DIY Photography has a new series, Back to Basics, underway. The first post in the series is on exposure. If you’re not familiar with the fundamentals of exposure, you should check it out.

Additionally, consider picking up a copy of Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson. Bryan Peterson is an excellent teacher. He’s great at breaking down intimidating concepts for the novice and explaining them on your level. The book breaks up exposure into the three fundamental elements that go into properly exposing a photo: aperture; shutter speed; and ISO (or, film speed). This is the book to buy for those who have only ever used a point and shoot camera or who always shoot their SLR on full auto mode (the little green rectangle setting). Simply reading this book will make you a better photographer overnight if you fall into these categories.

If you’ve got a basic handle on these concepts but not sure you really grasp the significance of one or all of them then you should consider adding this book to your library as well. Aside from the technical basics, Bryan teaches you how to look at a scene and capture a creative photo in addition to a properly exposed one.

Before you buy another camera, lens, flash, or any other gear, buy this book if you’re wondering what you should spend you cash on. It’ll be the best $15 you ever spend on your photography gear.

[tags]photography, basics, exposure, learn, how-to, diy, bryan peterson, understanding[/tags]