Speaking about photography exposure problems, the photo object is not the only element that contributes the improper of the exposure results. Photography background must be taken into account too, because photo background contributes significant deceiver for the camera in reading the exposure. Even though the object is classified as mid-tone, an abnormal dark or a bright photo background can cause the camera to read the exposure mistakenly or incorrectly. The level of the error depends on how large the frame area used as the photo background.

It’s not quite easy to determine how accurate the camera explores the object. It depends on the metering mode you select in the camera. For example if you use spot metering that use only small area on the center of the frame, while your object is not on the center of the frame, it will not be accurate the way the camera read the exposure especially if the photo background is bright or dark. Photography background takes important role in contributing the in-proper exposure by the camera.

White background - no compensation, the result is -2EV

Look at the above photo, the dolls are on the white photo background and position at the right side of the frame occupying about 30% of the bright photo background area. The camera was set to default ‘no compensation’ using spot metering mode. The result is under exposure (UE) photograph. Compare to the other one below but the camera was compensated to +2EV, using the same spot metering, and the exposure result is perfect exposure as real tone as the original object. With the predominant area of white or bright photography background, you should compensate the camera exposure from +1EV up to +2EV to get the normal or perfect exposure.

White background, +2EV compensation - the result is perfect exposure

Zooming with Dark Background

Second experiments to prove how the camera read the exposure incorrectly regarding the photography background, we use the dark area as the photo background. We made two experiments using a white ceramic cup, spoon and the Lens on the dark / black photo background. A lens and a cup, it’s an odd combination example right? Both experiments using default camera exposure (no compensation).

Both bright tone and the dark background creates balance tone, no compensation needed. the result is good

The camera is zoomed-in for close-up in the above odd combination objects, so the objects occupied nearly the whole frame, leaving small area of the dark photo background. The result is normal and correct exposure. You can see that the portion of the dark and the white area is balance. Thus you can use the default camera exposure setting – no compensation.

Now the dark photography background takes a larger area of the frame, the result is -1.3EV

The next experiment is taken differently. The camera zoomed-out for the same objects combination in such a way to allow the objects occupied only small portion of the photo background area. Now the dark photography background takes a larger area of the frame. You know how the result is, the larger area of the dark photo background deceives the way the camera reads the exposure and the result is overexposure up to +1.3EV. Therefore, with the larger area of the dark photography background, you should compensate the camera setting to -1.3 EV for this experiment to get a proper exposure.

Zooming with Bright Background

The third experiments to prove how the bright or white photography background deceives the way the camera reading the exposure, we use white / bright photo background with zoom-in and zoom-out experiments.

Firstly the camera zoomed-in for the same object combination where the objects occupied nearly the whole frame area and leaving a small area of the white photo background. The camera was set to default – no compensation, what happened? The result is perfect, good exposure as shown in the photo below. The tone is balance between the dark and the bright area.

the objects occupied nearly the whole frame area and leaving a small area of the white photo background, the result is perfect

Secondly the camera was zoomed-out where the objects occupied only small area of the bright photo background while leaving larger area of the photography background. You know what happened, the result can be predicted – under exposure photograph nearly -2EV as shown below. Large area of the bright photography background deceives the way the camera reading the exposure up to -2EV.

the objects occupied only small area of the bright photo background, the result is -2EV

How to fix it? To trick the bright photography background, you should compensate the camera exposure up to +2EV. Unlike mostly people think when they capture the objects with bright background which tend to compensate the camera exposure under mid-tone compensation; the correct exposure setting should be taken contrarily.

The experiment was done with the same composition as above photo, but the camera was set to +2EV compensation. And the result is perfect, as close as the original tone of the objects as shown in the photograph below.

The camera was compensated up to +2EV, the result is perfect

So how much contribution the photography background to the camera exposure depends on how large the area used and how bright or how dark the photo background is. The result of the photograph exposure can be quite different significantly.

Suggested readings:

• SLR Camera lenses, types and usage
• Lighting photography techniques
• Terminologies you need to be familiar about digital SLR lenses