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Not all lighting situations are easy to shoot; that’s why photography is both an art and a science. Specifically, it’s fairly easy for real-life scenes to trick your camera’s exposure sensor and consequently under- or overexpose a picture. You can fix that tendency to some degree on the PC afterward, but it’s much better to expose the picture correctly to begin with. That’s because an over- or underexposed image is missing information about colors, texture, and detail that can never be restored afterward; only the moment of exposure can ensure that all the information will be in your image. What are some examples of tricky photos? There are many, but just a few problems tend to surface most frequently. Take a look at the trio of images in the Color Insert to see what happens if you base your exposure on the wrong part of the picture. These kinds of problems have several solutions, and you can experiment to see which works best for you in various situations. Here are some ways you can correct your exposures when you see a problem in the viewfinder:

• Use exposure compensation Use the EV control on your camera to intentionally under- or overexpose your pictures beyond what the camera’s exposure sensor recommends.
• Switch metering modes You can use a different kind of exposure meter to account for very “contrasty” images.
• Use exposure lock Lock your exposure on a different part of the image, and then recompose the picture and shoot.

To see how to use each of these exposure techniques, keep reading.

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