Measuring Exposure, Part Two - Scene Three

The church of St Martin in the Bull Ring

Best Exposure

18mm, f/3.5, 1/500, ISO 1600

Exposure Compensation: 0

This is the first scene in this project so far where I have chosen the exposure suggested by the light meter as the best exposure. For this scene I wanted to capture the beautiful, bright stained-glass window while contrasting it with the darker, serene interior. The recommended exposure does this well, capturing the essence of what I had in mind, and also preserving many of the details in the scene.

18mm, f/3.5, 1/160, ISO 1600

Exposure Compensation: +0.33

With a third of a stop of exposure compensation applied, the foreground with the chairs and slabbed flooring is brightened considerably, whereas the change in the window and on the back wall is not so drastic. This effectively cuts the scene into two sections; the brighter bottom third of the image and darker top two thirds of the image. In my mind this creates two subjects in the frame; the window and the seating area. I do like this image, and feel these settings could work great in a slightly different situation, perhaps with people sitting down so attention could be brought to the congregation.

18mm, f/3.5, 1/200, ISO 1600

Exposure Compensation: +0.67

I don't see a huge difference between this image and the previous one, except in the colour of the light streaming through the window, which appears more golden in colour. This does give a feeling of warmth to the scene, which would be good as a general-purpose interior shot of the church, for a newsletter or web article.

18mm, f/3.5, 1/400, ISO 1600

Exposure Compensation: -0.33

This is very similar to the first image with the recommended settings, and as such could be used interchangeably

18mm, f/3.5, 1/500, ISO 1600

Exposure Compensation: -0.67

At this exposure compensation setting the focus is firmly on the stained glass window; ideal if that is the only subject you want to represent, with the chairs just adding contextual value.

Overall Response

This scene provided a series of images where I think each one is perfectly valid and acceptable, depending on context and requirements. This shows that the same image, but with modified exposure values, can  be suitable for a variety of purposes, due to the changes of mood with varying exposures, and which elements of the scene are made more or less conspicuous.