In my youth – don’t ask how long ago that was – there were sign painters that traveled the south painting billboards on barn roofs. The advertisements varied from chewing tobacco to tourist attractions. Now, instead of a day-long painting process, billboards are changed in minutes through the use of computer-generated wraps.
This particular billboard attracted my attention because of the stark contrast in the black-and-white graphics. Out of curiosity, I checked a variety of automated exposure modes on my digital camera before setting the exposure model to Manual.
The most common question is why? Why should I go to the trouble of ignoring all of the automation of a modern digital camera?
The answer is that the high contrast of the scene caused the in-camera meter to vary widely between under-exposure and over-exposure. When the camera sensed more black, it tended to indicate less reflected light than average. Conversely when it sensed more white, the tendency would be for under-exposure.
These are common errors. That is why most of my Experience Photography workshops, including the motorsports workshop that starts tomorrow at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, open with a discussion of common exposure errors and manual exposure calculation.
For reference, this photograph was created using a Nikon D3 camera with a Nikkor AF VR Zoom 70-200mm f/2.8G IF-ED set at 200mm. The Manual exposure data was f/8 at 1/1000th of a second and a film speed of 250 ISO.
While exploring in the Mojave Desert near Arizona and Nevada border, I happened to look up into the clear desert sky and see these two airplanes on intersecting paths. The Southwest Boeing 737 appeared to be on approach to McCarran Airport at about 5000 feet while the contrails were being created by a high-flying Boeing 747 at about 35000 feet. As each jet airplane was moving along a different flight path, they created a rapidly changing challenge of composition.
Decisions, decisions, decisions. Would it be a more compelling image if the 737 were captured before, flying across, or after passing the 747 contrail? What shutter speed would be adequate to freeze both jets moving at high speeds in different directions? What f/stop would be necessary for the proper depth of field for the airplanes at different altitudes?
Consider that the 737 was probably moving at over 200 miles-per-hour and the 747 was flying along in the 400-500 miles-per-hour range, each tick of the clock brought a significant change in their relationship within the viewfinder. Right or wrong, several decisions had to be made regarding the composition and exposure.
The results of my decisions are shown in this photograph created using a Nikon D60 with a Nikkor AF VR Zoom 55-200mm f/4-5.6G IF-ED lens set to 200mm with an aperture of f/8, a shutter speed of 1/1000th of a second, and a film speed of 400ISO. This over-exposure by two-thirds of an f/stop allowed for details in the shadows of the airplanes.
The Fountains of Bellagio are a modern centerpiece of the fabulous Las Vegas Strip. Weather permitting, the free water show runs at designated times from noon until midnight daily and is a wonderfully scenic photo opportunity. Although the staged scene would seem to be a simple exposure, it takes finesse to make the average become impressive.
Although the Fountains at Bellagio are presented during the day, they seem most impressive after sunset. My favorite time is twilight – after the sun has dropped behind the main hotel and casino structure but before the final glow disappears from the western horizon.
Contrary to instinct, the best photographs do not always come during the peak moments of the show when the water cannons burst high in the air. In addition to obscuring the surroundings, there is rarely symmetry or balance when the jets blast the finale. Visually, the more appealing photographs usually occur earlier in the show as the spray is choreographed to the music.
This photograph was created using a Nikon D3 equipped with an AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm 1:2.8G ED lens set at 14mm. The ultra wide angle allowed City Center and Caesars Palace to frame the composition on the left and right. The aperture was f/5 with a shutter speed of 1/8th of a second and a film speed of 1000 ISO. The camera rested atop one of the speakers along Las Vegas Boulevard.
Finally and significantly, the camera preset white balance of incandescent was selected. This is significant after sunset because the proper white balance setting allows the water to correctly appear white. Otherwise, the water appears muddy due to the warm color cast of the underwater spotlights. A deeper blue sky is a bonus.
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