7 things you need to know about exposure compensation

Getting the right lighting in shots can take some practice, but with the right techniques you can achieve great photos. One way to get the right lighting in shots is by using exposure compensation. Here are 7 things you need to know about exposure compensation.
Some shots may appear too dark or too light, even if they looked fine in your camera's viewfinder. Sometimes, certain conditions can make it harder for your camera to adjust the lighting. Keep these tips in mind when using exposure compensation.
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1. Aperture and shutter speed
Both of these settings help determine what kind of exposure your shot will get. Its good to know how to do this manually, since with enough practice, you can adjust for exposure compensation by playing around with the camera's basic settings. Sometimes, its not enough to keep adjusting the aperture and shutter speed. Below are some other tools to use for exposure compensation.
2. Basic exposure compensation setting
Most DSLRs come with this setting already in the camera. Usually its in the form of dials with numbers and a plus or minus next to those numbers. If you want a brighter picture, move the dial to the plus side. If you prefer a darker picture, move the dial to the minus side.
3. Camera meter
Some of the more expensive DSLRs come with advanced metering systems to help with exposure compensation. This system helps the camera detect if the scene is going to be too dark or too bright, and it will compensate for this. You don't have to bother changing the camera's settings with this feature.
4. Aperture priority
Another alternative is using your camera's aperture priority mode to help with exposure compensation. The aperture and shutter speed are the only parts that need to be changed around for exposure. Keep in mind that the smaller the aperture number is, the wider its opened and letting more light in.
5. Confused meter
A camera's meter won't always know when a shot is too dark or too light. When this happens, its up to the photographer to make the necessary changes to the camera's settings to get the lighting right in the shot. As a beginner this will take some practice but is easy to get once started.
6. Shutter priority
In shutter priority mode, the shutter speed stays the same while the aperture is adjusted for the right exposure. If the scene is too dark, the aperture will be set to a low number to brighten up the shot. If the scene is too bright, the aperture will be set high to darken the shot.
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7. Exposure bracketing
This is a very handy setting on DSLR cameras. Exposure bracketing lets you take several shots in a row at different exposures. Then you can pick the best one based on its exposure.