Did Perterson ever use the term "Exposure Triangle"? Somehow I thought that Bryan Peterson used the term "Exposure Triangle" in his first 3 editions of the book "Understanding...

BebuLamar

Somehow I thought that Bryan Peterson used the term "Exposure Triangle" in his first 3 editions of the book "Understanding Exposure" but now I have my doubt. I think Peterson never did used that term. Can anyone confirm either way?

srt101fan

BebuLamar wrote:

Somehow I thought that Bryan Peterson used the term "Exposure Triangle" in his first 3 editions of the book "Understanding Exposure" but now I have my doubt. I think Peterson never did used that term. Can anyone confirm either way?

I think you're right, he apparently didn't use "Exposure Triangle", he used "Photographic Triangle".

I have the 3rd edition of his book "Understanding Exposure". Attached is a screenshot of a page of the Table of Contents. You can see that he's talking about the "Photographic Triangle".

The second attachment shows what I think is the back cover of the 1st edition (1990). (I got this screenshot off the "Internet Archive" website; they have the book but they only show you a few pages and it's not available for borrowing)

PAR4DCR Loc: A Sunny Place

I have the fourth edition and it also uses the term "Photographic Triangle".

Don

camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

I learned exposure the hard way, on my own when I was using film. Things got a little bit complicated when I began to use slide film with its short dynamic range. At times I could not understand why i was not getting the "right" exposure metering off a middle tonality.
One day I came across a book written by the late Bahman Farzad, not as well known as Bryan Peterson. He was a professor of photography at the University of Alabama and his book "The Confused Photographer's Guide to Photographic Exposure and the Simplified Zone System", a book with a long title but with easy reading and easy to understand made me a better photographer when it came to exposure.

He has a second book on spot metering which is also excellent, I have both and I am glad I bought them.

BebuLamar

Thanks Camerapapi! My post wasn't about exposure but I would like to confirm that Bryan Peterson never did use the term "Exposure Triangle" that was talked about a lot. Also I heard people on the UHH mentioned a lot about the book "Understanding Exposure" and yet only 2 UHH's confirm that Peterson didn't use the term.

srt101fan

camerapapi wrote:

I learned exposure the hard way, on my own when I ... (show quote)

A bit off-topic, camerapapi...

Ysarex Loc: St. Louis

BebuLamar wrote:

Thanks Camerapapi! My post wasn't about exposure but I would like to confirm that Bryan Peterson never did use the term "Exposure Triangle" that was talked about a lot. Also I heard people on the UHH mentioned a lot about the book "Understanding Exposure" and yet only 2 UHH's confirm that Peterson didn't use the term.

My understanding is that Peterson did not use the term Exposure Triangle. He called it the Photographic Triangle. In his explanation of the Photographic Triangle he supplies a correct definition of exposure; "...the word exposure refers to the amount, and act, of light falling on photosensitive material...", and "...before many autoexposure cameras arrived on the scene, every photographer had to choose both an aperture and shutter speed that, when correct, would record a correct exposure."

When he introduces his Photographic Triangle he then defines correct exposure as "...a simple combination of three important factors: aperture, shutter speed and ISO."

Rab-Eye Loc: Indiana

Peterson says frequently in his videos that he coined the term photographic triangle. Never says “exposure.”

Jack 13088 Loc: Central NY

BebuLamar wrote:

Somehow I thought that Bryan Peterson used the term "Exposure Triangle" in his first 3 editions of the book "Understanding Exposure" but now I have my doubt. I think Peterson never did used that term. Can anyone confirm either way?

Well I sure am glad we have resolved that issue. May I ask if that hindered understanding the concept? I shall continue to call my meters that assist in the computation exposure meters. But I fear I it sounds awkward “setting the photograph”.

BebuLamar

Jack 13088 wrote:

Well I sure am glad we have resolved that issue. May I ask if that hindered understanding the concept? I shall continue to call my meters that assist in the computation exposure meters. But I fear I it sounds awkward “setting the photograph”.

Just wanted to set the record straight. The exposure triangle is a misnomer. The photographic triangle isn't but really both is not what I care for. I never need either of them and for me they don't have any value in determining exposure.

SuperflyTNT Loc: Manassas VA

srt101fan wrote:

A bit off-topic, camerapapi...

Wow is that splitting hairs.

SuperflyTNT Loc: Manassas VA

BebuLamar wrote:

Just wanted to set the record straight. The exposure triangle is a misnomer. The photographic triangle isn't but really both is not what I care for. I never need either of them and for me they don't have any value in determining exposure.

No value in actually determining exposure, but a decent tool explaining how the things that affect exposure interact and the trade offs that can be made in getting the correct exposure.

BebuLamar

SuperflyTNT wrote:

No value in actually determining exposure, but a decent tool explaining how the things that affect exposure interact and the trade offs that can be made in getting the correct exposure.

When I was 10 years old my father taught me how to use the camera and I didn't know any better and I just trust the meter. So determining the exposure is just to use the meter which isn't always good. However, I learned the DOF, motion blur and grainny pic if I used high speed film easy (well the high speed film was the option I never took. I always used Plus X. Can't afford Tri-X). Didn't even know about the triangle except in geometry.

Mr Bob

I attended 2 of Peterson’s seminars- 2 days each. Very interesting. He thought all of use a lot about seeing light and composure. Fun times for sure.
His books cover the fundamentals and are an easy read. When I feel like I’m in a rut I either reread the books or watch his YouTube videos.

Mr Bob

I attended 2 of Peterson’s seminars- 2 days each. Very interesting. He thought all of use a lot about seeing light and composure. Fun times for sure.
His books cover the fundamentals and are an easy read. When I feel like I’m in a rut I either reread the books or watch his YouTube videos.