Chapter 5. Getting Creative with Exposure and Lighting

Mastering the art of exposure is one of the most challenging aspects of photography. First, you have to grapple with a seemingly endless list of technical terms — aperture, metering, shutter speed, ISO, stop, and so on. Add to that the equally large number of exposure-related options on your D300s, and, well ... suffice it to say that if you're feeling a little intimidated, you're in good company. I know, I've been there.

From years of working with beginning photographers, though, I can promise that when you take things nice and slow, digesting just a piece of the exposure pie at a time, the topic is not nearly as complicated as it seems on the surface. And I guarantee that the payoff will be well worth your time and brain energy. You'll not only learn how to solve just about any exposure problem, but you'll also discover ways to use exposure to put your creative stamp on a scene.

To that end, this chapter provides everything you need to know to really exploit all your camera's exposure options, including a primer in exposure science. (It's not as bad as it sounds.) Explore a paragraph or two one day, a few more the next, and before long, you'll have it ...

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