Today is National Kissing Day which encourages us to pucker up for a smooch. Whether the kiss comes from your significant other, your children or pets, share the love! The only photographs I have of people kissing would not be publishable on this blog. Maybe I will create a special Bonus Password Protected post with this topic for my Patreon subscribers….
Today’s Post by Joe Farace
This post follows up on my #wheelswednesday post: Light is Light in Car Photography by looking at how most modern DSLRs offer multiple methods for metering how light is reflected in a scene. The most common systems you will encounter include:
Multi-segment: This system, sometimes called “matrix” or multi-zone metering divides the screen into multiple (the actual number varies by camera model and manufacturer) segments. The camera’s CPU automatically determines the overall lighting level, including front and back lighting, and sometimes the color that’s found in each portion and compares it to a database of similar scenes to determine the final exposure. Some meter systems also integrate the data for the focusing point used, subject size, and distance. For many cameras this is the default settings and it works fine for the average photograph and it’s why I use it most of the time
Caption: Sixty years ago, a group of investors led by Johnny Weissmuller created a hotel called Los Flamingos that was located on Acapulco’s high cliffs. Parts of that hotel, such as this lanai capture those feelings today and if the porch isn’t 18% gray it’s close enough for a substitute light meter reading of 1/80 sec at f/4.9 at ISO 200.
Center-weighted: In this mode, the camera’s metering measurement is heavily weighted (75-80%) toward the center of the camera’s focusing screen and was an improvement over early built-in light meters that took and average of all the light values displayed in the viewfinder and were often influenced by extremely dark or light areas around the edges and corners of the photograph. You should use Center-weighted metering when the main subject covers a large portion of your photo. This mode does not compensate for backlit scenes, but the next one does.
Spot metering: When spot metering, brightness is measured only within a limited area (often one to three percent) within a circle that ‘s usually shown the center of the focusing screen. You can use this type of metering for backlit scenes by placing the sport on the subject and not the background. Photographing a performer or speaker on stage that’s illuminated by a spotlight is a good example. The secret of using spot metering is to place the spot where you want it to be properly exposed correctly but always remember the metering system’s limitations.
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Along with photographer Barry Staver, Joe is co-author of Better Available Light Digital Photography with new copies and used copies that are available from Amazon.