Beecher's Handouts / Light Meters Are Stupid /

15.4 - Getting the Correct Exposure

Method #1 - Exposure Compensation

This method uses the exposure compensation feature of your camera.

Light Colored/Toned Subjects

You need to overexpose light colored/toned subjects that are in bright light.

Set the exposure compensation feature on your camera to +1.5.

Take a photograph.

Then set it to +2 and take another one.

Be sure to set the exposure compensation back to 0.0 when you're done.

Dark Colored/Toned Subjects

You need to underexpose dark colored/toned subjects that are in bright light.

Set the exposure compensation feature on your camera to -1.5.

Take a photograph.

Then set it to -2 and take another one.

Be sure to set the exposure compensation back to 0.0 when you're done.

Method #2 - Measure Something More Average

In this method, you look around the scene for something that's averaged colored or toned.

This object must be in the same light as the subject, of course.

1) Find something in the scene that is average colored/toned.

For example, in the snowy valley scene, this tree bark was medium toned:

In the photograph of the gloves, the picnic table was medium toned:

2) Fill the viewfinder with the average colored/toned part of the scene, and set your exposure.

You can lock in this exposure by using the automatic exposure lock (AEL) feature, or set the exposure using manual exposure mode (M).

3) Then, point your camera at the scene you want to photograph, and press the shutter release.

Method #3 - Gray Card

You can use an 18% gray card.

Measure the light by pointing your camera at the card.

The photograph below is of my gray card held in front of the hydrangea.

I measured the light reflecting back from the gray card.

The light reading was 500th at f/8.

Using manual exposure mode (M), I set the camera to 500th and f/8.

You could also lock in the exposure using the autoexposure lock (AEL) feature of your camera.

Summary

	The too dark exposure from the light reflecting back from the flowers: 2000th at f/8
	The exposure for the light reflecting back from the gray card: 500th at f/8
	I set the exposure using manual exposure mode, to 500th at f/8. By using the exposure setting from the gray card, the flowers are now white.
	Experiment! This photograph is one-half stop darker. 750th at f/8 I like it better than the one above.

Method #4 - Incident Meter

Use a separate light meter.

The light meter in your camera is measuring the light reflected from the scene.

This can confuse the light meter, as we have seen above.

A separate light meter can take incident measurements.

An incident light reading is of the light falling on the scene—not the light reflecting back at the camera from the scene.

Therefore, an incident light reading is not confused by how much light gets absorbed and reflected from the scene.

To take a light reading, place the meter in the scene, and point it back at the camera.