Slow Connection or JavaScript Disabled? Go to the Site Maps.
When you press the shutter release halfway down, the light meter turns on.
The light meter measures the light.
It takes a light reading.
You see this as a display of the shutter speed and lens opening.
There are several situations in which light meters are confused.
To get the best exposure setting in these situations, your camera may measure the light in many parts of the scene.
Then, all of these light readings are compared with exposure situations stored in the camera's computer.
This is called matrix metering (Nikon) or evaluative metering (Canon).
If there's a match between the scene before your camera, and a scene stored in your camera, the camera will know how to set the lens opening and shutter speed.
Unfortunately, the automation doesn't always work well.
Photographers still need to know what to do in the tricky exposure situations described below.
The first two tricky exposure situations involve contrasty light.
Sunny days are best for photographers—but create dark shadows in photographs.
Remember, what you see is not what you get in photography.
Any shadows that are in a scene will be much darker on a photograph.
Backlight is light that's coming from behind the subject.
Backlight makes the subject stand out from the background.
This is due to edge lighting and the tonal difference between the darker subject and the brighter background.
Even today, camera light meters tend to measure the light in the bright area.
The subject will often be a silhouette in the photograph.
There are two solutions.
If the subject is within about fifteen feet of the camera, use flash to fill the shadow.
On a digital SLR, change the exposure mode to P, A or Av, or to S or Tv.
Then, press the button that makes the flash pop up.
With a point-and-shoot camera, change the flash icon to the lightning bolt.
The lightning bolt icon should be all by itself—no line through it—and no letter A next it.
Measure the light off of the subject, rather than the background.
Use autoexposure lock (AEL button on Nikons, asterisk button on Canons) to lock in the exposure.
1) Fill the frame with the subject.
2) Press the shutter release halfway-done to turn on the light meter.
3) Press and hold the autoexposure lock button.
4) Move back, and take the photograph, while still holding down the autoexposure lock button.
You may have to use manual focus if your camera locks in the focus of the subject when you're close to him or her.
With backlighting, the light source is in front of the camera.
Therefore, , some of the light may enter the lens creating flare.
Flare appears as haze, and as white or lightly colored circles and polygonal shapes.
Use a lens hood, or shade the lens with your hand.
Flare can be useful for adding mood to some photographs.
Go to Flare.
The shadows created by sidelighting show texture and volume.
But, the shadows may be too dark on the photograph.
Hats block the sun, making the subject's eyes too dark
There are two solutions.
If the subject is within about fifteen feet of the camera, use flash to fill the shadows.
On a digital SLR, change the exposure mode to P, A or Av, or to S or Tv.
Then, press the button that makes the flash pop up.
With a point-and-shoot camera, change the flash icon to the lightning bolt.
The lightning bolt icon should be all by itself—no line through it—no letter A next it.
Go to Fill Flash.
If you can, move the subject into the shade, or near an existing reflector.
If the sidelighting isn't adding anything to the photograph, consider moving the subject into the shade.
The light in the shade is cyan (blue/green), though.
So, change the white balance to the cloudy icon (good) or the shade icon (better).
Photographers who have an assistant, either paid or a partner or friend, often use reflectors to brighten shadows.
Most of us can't make use of these devices.
But we can look around a scene for light that's reflecting off of a wall.
For example, light bouncing off of a white clapboard house or a red brick wall may be great light for a portrait.
The third trick exposure situation is not encountered as often as the above two problems.
Snow, and other white or almost white surfaces, in the sun, confuse light meters.
Black subjects, in the sun, also confuse light meters.
Light meters think everything is medium colored or gray.
So, when you photograph something that's not, the exposure will be as if the subject was medium colored or gray.
Snow, in the sun, will look gray instead of sparkling.
Measure the light off of something that's also in the sun, but is more medium colored or gray.
For example, grass or worn pavement are medium colored.
Use autoexposure lock (AEL button on Nikons, asterisk button on Canons) to lock in the exposure.
1) Fill the frame with the medium colored subject.
2) Press the shutter release halfway-done to turn on the light meter.
3) Press and hold the autoexposure lock button.
4) Move back, and take the photograph, while still holding down the autoexposure lock button.
You may have to use manual focus if your camera locks in the focus of the medium colored subject.
Go to Light Meters Are Stupid.
If you're unsure of an exposure, take several photographs at different settings.
For example, sunsets can be good at more than one exposure.
You can't do this with S or Tv, or with A or Av.
Use the exposure compensation feature to take different exposures.
Look for the +/- icon.
Usually, you press and hold the button, and use a knurled knob or rocker switch to change the exposure.
0.0 is normal.
Be sure to put the exposure compensation back to 0.0.
A +/- icon will appear on the LCD screen to remind you to do so.
Many cameras have automatic bracketing, as well.
Go to Bracketing.
Go to Exposure Compensation.
You can make colors more saturated (vivid) by underexposing the scene by one stop, or thereabouts.
Set the exposure compensation to -1.0.
BBe sure to put the exposure compensation back to 0.0.
A +/- icon will appear on the LCD screen to remind you to do so.
Many photographers "turn off" matrix metering (Nikon) or evaluative metering (Canon).
As described, when using the above, your camera's light meter measures many areas in the scene.
You may want to change what the light meter "sees" to center-weighted metering.
When you use center-weighted metering, the light meter sees the light in the central area of the frame.
You know what is being measured.
Spot metering measures a very small area in the center of the frame.