Module 2 – Exposure controls.

This module is designed to introduce the student to the camera's exposure controls and includes understanding metering, depth of field, effective use of shutter speeds, and the ability to control camera flash.

Exposure control and understanding metering: a scene of varied tones and brightness is to be used to measure the light from separate areas using the cameras spot metering (or equivalent) system. Three exposures are required taken from the darkest area, the lightest area, and the estimated mid-tone area. It is then necessary to bracket one stop either side of this mid-tone. Next, a scene with a range of light and dark tones, and to include some sky, is used to take a spot reading (or equivalent) from the estimated mid-tone area, a centre weighted reading, and an evaluative meter reading. This stage is then repeated.

Depth of field control and effective use of shutter speed: a medium telephoto lens is required to demonstrate depth of field by taking two images of a person, one using a maximum aperture (f/5.6) and one using a minimum aperture (f/32). Secondly, again using a medium telephoto lens, it is required to show the relationship between apertures and depth of field by taking two images, one showing selective focusing and one showing a deeper field of focus. Thirdly, using a lens no wider than a standard 50mm (35mm equivalent) two images are required, one focused on infinity, and the other focused at the hyperfocal point, to effectively demonstrate how this effects the amount of the scene which is in sharp focus.

Using flash: the student is required to demonstrate their ability to control fill-in flash using a person in bright directional light, where the light creates strong highlights and deep shadows. Four images are required demonstrating the effects without using flash, a touch of flash, balanced flash, and excess flash.