AllenDpics Loc: Williamsburg Virginia

That thread is what prompted me to post my question here. I know that really good photography goes far beyond the basic understanding of the exposure triangle. I want to go to the great beyond too

tdekany Loc: Oregon

If you want to go beyond, forget about the technical part of photography. Remember that no camera, no matter how expensive, can tell you how early you’d need to get up to take a shot around sunrise, can’t help you with composition, can’t suggest a winning subject matter etc...

Unfortunately, very few of us will ever get there, because we lack the necessary skills that the few were born with. But don’t let that stop you from trying.

Bill_de Loc: US

You were clear.

If you are in Aperture Priority mode and your lens is wide open, how do you raise your shutter speed. The only way I can think of is raising the ISO. So, to folks who only shoot in aperture priority, raising the shutter speed means raising the ISO, so that is the solution they give. It isn't wrong, just not all encompassing.

It is because all settings are interrelated that I say it matters not what mode you use. If you understand how each mode works you are still in complete control of you exposure. The idea that some express about having to be in manual to be in control, to me, is bunk. Either they are regurgitating something they heard, or just don't understand all the ways they can control their cameras.

To each their own.

--

Notorious T.O.D. Loc: Harrisburg, North Carolina

My Exposure Triangle is Aperture, Shutter Speed and Light. ISO is just one way to compensate for the amount of Light. The other is to Add or Remove Light of course and is often the preferred option if available.

Best,
Todd Ferguson

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

LIGHT. How much light you have determines the required range of all the other variables (ISO, Aperture, and Time).

Ultimately, how much LIGHT you have IS the exposure you need. How you get it is determined by setting the other variables in balance for the scene conditions and your desired effect.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

"To each their own" - definitely! I often wonder how much easier it would be to learn software like PS or what I have, PS Elements, if there was only one way to reach a result rather than several.

Glad you mentioned manual control. Many people do perfectly perfect exposures with the two priority modes or Program mode - and exposure compensation. So now we're back to the beginning of learning the basics, fundamentals, foundation of exposure [I see while I was typing that burkphoto has nailed it in his usual awesome way!] and then using whatever we choose that best suits our style or subject.

From UHH I learned about auto ISO while manually setting shutter speed and aperture. You may already do similar, but for the OP - a scenario:

Cedar waxwings visit the tree outside my balcony. There are usually 10 or 20 at a time, and often their first arrival is prior to the leaves falling totally in late autumn. Some sit in the top branches, where I have bright sky as background, some are gulping fruit from the ends of middle branches that are in sunlight (but may or may not have shadowed background of building across the lane), some are exploring in the shadows next to the tree trunk.

I set aperture (still working on best for my relatively new mirrorless M4/3 Olympus, so I started at f/9.5), shutter speed to 1/750 or 1/1000 sec. and auto ISO. Use burst mode and click away in every direction! (and shoot in raw, but that's probably a topic for a different thread )

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

And as tdekany suggests, don't neglect the right side of your brain while you're learning exposure!

Paul Sr Loc: Colorado Springs, CO

Nothing is NEW (or at least very little). This 80 year old photographer (amature, military, and commercial) grew up with film, chemistry and Ansel Adams. His books were slim physically but of great depth of knowledge. Other than some of the technolgy, little has changed. Exposure is a simple algebraic equation (E=I x T). The exposure needed is dependent on the recording medium (film or digital) and the processing (chemical or digital).

aellman Loc: Boston MA

You don't need a book. Just Google it. There are countless resources online. >Alan

mborn Loc: Massachusetts

aellman Loc: Boston MA

Yes, but as you should know, there are raw beginners on the site, and the mission statement of UHH includes the need to provide help to those newbies.
All of us should be cognizant of their challenges and need for serious help, not supposedly clever put-downs that are too often seen here.
To those misguided members I advise writing your dumb comments, but then don't click SEND. Put in more blunt terms, shut the f*ck up! >Alan

camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

Foundation of exposure. What does it really mean to us? I for sure am in no position to say, perhaps not very accurately, what the foundation of exposure is but I can give you a brief explanation about exposure that I am completely sure you and many others understand and I will begin with the Bryan Peterson book with four simple words, Do Not Like It.

I know that many here swear by that book but when it comes to learning exposure what I recommend is the book on exposure by the late Bahaman Farzad, a book very well written, easy to learn and understand that makes anyone take accurate exposures in just 72 hours. It did it for me after all of the confusion caused by so many theories that lost me in the first few phrases I read.

To me personally the "foundation of exposure" rests on the combination of ISO, shutter speeds and apertures. As we all know the three of them are handled by the camera except when using a hand held exposure meter.
It is impossible to separate them since the three of them work together. If the ISO speed is not known it is impossible to make a good exposure, perhaps that is the "foundation."

Is the exposure meter the actual foundation? It could easily be. Except for calculated exposures, which could be erratic in its accuracy, the exposure meter gives us a general idea of what the exposure will be. We all know the meter reading of a reflected type exposure meter could be very accurate if metering from a gray card and we know that if metering dark or bright subjects some type of exposure compensation will be necessary to arrive to the correct exposure. All basic photography.

If I were you my attention would be directed more to get the proper exposure when photographing under different lighting conditions than to find out the "foundation of exposure." I am not trying to be rude but rather to be practical. I know you are curious about this but, does it really has any meaning?

aellman Loc: Boston MA

Books are finite. the internet is infinite. Many instructional books have been supplanted by online
resources which are literally countless for virtually any subject,
even arcane pursuits like DIY taxidermy. Echhh!!! >Alan

Jerry Coupe Loc: Kent, WA

A quick, easy and inexpensive suggestion: Check you local library for a copy of the Peterson's book and check it out. Then decide if you want to purchase the latest edition.
After I retired five years ago, I started checking out almost every photography related book at my local county library branch. As a result, they have continuously expanded the number of books available.

Rongnongno Loc: FL

A dumb comment is this case is one that does not answer the 'foundation' but goes onto details for information that is not needed for 'raw beginner'.

The first thing one has to learn in photography is exposure, not the fine print in the exposure triangle, not the issues of WB or light quality nor...

Foundation exposure opens the world to other, 'the outer limits' as one typed. First learn to expose, does not matter how, then learn to exploit the fine print, then learn to expose for the subject then...

Almost no limit but the concept is still the same: Get the 'exact amount of light' you need for your subject. 'exact amount of light' is he foundation.

Exposure foundation is the 'raw' information, the basics for 'raw beginners'. Then you have much more once you understand this simple concept. You would not build a house on sand, would you? (Except if you are in Florida that is.)