 Melinda |
exposure compensation I don't understand something about exposure. I understand that my camera's meter reads to 18% grey, and I have to compensate manually for that in specific situations, and that I should open up one stop when taking pictures of people. I've never done this... I underexpose, and overexpose other things for creative effects, but when I follow the meter's reading for people the prints come out fine, regardless if I use B&W or color film. Also, whenever I do over/underexpose for whatever reason, the pictures look terrible, why does this happen? Oh, I have a Minolta Maxxum 7000, that I always leave in the manual mode, and I always use print film, usually ISO 100, if that helps. Thanks, Melinda
|
|
|
|
||
|
John A. Lind |
Melinda, Actually, most light meters do not read 18% gray, but about 1/3 stop less exposure than 18% gray. Reason? Under "average" conditions, it produces a higher yield rate for what the "average" person desires. Color and B/W negative have a wide enough latitude that this 1/3 stop difference is hard for most to detect unless they're highly experienced with negative "density" and very meticulous about metering and setting exposures for specific highlight and shadow detail in the same photograph. I mention this so that you can consider it if someday you find yourself doing very careful spot metering of highlight and shadow areas for very exacting exposure control. Common situations that call for compensation: The greater the difference in illumination between subject and background, and the larger the area the background covers in the frame, the more likely your metering will be skewed by the background. Until you get a "feel" for how your camera reacts under these situations, bracket exposure with several frames starting with the metering recommendation and adjusting by 1/2 stop increments in the opposite direction of the background. Dark subject with light background . . . do two more with 1/2 stop and a full stop more exposure. Light subject with dark background . . . do two more with 1/2 stop and a full stop less exposure. There are situations with enough difference between subject and background illumination that a "proper" exposure of the subject results in a badly washed out, or a "dark cave" looking background. With a dark subject and bright background, you can add some fill flash to the subject to bring it closer to the background. The opposite, unless you're in a small area such as a studio, where you can add a separate background strobe to fill it, is nearly impossible. Exception: when working with flash in a very large indoor area, "dragging the shutter" by reducing its speed will use more ambient light for the exposure and reduce the darkness of the background a little. Even after all that, when the negative is printed, an automated print machine with an inexperienced (or uncaring) operator can do the same thing when making a print that you worked to avoid when making the negative! When you get a print back that shows these types of problems, always look at the negatives before assigning blame to yourself or the camera's metering! If you can see good detail level of your subject at a good density level in the negative, but not in the print (density is how light or dark something is; darker is higher density), then it's appropriate to have them reprint it. Show the negative to the lab personnel when you do this. -- John
|
|
|
|
||
|
Melinda |
Thanks for your help... so then should I ignore all those zone-type rules,unless I plan on doing my own developing? Also, what about when I use a circular polarizer? I've heard that you shouldn't follow the meter reading when it blocks out the most light because then the colors don't come out saturated... is that true?
|
|
|
|
||
|
This old forum is now archived. Use improved Forum here
Report this Thread |
||