What the BEC?

Recently, I've returned back to school to brush up on some the digital photography techniques I may have missed and get up to date on the newest and latest in the field. To my surprise, I learned the most basic and oldest rules of metering. Somehow missed a long time ago.

Basic Exposure Constant, otherwise known as BEC, is a set of rules for metering that has been around since the earlier days of photography when cameras didn't have built in light meters and photographers didn't have hand held ones for that matter. The BEC is a system that determines the correct exposure of the image with out using a light meter.

So how does it work? .

Let's start out with the F16 rule:

"On a sunny, bright day defined by sharp distinct shadows, the exposure will be F/16 @ the reciprocal of the ISO."

Next here is the Aperture chart:

F/22 Super sunny bright/reflective light-medium shadows, hard edges
F/16 Sunny bright,-dark shadows, hard edges
F/11 Partially cloudy-medium shadows, soft edges
F/8 Overcast bright light-no shadows
F/5.6 Overcast dull/blue sky-no shadows
F/4 Dark/no sky-no shadows
F/2.8 One hour before sunset-no shadows

So what does all this mean?

This is how I've come to understand it. It means your Aperture/ f-stop will be determined by the lighting conditions in which you are shooting (Aperture chart). The ISO speed will also be determined by the lighting conditions, thus giving you a shutter speed of 1/ISO.

Example: When taking a photo of people on the ski slopes on a bright sunny day the settings will be: F/22-ISO 100-Shutter speed 1/100.

If your light meter stops working you now know how to properly expose an image using BEC. Thought I'd pass along this little nugget of wisdom. Keep on learning!

Overcoming the challenges of indoor sports photography

Indoor sports action photography requires practice and skill. It is challenging but not impossible. As a photographer you have a number of difficult conditions you work under such as low light, fast action and distance shooting.

It has taken me a long time to change my ratio of "crap" shots to "killer” shots. I want to share some of the things I have learned along the way. The most important step is to familiarize yourself with your equipment and its functions. Taking the time to learn about your equipment can save costly preventable mistakes in the long run. Read the manual if needed. Spend as long as you need to feel comfortable operating the equipment. Fumbling around during an actual shoot will result in missing good shots and cause frustration.

Next, you need to experiment with the conditions of your shooting location. Adjust your speed and aperture settings according to each environment. Use a mono pod or tripod. Mono pods are easier to work with and take up less room. I suggest that you do some practice shot tests. By doing this, it will help eliminate the number of "crap" shots when the action starts and you need to shoot for real.

When shooting an indoor sporting event, make sure to scope out the area to find the best vantage spot to shoot from and also look for an alternative back up area free of ongoing people traffic and other obstacles if possible. Sometimes you will have to be bold and determined and get into people’s way in order to get the shot you want. Being too polite is not an advantage in this game. You can always apologize after you get your shot. I have found that being a person of short stature (5ft 4in.) has its benefits when having to weave my way through a crowd and squeeze into tight spots to get those amazing shots.

It also helps tremendously to have an understanding of the sport you are shooting. Know what the sport's objectives are such as: how do you know who/when/how someone has won and what are the key elements of a "win". Then you can know what type of shots you are looking for. I also advise rapid shooting. Why not? Having too many shots never hurts and it is better than not enough! Most of all become a part of the sporting event. The more you are into what you shooting, it shows. Remember: learn about your equipment, the sport you are covering and don't be shy-most people love to have their picture taken! They will thank you later!