How to Calculate Middle Gray

Middle gray is a concept used in photography. The idea is that any photograph you take will be properly exposed if your camera's internal light meter calculates a scene's reflected light and adjusts the settings--aperture and shutter speed--to capture an average light level of 18 percent (middle gray).

This works fine unless you are faced with a scene that has deep shadows or intensely bright spots, or where white is the prevailing color. Then the camera's automatic settings will likely result in a poor exposure. You'll lose details in the shadows or have your white appear gray in the final photo.

Instructions

1

Set your digital camera to automatic exposure mode. This is the setting where the camera determines the aperture and shutter speed based on the lighting conditions.

2

Frame your shot and take your first photograph. In automatic mode, the digital camera will calculate middle gray for you and use that to determine the exposure settings to properly capture that amount of light.

3

Note the aperture and shutter speed the camera used to capture the shot.

4

Turn on your digital camera's histogram feature.

5

Review the histogram for the shot. Most of the graph should follow a bell-like curve in the middle of the graph. Depending on the image, you may also see some small peaks at either end of the graph. A peak that goes up the left edge of the graph indicates that you've lost details in the shadows of the image. A peak on the right end suggests you have some washed out areas in the bright parts of the image. If either is the case, you need to manually adjust your camera's settings to compensate for its middle gray calculations if you want to get a better image.

6

Turn your digital camera to program mode, where you can control the exposure settings. Set the aperture to the same setting the camera used in automatic mode.

7

Set the shutter speed a step faster if your original image was overexposed, or a step slower if the image was underexposed. Take the photo.

8

Review the histogram for the new photo. If the exposure still isn't correct, adjust the shutter speed another step and try again.

---

Middle gray is a concept used in photography. The idea is that any photograph you take will be properly exposed if your camera's internal light meter calculates a scene's reflected light and adjusts the settings--aperture and shutter speed--to capture an average light level of 18 percent (middle gray).

This works fine unless you are faced with a scene that has deep shadows or intensely bright spots, or where white is the prevailing color. Then the camera's automatic settings will likely result in a poor exposure. You'll lose details in the shadows or have your white appear gray in the final photo.

Instructions

1

Set your digital camera to automatic exposure mode. This is the setting where the camera determines the aperture and shutter speed based on the lighting conditions.

2

Frame your shot and take your first photograph. In automatic mode, the digital camera will calculate middle gray for you and use that to determine the exposure settings to properly capture that amount of light.

3

Note the aperture and shutter speed the camera used to capture the shot.

4

Turn on your digital camera's histogram feature.

5

Review the histogram for the shot. Most of the graph should follow a bell-like curve in the middle of the graph. Depending on the image, you may also see some small peaks at either end of the graph. A peak that goes up the left edge of the graph indicates that you've lost details in the shadows of the image. A peak on the right end suggests you have some washed out areas in the bright parts of the image.

Enhance your photography skill,The Top Secret Photography Techniques

. If either is the case, you need to manually adjust your camera's settings to compensate for its middle gray calculations if you want to get a better image.
6

Turn your digital camera to program mode, where you can control the exposure settings. Set the aperture to the same setting the camera used in automatic mode.

7

Set the shutter speed a step faster if your original image was overexposed, or a step slower if the image was underexposed. Take the photo.

8

Review the histogram for the new photo. If the exposure still isn't correct, adjust the shutter speed another step and try again.

---

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