Jump to Department: In-photographic camera metering | Spot metering | Incident metering | Sunny 16 rule
Blackness & White Flick
B&W typically has a broad range of exposure latitude, which means it does very well with overexposure. When shooting with B&W film, practise not meter for the highlights–meter for either the mid-tones or even the shadows, depending on the light yous're shooting in. Beneath shows the wide range of exposure breadth that B&W moving-picture show has. From the first to last image there is a 6 stop divergence, the left was metered for the darkest shadows and the last was metered for the brightest highlight. We prefer the 60th at f/ii.4 just it all comes down to preference really. If y'all want nifty shadow detail, meter for the shadows but say you want a silhouette and then you would meter for the highlights.
15th at f/ii.iv
60th at f/two.4
250th at f/2.four
1000th at f/ii.4
30th at f/ii.4
125th at f/two.iv
500th at f/2.4
Color Negative Film
Like B&W film, color negative moving-picture show typically has very high exposure latitude, meaning it does well with overexposure. As you can see in the samples below, the first photo was metered for the shadows which was the darkest part, therefore, it's the brightest image and because of the amazing latitude of Kodak Ultramax 400 the highlights didn't completely blow out. The concluding three photos are all underexposed. This tin can happen when in-camera meters meter for the highlights– to avoid this, indicate your camera at the darker part of the epitome/your subject, and apply that meter reading.
30th at f/2.8
125th at f/2.eight
500th at f/2.8
2000th at f/two..8
60th at f/2.8
250th at f/2.8
1000th at f/2.viii
Slide Pic
Slide film is much more touchy when it comes to overexposure and, while you definitely do not want to underexpose it, you likewise do not want to overexpose too much since information technology has less exposure latitude than negative flick. Information technology's best to meter for the mid-tones and if you lot're taking portraits, meter for the skin tones. It besides helps to shoot in even calorie-free and avert spotty/contrasty light. In the samples beneath you can see that overexposure will blow out the highlights but underexposure results in a loss of shadow detail. The third photo is the best balance and was metered for the skin tones with an incident meter.
8th at f/2.8
30th at f/ii.8
125th at f/2.8
15th at f/2.8
60th at f/2.eight
250th at f/2.8.
Metering Techniques
In-Camera Metering
Metering in camera is the nearly mutual mode to meter. Most picture cameras have built-in meters which are usually very easy to use and very accurate if used correctly. Although in-camera meters are very common, not all in-camera meters are the same. Some are more circuitous and have more avant-garde metering modes. For example, newer film cameras like Nikon and Canon have multiple options: matrix/evaluative, centre-weighted, and spot metering.
Matrix(Nikon) & Evaluative(Catechism) metering divides up the entire frame, considering many factors like calorie-free and dark tones, where you focused, distance, highlights, and shadows. Information technology's very smart, Just it doesn't e'er get it right, especially in dorsum lit scenarios.
Middle-weight metering is a more than precise technique for portraits and subjects that are backlit. It basically evaluates the calorie-free in the middle of the frame and ignores the rest of the frame.
Spot metering evaluates light simply around the focus point and ignores everything else. Therefore, it's the near precise of the three.
Not all moving-picture show cameras have all of these options, but nigh exercise have heart-weighted meters. In-camera center-weighted meters work well in fifty-fifty light but when shooting in more than contrasty light y'all'll demand to pay close attention to what light you're metering for, especially in backlit situations. For case, if you lot're taking portraits of someone who is backlit by bright sky y'all desire to be conscientious not to meter for the sky which would silhouette them, instead, meter for the shadows. To practise this, you'll either need to get closer to the subject area or meter at their feet where it's darker matches light that hit your subject.
To chief your in-camera meter nosotros highly recommend taking notes on how you meter which will assistance you get to know your camera meter better and eventually it will be secondhand nature.
Incident Metering
External handheld incident meters evaluate the low-cal hitting your subject by averaging the shadows and highlights in your scene. If you lot were taking a portrait, you lot would place the meter well-nigh your bailiwick then that the lite that hits your subject hits your incident meter.
Incident meter for highlights, F/two.viii @ 500th. Metering for the highlights will make your shadows darker which less shadow particular.
Incident meter for highlights, F/two.8 @ 500th.
Incident meter for mid-tones, F/2.viii @ 250th. Placing the meter in the eye reads the highlights and shadows and give you lot a average meter reading.
Incident meter for shadows, F/two.8 @ 90th.
Incident meter for shadows, F/2.viii @ 90th. Metering for the shadows will give you better shadow item and if you're shooting with negative pic, which has high exposure latitude, near probable won't blow out.
Incident meter for mid-tones, F/2.viii @ 250th.
Spot Metering by Mat Marrash
One of the nearly useful pieces of equipment in my landscape photography kit is my handheld spot meter. Information technology'due south an incredibly unproblematic device and is i of the few pieces of gear that requires batteries to operate (thank goodness!). A spot meter is a tool for taking a reflected light measurement from a tiny portion of the scene, anywhere from a 1 to 5-caste bending of view. When working with a limiting medium like film, it helps to know precisely where parts of a photographic scene will fall when yous make an exposure. Let's take this photograph for instance.
It was early morning time when I made this photograph and sunlight was just offset to peek out from the copse in the groundwork. I wanted to capture the feeling of the light striking the rocks to the left side of the frame but likewise wanted to showcase all the niggling details underneath the waterfall. My trusty spot meter, a Sekonic 50 778, was able to take reflected readings upwards to 100m abroad while I and the 8×10 camera were prepare to make an exposure. I really fabricated multiple pictures of this scene, one with expired Kodak Ektachrome E100G, and then the one above with Ilford HP5+. Each exposure relied on data from different places in the frame.
Side annotation: When you lot're just starting out with metering, it's handy to take notes as there are a lot of factors at play. The more information you lot have with you lot, the quicker you tin can larn your gear.
Since slide film has a lower dynamic range than B&Westward picture, I had to brand careful measurements of the highlight regions and consider those as an area two-iii stops brighter than where I was making the exposure. For the B&W film, my main area of importance was the shadows. Typically, I'll accept a reading of the shadows that I desire details in and consider those areas i-2 stops darker than where I'chiliad making the exposure. Without getting into a full-diddled lesson on The Zone System, this is my nearly bones use of the spot meter; Gathering information on values and placing them along a calibration from black to white.
How exercise you meter for scenes similar this?
Bright/white/reflective scenes similar this tin oft play tricks a light meter because they will read brighter than what they actually are which can event in an underexposed photograph. That'due south why both of these shots were overexposed past 1 stop while metering in-camera with a Canon Elan vii. The amazing affair is these two photos could've been shot 2 more stops brighter and the highlights withal wouldn't have blown out since Kodak Portra 400 has such great exposure latitude 🙌🏼.
Sunny xvi Rule
If you shoot with a mechanical camera with no light meter, a manual camera with broken meter, or y'all just want to learn how to shoot without using a meter with this is a slap-up technique for you lot. The Sunny 16 rule will help y'all shoot without a meter and it's very accurate when washed right.
Set your aperture based on your weather condition.
Set shutter speed* to match the film iso you're shooting. 100iso = 100th | 200iso = 200th | 400iso = 400th | 800iso = 800th *Circular downward if your camera doesn't have the specific shutter speed. Example – both 100th, shoot at a 60th, no 200th, shoot at 125th.
Go on in listen, the Sunny xvi Dominion is less of a rule and more of a guide. Information technology'due south really a starting point—and the more y'all utilise information technology the ameliorate you'll understand it. When using this technique we recommend shooting only color negative and black & white film, which both have neat exposure latitude. This way, you tin safely err on the side of overexposure without worrying about blowing out your highlights.
Smartphone Light Meter App
Incorrect Metering. Metered for Highlights.
You might exist surprised how accurate virtually of the smartphone low-cal meter apps are. They work well if you don't have an external or in-photographic camera meter or if you lot want a second option to your in-camera meter. Most of the low-cal meter apps are gratuitous and work similarly to most external meters; you only select your film iso, signal your phone at the scene y'all're photographing, and tap on the expanse y'all want to meter for. The app will propose an aperture as well every bit shutter speed, both of which can be adapted. If your subject is far away in a scene with contrasty light it'south best to go close to your subject to get an accurate meter reading so go back and frame your scene using that meter reading.
Some smartphone apps nosotros recommend are; the Lumu Lite meter, Pocket Light meter, and the Lux – Professional person Light Meter, which are all free.
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