What could I be doing wrong?

[KarenC]

I'm sure I must be doing something wrong....I've got my Nikon D40 on Manual. I'm taking a close up and setting the exposure by the light meter but it's coming out way over exposed. I've tried changing the metering options. What else should I try?? Thank you so much!!

[Jen D]

What do you have your ISO set at... I find when my light meter is off it is because I have my ISO cranked up from a previous use.

[Starlite9711]

Check your exposure compensation. That happened to me recently, I didn't realize I was changing it, mine was set WAY low, so all my pics were underexposed.

[KarenC]

my ISO was at 400. I better get out my book to see how to check the exposure compensation. Thanks girls!!

[Amy L]

EC was the problem for me too one time.

[luv2cre8]

No words of Nikon advice, but when I've had something similar happen with my Canon, I simply clear the custom settings (kinda like the "re-boot" with the computer).

[dugarner]

I read somewhere once about the "set to zero" philosophy---before you turn your camera off, if you've been in manual, zero-out all the manual settings to something fairly default, like ISO 100, 1/60, f/5.6. On my Sony I can't change the exposure compensation in manual setting, but in any other setting, you can set to zero and make sure the EV is set at +/- 0 as well.

I try to remember to do this, as countless times I've forgotten that I've been on manual in low light, then I turn around and fire off three or four shots in brighter light. I HATE to be "caught" chimping since so many photography snobs consider it the sure-fire mark of a rank point-and-shoot amateur, regardless of your equipment. So I'll usually sneak a peek after a good number of frames, only to find they're all so overexposed I have to start over. And I usually have more time at the end of a shot than at the beginning to reset everything, so it's ready to go next time.

Let us know if you figure it out!

[sam ellis]

i have no problem "chimping"

did you come right karen ?

[donitab]

I'm a chimper & it has saved my hide several times after doing the exact same thing with the low light, bright light scenario - overexposed some great closeups of Buzz Lightyear at Disneyland last year because I didn't chimp soon enough!

[katrinak]

I chimp as well and seriously believe most photographers do too, they just hide it better than I do

what did you find Karen?

like Sarah mentioned I try to always set my camera back to a midrange grab and go setting.

[dugarner]

Originally Posted by donitab

I'm a chimper & it has saved my hide several times after doing the exact same thing with the low light, bright light scenario - overexposed some great closeups of Buzz Lightyear at Disneyland last year because I didn't chimp soon enough!

Well, yes, I've learned how to be stealth about chimping, and I really do usually have a quick look at a set of exposures before continuing on. There's got to be something slightly masochistic about not checking frame-by-frame, as if it's an homage to the old days, where there was pride in burning a whole roll of film with crappy exposure---and if the REAL photographers did it back then, well, we should fire off a bunch in the digital world and just suck up the poor exposure!

I hope everyone knows I was tongue-in-cheek about getting "caught," I was just making the point about how helpful it is to remember set to zero.

[SAHMom]

I'm a chimper here too! Not every frame, but if I change lighting, absolutely chimp away!
The ONE time I didn't chimp... it was in studio, metered, set, and just fired away without ever looking.... except forgot I had the ISO *way* (like 1600) up from a basketball game the night before and metered for ISO 200. Egads! So it would have saved me to just chimp and see I was completely BLOWING everything!

So, while I don't ever use exposure compensation, I do always always always check everything, and then check it again... LOL And am so not afraid to chimp!

[KerryMac]

Raise your hand if you chimp! Hand raised here
You have to do it at the start of a shoot to make sure the brain hasn't disconnected and left the settings from a previous shoot.
Also, I've become so impatient that I can't wait to see what I've captured.
I hope you solve your problem! I bet you will! Just keep at it.

[audrey77]

Why WOULDN'T you chimp? It's a no brainer.

[KarenC]

I'm so lost! What is chimping??!

Well...I'm not sure why but my exposures are OK today. And I got my new lens! Woohoo!

[sawdust]

I agree with Stephen Johnson in his book on digital photography...roughly speaking he says that that is one thing that digital photography offers is the chance to inspect your work.

He says to ignore the ridicule, inspect your work and use the tools to your fullest advantage.

He says that by using the LCD the light meter can actually be be left at home and if the shot is not right it can be shot again. (LOL but he does say not to get so involved in checking out the shots that you miss other good photo ops!!! LOL)

I only have a point and shoot, drooling over wanting a great camera. I didn't know what you were all talking about so I went searching. Then I found this and I have to agree. I guess I can still have an opinion even though I can't "chimp"!!!

[dugarner]

Chimping is taking a peek at every shot on the LCD. According to Wiki, "[t]he phrase is most likely derived from comparison between the sounds and actions some make while reviewing images and those of an excited primate (Oooh! Oooh! Aaah!), or when a photographer is completely absorbed in the act of analyzing, admiring or proudly displaying a shot to others."

I meant it completely tongue-in-cheek. When I remember, I check the first exposure of a set, and then go from there. My daughter has a unique way of chimping, she'll take a picture, then jump up and down and say, "Can I see? Can I see?" She really does remind me of a monkey.

I cannot rely on my LCD for exposure, I have to display the image with histogram because especially in bright sun my LCD is not reliable. More often than not, I just shoot in RAW and if the light meter on my camera tells me its close, it usually is pretty close.

Anyway. That said, I spent an hour last night trying to explain film media to my daughter, who didn't understand that you could "only" fit 24 pictures on a roll of film, and that when I used APS film, I spent about $1 a picture ($5 for the film, $15 to have it developed, 25 on a roll) and I had to be careful about what I took a picture of.

She also made me promise to explain binary code to her this morning.

What an amazing world she's growing up in!

[KarenC]

the sounds and actions some make while reviewing images and those of an excited primate (Oooh! Oooh! Aaah!)

That is so funny!

I'm just learning manual so I always take a quick peak. But, I agree ...why wouldn't you look? How aggravating it would be to find out later that you messed up a shot when you could have made adjustments and fixed it right on the spot.

[AllynD]

So glad I saw this thread! From now on, I will try to restrain my oohs and aahs! Since I am just trying to learn to use my DH's D60, my chimpanzee noises are mostly over the camera and all it will do. I learned photography with my Dad's old Rolleiflex TLR back in the day-- a magnificent lens, buy it didn't "do" anything the way the digital cameras do today.

[audrey77]

I have my camera set so that it shows me if the white area is blown out...

In 10-20 years there will be a huge group of photographers who never used film. ever. in their lives. wouldn't know how to insert it... wouldn't know that great film SMELL after taking it out of the pouch/canister!!!!

[audrey77]

Originally Posted by kchris

Well...I'm not sure why but my exposures are OK today. And I got my new lens! Woohoo!

Did you try it out? for the D40 you have to set and lock the aperture ring on the outside of the lens to f22 or else you will get an error. Then you can use what ever aperture within the camera (just not ON the lens itself)

[dugarner]

Originally Posted by audrey77

In 10-20 years there will be a huge group of photographers who never used film. ever. in their lives. wouldn't know how to insert it... wouldn't know that great film SMELL after taking it out of the pouch/canister!!!!

Oh, that smell is great---just like the old purple copy smell in my school days. I remember getting the wet stack of papers from the teacher and how everyone would push their nose to the paper and inhale!

This is a major digression---my daughter has never heard a dial tone or busy signal, at least until last summer. We haven't had a land line as long as she's been old enough to walk, but my parents still do. In fact, they still have a rotary-dial phone in their basement with the long coiled cord that gets wrapped all around you when you're talking. So when DD called my grandmother from my parents' house last summer, she got a busy signal (because my grandmother is 97 and would never pay for call waiting!) and said Mom, this is making a really weird beep-beep noise! and scrunched up her nose. I had to think for a minute what she was referring to!

I dodged the binary code bullet this morning. Saved it for another day!

[katrinak]

I'm raising my hand and adding that I mostly look at the histogram as well since it has much more to tell (ooohhh ooooh ooooh)

[KarenC]

Did you try it out?

I have! and I love it. I probably won't use it to photo my dgs who never stops, but am sure I'll find lots of (more stationary) subjects.

Here's a quick straight out of the camera shot. I love how clear it is. And look! I have bokeh. WooHoo!

[audrey77]

Rock on.
The best part is that you can use when you upgrade down the road! It's a GREAT lens!

[audrey77]

Originally Posted by dugarner

Oh, that smell is great---just like the old purple copy smell in my school days. I remember getting the wet stack of papers from the teacher and how everyone would push their nose to the paper and inhale!

This is a major digression---my daughter has never heard a dial tone or busy signal, at least until last summer. We haven't had a land line as long as she's been old enough to walk, but my parents still do. In fact, they still have a rotary-dial phone in their basement with the long coiled cord that gets wrapped all around you when you're talking. So when DD called my grandmother from my parents' house last summer, she got a busy signal (because my grandmother is 97 and would never pay for call waiting!) and said Mom, this is making a really weird beep-beep noise! and scrunched up her nose. I had to think for a minute what she was referring to!

I dodged the binary code bullet this morning. Saved it for another day!

I love the purple copies too!

Does your daughter know what *gasp* "pulse" dialing is?

[KerryMac]

your sooc pic looks great!!!

I was speaking to a group of girl scouts about photography a few weeks ago. When I started talking about using chemicals to develop film, one little girl raised her hand and said "what's film?".
It was so funny! All the moms in the room giggled and we got a big kick out of it; and felt a little older...

[bluelemur01]

I have to add that I always "chimp" when starting a set of photos...to me, the point of having a great digital camera is the ability to SEE your picture and get it as perfect as possible before it gets into the computer! If you take a few extra seconds up front, you can save TONS of time and do less in Photoshop. Like Katrina I check the histogram, check overall "look" and tone, and make sure it's focused well. I don't check every single shot, but I do check when I go into new lighting situations, tricky lighting, new lens, or if a photo is especially important. I don't stand there for hours but I will check the important stuff.

It helps. I'm proud to do it. I think it's ridiculous NOT to ever check. And I totally hate that some snotty film photogs even came up with the word "chimping". I love that they're slowly becoming dinosaurs, heheheh. I mean, I'm not anti-film. But I AM anti-snob. I hate when some photographers think they're "all that" because they either don't "chimp" or because they don't use digital. It's a new world, folks!

Anyway, sorry to rant off here! But it's nice to know that others feel the same way I do.

[dugarner]

Originally Posted by audrey77

I love the purple copies too!

Does your daughter know what *gasp* "pulse" dialing is?

Funny you should ask, because my parents' cordless phones that they have upstairs still pulse dial---I don't get it! Strange technology.

Checking focus is something I can't do well on my camera, my LCD is too small. Often the picture will look tack-sharp on the screen and be off enough when I process it that I just can't salvage it. It has been extremely frustrating to get used to the focusing of my lenses, that said, I'm done with this camera. Finished. It's gone come Christmas, and I'm gettin' a new one. I like the body and the built-in IS is a huge plus, but the glass is a little below what I could get on another brand camera for a comparable price.

[dugarner]

Originally Posted by bluelemur01

It helps. I'm proud to do it. I think it's ridiculous NOT to ever check. And I totally hate that some snotty film photogs even came up with the word "chimping". I love that they're slowly becoming dinosaurs, heheheh. I mean, I'm not anti-film. But I AM anti-snob. I hate when some photographers think they're "all that" because they either don't "chimp" or because they don't use digital. It's a new world, folks!

Boy, I sure didn't mean to touch off such a hot topic! Whew! I couldn't care less what professionals say about what I might or might not do---at the end of the day, they're not living with my pictures, I am. But I have spent a lot of time on forums where snobs of all degrees make it known what a sub-standard life form I might be because 1) I occasionally chimp, 2) I sometimes use AUTO [gasp! choke!] and 3), the biggest offender, I have, once or twice, used selective coloring in post-processing. Apparently in 2009 that's the biggest gaffe you can make as a photographer. Poo-poo on selective coloring! Well, I LIKE IT! Someone even said, "You're going to be able to look at a picture in 20 years and know what year the picture was taken [if it has selective coloring], just like you can tell by shag carpets, hairdos, and bell bottoms." Um, really?

So Jennifer, I can see where you're coming from, and I'm so glad there's a professional in our midst with a cool head and a do-what-you-want attitude! You go, girl!