Do I Adjust Auto Exposure

Friends have already started to ask this question: " Can you keep writing this ?"

Honestly, I do not have the answer. I am a person who will get bored very quickly if I realised that certain interest /hobbies is too easy. I play the violin, which is difficult enough to even get some decent sound, yet I am still improving after many many years. I take photographs, which looks easy with the advance of camera, but I still have new challenges from day to day photo shooting.

I hope you don't mind to read my self-talk, but let me focus on the next photo which I am going to discuss.

Click this and make it your wall paper, I like this so much that I almost want to show it to Singapore Tourism Board.

Shooting night shots is challenging for many reasons. You have to have a very steady hand or a tripod. Here I did not using any tripod, just handheld my camera with 35mm F2, at full aperture. I think the shutter speed is 1/15. Exposure was set using auto, but, a very big but, I reduced exposure by 1.5 stop. The darker the sky, the more you reduce exposure. Remember this, reduce automatic setting of exposure by at least 1 stop, sometimes 2 stops depending on the darkness of the sky. This will bring out the true darkness of the surrounding and the lights will show as jewels.

Also, you must watch out for reflection and ensure that all meaningful reflections are captures.

Lastly, if you do not have time, set the camera auto-bracketing and shoot away to get the best of the 3 or 5 from bracketing.

I hope this helps to reduce frustration from relying only on the camera exposure meter to get the correct exposure. I promise you no matter what camera you use, you will be very disappointed. There is not much I can do for you but ask you to try until it works. Just like baby learning to walk, she will not walk on first try, but keep trying and you will get it. I have been trying since I was 16, so don't be surprise and give up just because a few shots were not making the cut. Throw the bad pictures away and get started all over again, and again, and again. Or you can simply sell all your cameras and use your iphone and use the money to buy some shares.