Certified Professional Photographer (CPP) Practice Exam

When discussing equivalent exposures, which parameter is key in determining a photograph's outcome?

1. Time of day

2. Measurement of light

3. Focus settings

4. Location of the shot

The correct answer is: Measurement of light

The key parameter in determining a photograph's outcome regarding equivalent exposures is the measurement of light. Equivalent exposures refer to the concept that different combinations of aperture (f-stop), shutter speed, and ISO can achieve the same exposure level in a photograph. This means that if you know the lighting conditions and can accurately measure the light available in a scene, you can adjust these three settings accordingly to capture the same exposure results. By understanding and measuring the available light, a photographer can choose different settings to achieve the desired image quality, whether that means using a wider aperture for a shallow depth of field or a longer exposure time to capture motion. Measurement of light guides these critical adjustments, ensuring that the photographer can achieve the intended outcome regardless of the specific combination of settings used. Other options, such as time of day, focus settings, and location of the shot, are important in photography but do not directly influence the mathematical relationship between exposure settings in the same way that light measurement does.