The "Secret" Setting for Perfect Exposure
- Barry Mountford
- Apr 20
- 3 min read
For the longest time, I’ve been a "full manual or nothing" kind of photographer. I loved having total control over every single variable—aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. But let’s be honest: when you’re out on the streets, things move fast. How many times have you fumbled with your dials and missed a perfect moment because the light shifted just as the subject walked into frame?
I’ve recently made a shift in how I shoot, and it has been a total game-changer for my street photography. If you want to stop worrying about your settings and start focusing on the art, this is the "secret" setup you need to try.
The Problem with Full Manual in the Field
When you control everything manually, you’re the computer. You have to balance the exposure triangle constantly. If you move from a bright sunny sidewalk into a shaded alleyway, you’re clicking dials before you can even think about composition.
I realized that by being such a purist, I was actually hindering my creativity. That’s when I started letting the camera help me out—just a little bit.
The Setup: Auto ISO + Manual Control
The foundation of this technique is Auto ISO.
Modern cameras (like my Nikon Z8 or Zf) are incredible at handling high ISO. With the noise reduction tools we have in Lightroom and Photoshop today, "grain" is no longer the bogeyman it used to be.
Here’s how I set it up for street photography:
Shutter Speed: I usually lock this at around 1/500th of a second to freeze movement.
Aperture: I’ll set this to something like f/8 to ensure I have a decent depth of field.
ISO: Set to Auto.
Now, the camera balances the exposure triangle for me. If the light drops, the ISO steps up. If it gets bright, the ISO drops down.
The "Secret" Ingredient: Exposure Compensation
You might be thinking, "But Barry, if the camera is picking the ISO, it’s just going to give me a 'standard' exposure. What if I want it moody and dark?"
That’s where the magic happens. By using the Exposure Compensation dial while in Auto ISO, you regain full creative control.
Even though the camera is automatically picking an ISO value, you can use that dial to tell it: "I know you think this is 'correct,' but I want it -1 stop darker." And by adusting the Exposure compensation the camera will immediately adjust the exposure on the fly to meet your creative vision.
It’s the best of both worlds: you define the "look" (shutter speed and aperture), the camera handles the heavy lifting (ISO), and you fine-tune the final result (Exposure Compensation).
Why This Changes Everything
Since I started shooting this way, I haven’t looked back. It allows me to "set it and forget it." I can walk through changing light conditions and know that my shutter speed is fast enough and my focus is deep enough, all while having the power to make the image lighter or darker with one quick flick of a thumb.
Technology is there to help us. Relinquishing just that one setting—ISO—to the camera has actually made me a more present and effective photographer.
Give it a Try
If you’ve been a manual purist, I challenge you to go out this weekend, turn on Auto ISO, and lean on your Exposure Compensation dial. It might just change the way you shoot forever.
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