Fill flash used in this shot. Model: Maria Mazurova.
When I was out shooting the other day, it occurred to me that I still use a bunch of timeless rules of thumb I learned from various sources along the way; many so ingrained I don’t even realize I’m using them. I thought it might be fun to do a review.
A few years ago, I read an article in Popular Photography (that I can no longer find on their site) listing the ones I knew, and some I didn’t. Taken from my notes:
1. Sunny 16:
Bright, sunny day at f/16, shutter speed is 1/ISO. Extrapolated, f/22 at the beach, f/11 on cloudy-bright days.
2. Moony 11, 8, 5.6:
Shutter: 1/ISO
Moon Full: f/11
Moon Half: f/8
Moon Quarter: f/5.6
3. Avoiding Camera Shake:
Shutter: 1/focal length of the lens
4. No 18% Grey Card Handy (if you can’t trust the in-camera light meter):
Hold palm up facing the light, take a reading an open up one stop. (Skin tones vary.)
5. Depth Of Field:
Focus 1/3 of the way to maximize depth of field on a deep subject. The smaller the aperture, the shorter the focal length and the greater the distance, the greater the depth of field.
6. Largest Print With Digital:
Divide the vertical and horizontal pixel counts by 200. For critical applications, use 250.
7. Exposure:
Digital/transparency: expose for highlights and let the shadows take care of themselves.
Negative: overexpose 1 stop
8. Fill-flash:
Set flash’s ISO to twice your ISO, meter the scene, select f-stop, set autoflash to same f-stop. The resulting 2:1 flash-fill ratio will produce filled shadows 1 stop darker than the main subject.
9. Flash Range:
Double the distance, four times the ISO.
10. Megapixel Multiplier:
Increase the megapixels by 4 to double the resolution in a digital camera (to account for both vertical and horizontal).
11. Stopping Action:
Shutter speed 2 stops faster than the action moving toward or away from you, if perpendicular to the lens. For action moving at a 45-degree angle to the lens, use 1 stop faster.
12. Sunset:
Meter the area directly above the sun (without sun in frame). Down 1 f-stop to look like 1/2-hour later.
Did I miss any? What’s your favorite rule of thumb? Let’s see if we can start the “definitive” collection right here.
Great list, I’ll definitely need to jot down the first few on a note card and keep them in my bag with me.
Mahalo, Kris! As you find others, bring them here and I’ll do the same.
Just came across this Sunny 16 Rule t-shirt, and it reminded me of this post again.
http://www.redbubble.com/people/rool/t-shirts/930815-4-sunny-16-rule-white
Cool shirt! Thanks for sharing! Aloha!
Hi Pete. One rule of thumb I try to keep in mind is “take a stop, give a stop”. So every stop down in aperture has a corresponding “give” in shutter speed, in this case, slow it down a stop. The reverse then holds as well: stop up the aperture, increase shutter speed by the same amount of stops. Maintains exposure value while letting you mess around with depth of field.
Good one! I call that a reciprocal. Gives you the same exposure, but perhaps a different effect. Thanks Robi.
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how about the rule of thirds?
Good thought! These are really exposure rules of thumb. Maybe I should post a composition rules of thumb. Besides rule of thirds, what others should I list?