscape Photography

Landscape photography is a genre that captures the beauty of nature and outdoor scenes. The video focuses on techniques specific to this genre, such as metering modes, exposure settings, and composition, to help photographers take stunning photos of landscapes under various lighting conditions.

💡Composition

Composition in photography refers to the arrangement of elements within a frame to create a visually appealing image. The creator discusses using techniques like leading lines and balancing elements to compose landscape photos effectively, ensuring the viewer's eye is drawn to the intended focal point in the scene.

Highlights

A $100 discount is offered on a Photoshop course for landscape photographers due to Black Friday.

The video will teach how to achieve perfect exposure in both manual and aperture priority modes.

Metering modes are discussed and their irrelevance in landscape photography is highlighted.

Explanation of multi, center, spot, entire screen average, and highlights metering modes.

Use of exposure compensation in aperture priority mode to adjust brightness.

The impact of changing shutter speed on aperture in shutter speed priority mode.

Importance of using separate stripes to avoid blowing highlights.

Histogram usage for achieving proper exposure without clipping highlights.

Exposing to the right in the histogram regardless of metering mode for landscape photography.

Transcripts

so just before we get started with this

video I am right now running my big $100

off discount due to Black Friday season

on my big Photoshop for landscape

photographers postprocessing course I

will talk more about it later in this

video but there is a discount code $100

off down in the description of this

video let's get started in this week's

video I'm going to teach you how to get

a Perfect Exposure in both manual and

aperture priority and why metering with

your camera these days doesn't really

matter anymore in landscape

photography so what I want to begin with

is just to show you the different

metering modes and why they in reality

doesn't really matter for us landscape

photographers so I have my composition

right here and as you can see I am in

metering mode on back of my screen here

yeah so I of course managed to record

this next segment out of focus because

I'm using my new gji osmo pocket 3 and I

was not aware of the minimum Focus

distance but let's just go through the

metering modes on the camera so here is

the menu for the metering modes the

first one is called multi and it simply

just focuses mainly on the middle but

takes the sides into consideration too

the next one is called Center and it is

prioritizing the middle part so it tries

to expose for the middle section of the

frame the next here is called spot and

you can simply just move that one around

depending on let's say where you focus

the camera Will meure based on the input

lighting it gets from that specific area

this one is called entire screen average

and it simply just takes your entire

scene into consideration when it matures

the scene and this last one here is

called highlights and it goes without

saying that it tries to preserve it

meters for the highlights of the screen

you can also see if I change between

these different metering modes the

exposure of the screen changes so as you

can see I'm an aperture priority and

I've simply just chosen the first of the

different metering modes because I'm an

aperture priority I can simply just turn

my exposure compensation wheel and then

I get a a brighter exposure or if I turn

it down a darker exposure and because

I'm an apture priority it's the shutter

speed that changes because I've locked

the iso and I've have locked my aperture

so the only thing you can compensate for

with exposure compensation is the

shutter speed and likewise if I change

to shutter speed priority then it is my

shutter speed that I can manually change

as you can see up and down and then the

camera compensates with with the

exposure by changing the aperture so if

I change my shutter speed it changed the

aperture automatically based on the

exposure that I have set with the

exposure compensation wheel you can also

see I have my separate stripes on it's

very important that you go into your

menu and put on the separate Stripes I

use the value 100 by using the value 100

with my separate Stripes as long as I

see the separate Stripes I'm not blowing

my highlights however if I go beyond the

separate Stripes then I'm clipping or

blowing the highlights and again by

moving my exposure compensation wheel

you can see that right here I'm beyond

the separate Stripes I'm blowing my

highlights and if I turn down my

exposure compensation wheel now I see my

separate stripes and then I should have

a proper exposure if I turn on my

histogram you can also see the histogram

looks nice I'm exposing to the right

without clipping the highlights so you

can see here if I turn down my exposure

compensation wheel I push all my

information to the left and that means I

am underexposing my photo and if I am

turning my exposure compensation back up

I'm pushing all the information to the

right and in that way I'm overexposing

and right now I'm clipping my highlights

I just want to bring it down to where I

can see on my histogram that I just I'm

just not touching the right side of the

histogram the main reason why all these

different metering modes does not matter

is that no matter what metering mode you

change to you will still have to expose

to the right whether you're shooting in

manual or aperture priority exposing to

the right and here the right of the

histogram you will just have another

place to start from so let's say you

choose the metering mode that makes sure

that you do not blow your highlights if

you change the exposure compensation

wheel you can still blow the highlights

but you just start from a lower exposure

at darker exposure than if you use some

of the other exposure or metering modes

now it is important for me to emphasize

that if you're a wildlife photographer

or shoot any other kind of Photography

then yes metering mode can matter quite

a lot or help you out that's basically

what it is it's a tool to help you out

in different situations but for

landscape photographers we usually have

plenty of time to set up the camera set

up our settings and expose correctly to

the right and then because we overexpose

a little bit without clipping the

highlights we can bring that brightness

down in Photoshop or Lightroom and then

we should theoretically get a more clean

photo clean for noise that is so now the

sun is coming out and it's just about

getting the photo which is super easy so

I am in aperture priority and because

I'm in aperture priority I just need to

change my exposure compensation wheel up

and down and you can see I have my

little histogram right here the only

problem is that out here I have a part

that is about to overexpose and you can

actually see just right down there in

the corner to the right in the histogram

that is that part of the sky so if I

want a proper exposure where I don't

overexpose that part I actually need to

underexpose with minus 1.7 stop so I'm

just going to take this photo

however I will

also get a little bit cleaner exposure

by taking one where I'm over exposing it

a little bit I can then put those two

exposures together in Photoshop with

Luminosity masks and then I have a

section of the photo that is not

Overexposed and then the section of the

photo that is Overexposed in the bright

exposure won't be Overexposed anymore

because I use the darker exposure so be

sure to stick around where we go to

another location and I'll show you how

to get a Perfect Exposure in manual mode

but if you want to learn how I edit my

photos be sure role in my big Photoshop

landscape photographers post Bress and

course it is here where I share all my

different Photoshop Lightroom editing

techniques well I don't use Lightroom I

use camera raw but Lightroom is built on

camera raw so it's the same editing

algorithm right now the course is more

than 30 videos the first section is the

beginner section where I introduce you

to the different programs what they can

do set it all up then I have a section

that call the tool section where I show

you all different editing techniques

such as Luminosity masking but also

focal stacking how to use and add glow

and atmosphere how to clean up your

photos properly and all sorts of

different other things like dodging and

burning and then I have a section with a

whole lot of start to finish landscape

photography tutorials where I add even

more smaller techniques into the

different tutorials that I did not show

in the tools section there is a discount

code down description of this video that

you can apply to save a little bit of

money but let's head on to the next

location the light really was on our

side this evening we got the most

beautiful red collors on the mountain so

I also went down to the ocean at these

rocks to get some of these long exposure

streaks of the water when the waves came

crashing in and when the waves retreated

back into the ocean these streaks occur

when you use a slow shutter speed I

really like that s curvy leading line

from lower right corner and into the

frame and if you want to know how I

compose photos like these be sure to get

my two eBooks on composition in

landscape photography super easy to read

minimal text loads of examples as to get

to the point fast and in the last

chapter I summarize everything that we

have learned throughout the ebook

there's a link to it down in the

description of the

video so we have come here to St this

also known as vestone that's that

mountainer in the background and right

now we have the most beautiful sunrise

winter Sunrise that lights up the the

mountains here in the most beautiful red

collar I've moved a little bit further

back we have just been standing up here

in the background and photographing the

reflection of the mountain as you can

see it comes out here when the water

comes up to the beach and then it pulls

back we get this beautiful reflection

shot but I wanted to catch something

with some waves in front and as you know

I've never made things easy for myself

so obviously I found a f r where all the

waves because we're moving towards High

tight is coming in and coming ing

everything up so talking about exposure

generally when I'm around the sieg I

always photograph in manual mode the

reason for this is that if I photograph

an aperture priority whenever the waves

come in the exposure starts to change

because obviously the light meter that

is built into the camera will register

that due to the foam on the Sea on the

waves that the scene is getting brighter

than the dark rocks here in front this

means that it will compensate for that

extra brightness by increasing the

shutter speed so I get a faster shutter

speed and obviously when I photograph

around water I want to make sure that I

have the shutter speed that I have being

a little bit distracted because I'm

looking at my camera right now when the

waves are coming in so the point is I

shoot in manual and then I figure out

what exposure that I need so I first

choose my shorter speed

and right now I want when the waves come

in around 1/3 of a second to half a

second and then I choose ISO 100 because

I want the slowest ISO as possible and

then obviously I make sure that my

aperture is whatever it needs to be so

to get this specific photo here I simply

just change to manual mode then I put in

my settings right now it's ISO 100 F14

just before it was f13 and it gives me a

shter speed of 0.4 seconds I really like

how the water looks the flow of water

from like 1/3 of a second to half a

second when I'm shooting very wide

angled it all depends on the combination

of the senior photographing how close

you are to the water and here comes

way how close you are to the water and

your focal length and in the combination

of those factors you can choose the

shutter speed that is to your

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taste

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h

if you want notifications about when I

announce new workshops be sure to

subscribe to my newsletter if you want

to learn more about composition or how I

edit my photos be sure to check out the

links down in the description of this

video I hope you learned something see

you next time