Metering in natural light?

[PolaroidSky]

How do you all meter for exposure in natural light?... I usually spot meter in manual mode, in camera upon a highlight... what's your technique?




50mm f1.8

[chris-p]

Nice shot - lots of atmosphere. I would meter exactly as you've described!

[PolaroidSky]

Do you choose a grey point Chris?... or meter for the most over exposed point (That's what I did in this shot... and most if I am honest...)

Thanks for the comment : )

[chris-p]

I tend to be shooting landscapes (and, if metering manually, they tend to be tricky ones at that) so I try to meter for a mid point usually. TBH one of my favourite things about digital (I had a 35mm Pentax MZ-50 and learned more using digital for a week than I did using film for six months) is I can try it, check the histogram and the review image, and re-shoot if I need to.

For example in this one...



I metered off the red bits of the clouds. And in the one below I metered off the clouds that are just to the left of the tree in the middle as they represent the closest to a mid-brightness that I could find.

[PolaroidSky]

Thanks Chris... really interesting... and good advice.

What about... *BRIGHT* sunlight... I, for example shooting a face, I find metering the mid point alone, results in over exposed highlights... so in that situation I've been metering the brightest area of the face (The cheek in my above shot)...

Totally agree with you about digital... after 6 months with my old D50... I was using a Polaroid se600 press full manual with a hand held lightmeter with all the shooting in full manual and checking the histograms had taught me... and its a lot cheaper in digital than in film... though I still love to use my film cameras too = )

[chris-p]

Yeah, digital let me play around and see the effects of aperture and shutter speed without having to pay to get my film processed (and who wants 36 exposures of running water at various shutter speeds, which you've had to write down elsewhere, just to see what happens!).

For portraits like that I think I'd meter off the brightest point. The last thing you want to do is clip highlights. If you do then it's usually shot ruined. It's especially important with portraits like the one you've posted above. Face on mono shots are all about texture and so highlights are life or death!

[ABERS]

You can always try metering off the back of your hand in bright sunlight, easy and available.
One comment about the image you've posted. The catchlight in his left eye, your right, makes him look a tad boskey, it needs to be moved ever so slightly to the right.

[PolaroidSky]

Thanks for the hand tip Abers. RE the catchlight... that's how his eyes are : )