Reading Understanding Exposoure and I have a question!

[dhaval]

Also, this is not the easiest shot you can take because of the subject being soo much brighter than the background.

 

[sarasphotos]

k. Well I have the options of center, spot, or matrix metering...I guess it is different for each situation. Center is the center of the image, spot is like for macro and matrix meters off the whole scene...if I understood what I read correctly lol please tell me if i'm wrong.

So, for center it would be for close up portrait, spot it would be for macro closeup like insect or flower and matrix for landscape? please tell me if my logic about this is wrong..haha

 

[dhaval]

I'm usually on center-weighted most of the time. This mode basically exposes "correctly" to the scene at the center of your viewfinder but also takes into account some area around it. I switch to spot when I want to expose correctly to just a small spot somewhere in the scene.

Matrix takes the whole scene in and uses some algorithms to figure out the correct exposure. It works perfectly most of the time. However, I just don't like the fact that I don't know what's happening there.

 

[eccs19]

Something to keep in the back of your head also, some lenses don't meter correctly on some cameras. I'm sure this is not your case, as your probably using the kit lens, but with my Pentax, I use all older screw mount lenses, and I've got my exposure compensation set to +1.3 all the time to get them metered correctly.

 

[sarasphotos]

Thanks so much for the info! This is all finally starting to make sence! I agree with using center-weighted. I too like to know whats going on and I think to be the one in charge not the camera

 

[KmH]

Spot only merters 2% or so of the scene. You have to be very mindful what part of the scene you meter, but spot mode is the most accurate way to meter.

Center-weighted looks the entire scene but weights the meter reading by 70% to a large portion of the middle of the scene and 30% weight to the remainder of the scene.

3-D matrix averages the entire scene, so if you have 1/2 a dark background and 1/2 a bright white shirt and a red heads fair skin, the bright will be somewhat underexposed and the dark will be somewhat overexposed as the camera averages the exposure.

Additionally, Nikon cameras have a 30,000 image lookup table that tries to compare the content of the scene you are shooting, to one of those 30,000 samples.

I recommend you further explore how camera light meters work.

In the photo you post processed, he now has 'racoon eyes'. The shot really needed fill flash since so close to mid-day is a bad time for photographic lighting.

In the first photo his eyes are correctly exposed, but because they are actually in shadow, the rest of the photo is over exposed.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRIvxSIQZLs[/ame]

 

[sarasphotos]

My question now is this.....when taking portraits where is it best to meter off of? How do you judge that? The sky, a tree, the background, their face?

Thanks for the video by the way!

 

[Josh66]

Green grass works pretty good. A gray card is hard to beat too.

 

[sarasphotos]

can I ask a dumb newbie question? lol what is a gray card??

 

[eccs19]

Gray card - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hope this helps.

 

[Josh66]

It's exactly what it sounds like.

It's just a card that is 18% gray.

You can get one as cheap as $5:
Delta Gray Card 8x10" (1) 22030 - B&H Photo Video
(They even have some that are cheaper than that...)

Or you can spend a little more:
Lastolite EZYBalance Grey/White Card - 20" LL LR2050 - B&H
WhiBal G6 Pocket White Balance Gray Card (6 x 3.5") WB6SK -


More here:
Light/White Balancing Accessories


You can use it for metering and WB.

 

[KmH]

My question now is this.....when taking portraits where is it best to meter off of? How do you judge that? The sky, a tree, the background, their face?

Thanks for the video by the way!

It depends, but basically you want to meter your subject.

If you are making a portrait, you meter the person face using spot mode. If your shooting a landscape, the entire scene is the subject and you use matrix mode.

 

[sarasphotos]

I absolutley love this forum! You guys are so helpful! Thank you soooo much!

 

[sarasphotos]

so the grey card thing..I really want one but how exactly do you use it? I looked on youtube but nothing really helpful. Do you place the green card somewhere near the person or group you are taking a pic of and meter and then move it and then take the pic??