Ok I have been learning and talking about exposure and white balance so here is my lastest topic on this exposure theme. The Digital Target.

So most everyone has a histogram preview that can be seen during in camera image playback. So what good is that little histogram chart? Well it tells you how well you have exposed your images Shadows, Midtones and Highlights.

Well how do I get all three balanced? I am glad you asked. Use a Digital Target.

This is my homemade Digital Target. Westcott makes a 24 inch one for $80 bucks! http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=337670&is=REG Thats a little crazy for me. I made this one for 20 cents at Wal-Mart. I can have a 5x7 made for a buck and a 8x10 made for just under 2 dollars and I don't have to worry about breaking them or damaging them in my camera bag. If I do oh well I am only out 2 bucks.

Ok here is how I made it. In your photo editor make a new image, for reference just look at the pixel size of images made by your digi camera. Now what ever width that is divide it by 3. Now use your Rectangular Marquee tool and drag it from the upper left corner which is pixel zero and drag it out to what ever one third of your image width is. Now while that is highlighted take your paint bucket and select black (R=0, G=0, B=0). Ok now the left third of your image is black. You have just made the Shadows section of your Digital target.

Repeat for the middle third but this time change your pain bucket color to gray (R=127, G=127, B=127) and for the far right third change your paint bucket color to white (R=255, G=255=, B=255)

Now you are done. If you print at home just print the size of your choice and go use it.

How do I use it? Ok remember this is mostly for folks that use M (mystery mode). I use Manual alot. If you are a Av or Tv person this is really only going to help you choose some exposure compensation. Just place the card over your intended subject and MOVE YOUR CAMERA till the entire field of view is only that of the Digital Target. Remember this only works if you place it in the exact light as your subject, so you have to place the target directly over your subject so that it gets the exact same light as your subject. Adjust your shutter and DoF untill you have THREE LARGE SPIKES IN YOUR HISTOGRAM. The spike on the left is the black area of the target (shadows), the middle spike is the gray area of your target (midtones) and the right spike is the white area (highlights).

So with that said it is VERY IMPORTANT to make sure you make your target from left to right, black, gray, white.

Ok flaws with this. Depending on your printer's calibration to your monitor or your photo labs color calibration for that run of ink you might not have exactly perfect colors to make your target with. But that is ok what do you want for 20 cents? If you are using this for a person's face outdoors and the light changes from direct sun to shadows or clouds move in after you use the target you have to use it again, or anytime the light changes you have to reuse it. It's not really that useful for complex landscape shots either. This is most useful for in studio work to set up your lights and exposure and then just doing a lot of clickidy click with the shutter without have to recheck your exposure. Just a time saver for controled lighting.

Enjoy and if this has helped anyone leave a comment and let me know. If this has confused you leave a comment and tell me to shut up and stop talking about this stuff.