If you've studied photography in any way shape or form, through college and university courses, online programs, or even through YouTube, then you'll no doubt be familiar with the basics of what we know as the fundamental exposure triangle.
Expodo is a new invention that aims to change the way we think of manual settings in photography and the exposure triangle, taking the same simple mechanics of light balance but as a new shape, an exposure donut! (Expodo for short).
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Expodo is a new patent-pending innovation founded by mechanical engineer, Tim Helweg-Larsen from Oxford, UK, and his partner Mariska, that is taking the app store by storm and hoping to unlock an entirely new market of camera buyers with improved confidence in using the once-intimidating manual exposure settings.
The manual camera interface of Expodo works by color-coding each of the key areas in the creation of an image to form a simple exposure ring, as opposed to the triangle diagram that we've all grown to love.
ISO, Aperture, Light source/Luminance, and Shutter Speed are assigned RGBY colors and can be manually adjusted in a slider format on touchscreen devices with auto-compensation for correct exposure.
But that's not all, this interface could be used in digital cameras as either a simple firmware update, a physical dial, or an on-screen visual aid to make the process of learning and understanding manual photography so much easier for beginners, and even professionals who already understand the laws of exposure can benefit from the speedy control over these areas for precision image making.
As explained in the above video, Expodo packs manual controls into a visual interface that anyone can use on an array of devices. The Expodo IOS app is readily available and has plenty of successful reviews under its belt, with an alternative for Android users in the works, but it's really the major camera manufacturers that Expodo is hoping to get the attention of.
Expanding the camera market for those confused by manual cameras and the language of numbers is a great idea, and is proven to be profitable too, with the quantity of people who fork out their savings to spend on the latest and best camera phones increasing each year, without considering purchasing one of the best professional cameras out of a lack of understanding of how they work.
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The above interview from CineD and founder of Expodo, Tim Helweg-Larsen, at CP+ 2023 provides great insight into the potential applications of this new innovation and what needs to happen for it to be a true success.
People often fall back to using auto mode on their DSLRs or even opting for their smartphones instead when a photo opportunity arises, as the deep simplicity of light balancing and exposure is too hidden from view for those who might not necessarily understand the mechanics of a camera.
Photography could actually be taught in this new and much simpler way with a circle (donut) diagram instead of the traditional triangle, and build confidence in newer photographers as well as be an aid for those who learn visually as opposed to processing numbers, I know I certainly would have benefited from this as a student.
What do you think of this innovative way of looking at photography from an outsider's viewpoint? Did you struggle to learn photography? Let us know!
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