Understanding exposure
by Bryan F. Peterson, Bryan Peterson · first published 1990
90% recommend10% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Clear, example-driven introduction to how aperture, shutter speed and ISO interact to control exposure; recommended for beginners and anyone moving past auto mode on a camera or phone.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
Veteran photographer Bryan Peterson demystifies complex concepts of exposure in photography by explaining the fundamentals of light, aperture, shutter speed, and how they interact with and influence one another. This book explains how to get or lose sharpness and contrast in images, freeze in action, and take the best meter readings while also exploring filters, flash, and light. This forth edition includes all new images as well as an expanded section on flash, tips for using colored gels, and advice on shooting star trails.
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…autofocus sensor overlay. It's definitely a neat way to interact with it in a browser, though. If you're looking to learn these relationships in a less interactive way, I thoroughly recommend the book "Understanding Exposure" by Brian Peterson.
on “SLR Camera Simulator” ↗…and clearly i'm NOT advocating that you upload all of your photos to instagram/facebook. But I am suggesting you will learn more by doing then you ever will reading theory. That being said, I bought Understanding Exposure http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Exposure-3rd-Edition-Pho... based on some HN recommendations (i think), and it covered the basics of everything I needed to know from a technical perspective. I recommend…
on “In the Future, We Will Photograph Everything and Look at Nothing” ↗Careful. Learning photography can be like learning the new productivity method du jour. That said, the book Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson was recommended to me a long time ago and provided me with immediate and stunning results. Buy it though, don't download one of the numerous copies online.
on “Ask HN: DSLR vs. MirrorLess cameras. Best resources for learning photography?” ↗…issue where they explain the basics and then proceed to give practically no details on how to start applying the knowledge. For anyone wanting to learn this more in detail I highly recommend the book "Understanding Exposure" by: Bryan Peterson. My personal approach to taking handheld photos in manual mode using natural light is as follows: 1. Look at the scene and determine what the most important factor is. For example: *…
on “Silly Camera Numbers” ↗If anyone wants to move beyond using the "auto" setting on their camera (or phone), I would recommend the book Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson, the first edition of which was published in 1990: * https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/142239.Understanding_Exp... The principles involved haven't changed much in the intervening…
on “Photography for Geeks” ↗…lens' glass): Tiffen 52mm UV filter $9.95 -- goes with the Canon EF 50mm lens (trust me; this is the correct size filter) http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004ZCJG?ie=UTF8&tag=... Tutorial Book: Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera $17.13 -- Bryan Peterson, the author, is a god of photography teaching http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0817463003?ie=UTF8&tag=... Tutorial…
on “Ask HN: Which DSLR Lens?” ↗I always recommend two books to anyone asking about buying a camera - "Understanding Exposure" (Bryan Peterson), and "The Photographer's Eye" (Michael Freeman). These two books cover all the basics of exposure and composition in a pretty accessible way. Those two books will get you farther toward…
on “Dirty lens article” ↗The best $20 I ever spent on photography was the book Understanding Exposure. Fantastic book and will improve your photos dramatically
on “Don't Shoot In Auto - Advice For DSLR Newbies” ↗Oh, I am saddened to hear of Peterson's passing. Way back when, I bought a couple of his books, probably on the recommendation of someone or other in an online photography forum - 'Understanding Exposure' and 'Learning to see creatively'. The latter in particular was wonderful for someone who had the technical aspects of photography more or less sorted, but was - ahem - deficient in the artistic department.…
on “iPhone 16 cameras vs. traditional digital cameras” ↗…back home "developing" the images, but if the final output is 3mp, after you develop you are still left with an image too low-resolution for anything but screen display. In the words of Brian Peterson (Understanding Exposure) for any particular scene there may be many "correct" exposures, but only one creatively interesting exposure. Likewise, in their image gallery there is generally a single focus point that makes the…
on “Lytro cameras are ready for preorder.” ↗