Day 2 — “Exposure Compensation: Fast Bright/Dark Fix”

Exposure Compensation: The Fast Way to Brighten or Darken
Yesterday you set up your 60-Day Photo Sprint. Today’s win is simple: learn the exposure compensation control—usually marked ±. It lets you nudge brightness without leaving Auto or Aperture Priority.

### What it does

• Dial toward + to make the photo brighter.
• Dial toward – to make the photo darker.
• It tells your camera to expose more or less than it thinks is correct.

### When to use it

• Backlit people look too dark → go +0.7 to +1.0.
• Snow, beach, or white walls look gray → go +1.0 to +1.7.
• Night scenes look washed out → go –0.7 to –1.3.
• Bright sky is blowing out → try –0.3 to –1.0.

### How to set it (generic steps)

1. Put the camera in A/Av (Aperture Priority) or P mode.
2. Look for the ± button/wheel.
3. Turn the dial while watching the scale move: –2 … –1 … 0 … +1 … +2.
4. Take a shot, check it, and tweak until it looks right.

> Note: Some cameras remember your last ± setting. When you’re done, set it back to 0.

### 3-Minute Mini-Exercise

• Place a person or object in front of a window.
• Take 3 photos: 0, +1.0, +1.7.
• Pick the one where the subject looks right, even if the background goes a bit bright. That’s the trade-off—and it’s okay.

### Home-Base reminder

If you’re following my simple start:

• Mode: A/Av
• Aperture: f/4–f/5.6
• ISO: Auto, max 6400
• Exposure Comp: Start at 0, then adjust ± for taste

Tomorrow: We’ll use focus point control to put sharpness exactly where you want it.

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