09/12/2024
Your camera probably has built-in light metering, and that's awesome. Except when it isn't. Let's say you want to photograph a scene like the one below, with this quintessentially New England rock wall stretching across a sunlit field. Your camera, in its infinite wisdom, will adjust exposure to accommodate the bright sky, and your result will look something like this.
If a silhouette is what you were going for -- you've done the thing. But if you wanted your photo to look more like what your eye sees, you might be pretty disappointed.
Here's a tip that can help. On the back of your camera, you will find a button labeled AEL. This stands for auto exposure lock, and it is the solution to your conundrum. If the object in the foreground is lit to your liking, and you want to keep it that way, follow these steps:
Point your camera directly at the foreground object
Press and hold that AEL button.
Still holding the AEL button, raise your camera and frame your shot as you like
Take your photo -- still holding the AEL button
And there you go!
