Project 30 - Colour Control (manually operated cameras)

For this project I had to find an object of a strong definite colour and photograph it with the cameras automated exposure setting. Then I had to take the same photo over and under exposing it.

I initially wanted to photograph a bright red dress I have, but the folds of the material meant that there were always shadows and variations in colour on the photos. So instead I chose to photograph a blue chair back.

This is the image taken on my camera's auto exposure setting. 1/125 sec f6.3

This was taken at 1/125 sec f5.6.

1/125 sec f5

1/125 sec f7.1



1/125 sec f8

By over-exposing the blue becomes lighter, and by under-exposing it becomes darker and stronger.

I have 2 black Labradors and I have found I have a problem getting their true colour in a picture if I use the camera's auto-exposure.

 

This was taken using the camera's auto-exposure setting.  It was 1/15 sec at f7.1.  The dog was lying on a dark brown couch under a window and the whole image has been lightened by the camera's auto setting.

This one was taken on fully manual at 1/15 sec f9.  By under-exposing the image slightly, the dog's fur is a truer black, but is still lightened by the sunlight from the window, and it isn't so dark that detail is lost.

I think that this project is so very useful, and has reminded me to use the manual settings on the camera more than my usual Av mode.