Balancing exposure manually refers to the process of adjusting camera settings, such as aperture, shutter speed, and ISO, to achieve the desired exposure for a given scene. While modern cameras offer automatic exposure modes that can accurately determine exposure, there are situations where manual control is necessary or desired to achieve a specific look or creative effect.
To manually balance exposure, you should first determine the correct exposure for the scene. This can be done by using a light meter, either built-in or handheld, to measure the light in the scene and determine the correct aperture, shutter speed, and ISO settings. Alternatively, you can use the camera’s histogram, which shows the distribution of tones in the image, to ensure that there is no overexposure or underexposure in the image.
Once you have determined the correct exposure for the scene, you can adjust the camera settings to achieve the desired look. For example, you may want to use a wider aperture to create a shallow depth of field and blur the background, or a slower shutter speed to create a sense of motion blur.
If the exposure is too bright or too dark, you can adjust the aperture, shutter speed, or ISO to compensate. For example, if the image is too bright, you can use a narrower aperture, faster shutter speed, or lower ISO to reduce the amount of light entering the camera. Conversely, if the image is too dark, you can use a wider aperture, slower shutter speed, or higher ISO to increase the amount of light entering the camera.
It is important to note that adjusting one setting, such as the shutter speed, may affect other settings, such as aperture and ISO, and may require additional adjustments to maintain the correct exposure. Additionally, some camera settings may affect other aspects of the image, such as depth of field or motion blur, and should be adjusted accordingly to achieve the desired look.
In summary, manually balancing exposure requires a combination of camera settings and creative decisions to achieve the desired exposure and look for a given scene. Light meters and histograms can help determine the correct exposure, and adjustments to aperture, shutter speed, and ISO can be made to achieve the desired look while maintaining correct exposure.