Beginner questions

[MTVision]

In Undestanding Exposure, I believe what Bryan Peterson means is to point at the sky with the camera in manual mode and take a meter reading off of the sky. By pressing 1/2 way on the shutter release button you'll be able to get a meter reading by looking at the camera settings and where the needle is pointing. You do not need to be in focus to get a proper meter reading. By recomposing, it is my understanding that you would then turn the camera back to the subject you wish to photograph and while still in manual mode, adjust your settings to the same readings that you found when you metered off of the sky. You would not move the camera while holding down the shutter release button. You would instead check the meter reading off of the sky, memorize it, remove your finger from the shutter button and point back at your subject. Then make sure that in manual mode you adjust the settings to the reading you just memorized and then you'd take the photo.

Somebody please correct me if I'm wrong.

Adjust the settings while pointing camera at the sky. There is no point in memorizing the settings - just more work. With the shutter press halfway and pointing at sky adjust the aperture, shutter speed, iso until you reach a correct exposure. Release shutter. Then move camera, focus On subject and take the picture.

Metering of the sky is similar to recomposing I guess. Recomposing is when, for example, taking a picture of a person. Focus on persons eye with center focus point. Lock focus then adjust the camera so the person is in a different part of the frame - to the far left/right.

 

[Desi]

Thanks again for the helpful responses. You guys have helped out so much already. I read about those ND filters in UE, and will definately look into them.

I'm still having trouble getting my head around recomposing and metering. Can someone explain the difference?

For example, if I was metering off of, for some reason say the green grass beside a persons face. Would I focus and meter off the grass, and while keeping the shutter button pressed, move the camera towards the subject and shoot the subject (ie someone's face)? Then wouldn't their face be defocused?

Also, I thought that recomposing means moving your camera around, so for instance if I was recomposing a landscape scene I would move the camera so that the mountain was on the far left instead of the far right. Or does recomposing mean moving the images within your camera (ie changing a person's position) while keeping your camera still? And when recomposing is it usual to keep the focus locked?

I'm a NOOB too. And I've been studying that book for the last few months. Here's my take on your question:

Taking a meter reading on the sky and then recomposing: for a landscape with fairly even lighting, point the camera to the sky while in Manual Mode to get a meter reading. Set your aperture and shutter speed to reflect a correct exposure for that meter reading, then point your camera at your subject and compose your image (ararange your subject in the frame as you want to see it). Your foreground may be underexposed but your sky will turn out pretty good. you can fiddle with the exposure to get the foreground right later. Caution: on my camera, Nikon D90, the ISO changes, even on Manual mode. So you need to take it off of Auto ISO, else your exposure will actually change, despite "setting it on manual".

An alternative: on all other modes, Point at the sky, half-press the button to get a meter reading, then press (and hold) the exposure lock button to lock the exposure settings, recompose and shoot.

Hope this helps,

Javier

 

[jwbryson1]

In Undestanding Exposure, I believe what Bryan Peterson means is to point at the sky with the camera in manual mode and take a meter reading off of the sky. By pressing 1/2 way on the shutter release button you'll be able to get a meter reading by looking at the camera settings and where the needle is pointing. You do not need to be in focus to get a proper meter reading. By recomposing, it is my understanding that you would then turn the camera back to the subject you wish to photograph and while still in manual mode, adjust your settings to the same readings that you found when you metered off of the sky. You would not move the camera while holding down the shutter release button. You would instead check the meter reading off of the sky, memorize it, remove your finger from the shutter button and point back at your subject. Then make sure that in manual mode you adjust the settings to the reading you just memorized and then you'd take the photo.

Somebody please correct me if I'm wrong.

Adjust the settings while pointing camera at the sky. There is no point in memorizing the settings - just more work. With the shutter press halfway and pointing at sky adjust the aperture, shutter speed, iso until you reach a correct exposure. Release shutter. Then move camera, focus On subject and take the picture.

Metering of the sky is similar to recomposing I guess. Recomposing is when, for example, taking a picture of a person. Focus on persons eye with center focus point. Lock focus then adjust the camera so the person is in a different part of the frame - to the far left/right.

MTVision, I shoot with a D90 and I may be wrong, but if I do what you suggest above, when I release the SR button and then move back to my subject and take a shot, isn't the camera going to re-meter the subject again at that point and NOT retain the aperture, speed and ISO I just metered off of the sky? It was my understanding that I should meter off the sky, check what the settings should be based on the sky, then move BACK to my subject and adjust the settings in manual mode to the same settings from my sky meter, irrespective of what the camera is telling me at that point. Then take the photo based on those readings.

Is that wrong? I may shoot Bryan an email on Facebook and see if he'll respond. He's responded to several of my posts before.

 

[MTVision]

MTVision, I shoot with a D90 and I may be wrong, but if I do what you suggest above, when I release the SR button and then move back to my subject and take a shot, isn't the camera going to re-meter the subject again at that point and NOT retain the aperture, speed and ISO I just metered off of the sky? It was my understanding that I should meter off the sky, check what the settings should be based on the sky, then move BACK to my subject and adjust the settings in manual mode to the same settings from my sky meter, irrespective of what the camera is telling me at that point. Then take the photo based on those readings.

Is that wrong? I may shoot Bryan an email on Facebook and see if he'll respond. He's responded to several of my posts before.

That doesn't really make any sense. If you are on manual and you adjust your exposure then point your camera somewheres else it will say that you don't have a correct exposure anymore because you aren't pointing at the sky anymore. The only way it won't retain your settings is if you aren't on manual. You have to be on manual to meter off something else (or it works bet in manual). When you are in manual you set your iso, aperture and shutter speed to what you want your exposure to be - it won't change just because you point the camera at something new. It may tell you that you do not have a perfect exposure - but that's OK because you want the sky to be perfectly exposed. You should probably use spot metering when doing this.

When you meter off something your camera is reading that area and telling you what should be the correct exposure - you adjust the exposure by changing exposure, aperture and ISO (if needed). The camera doesn't automatically meter and adjust settings if you are in manual.

I've done this before with my Nikon and it has worked. Did you understand what I wrote? I wrote it real quick on my phone so if is a jumbled mess I apologize. Take your camera out and meter off something like I explained and see if it works. Try it in manual.

 

[MTVision]

I'm a NOOB too. And I've been studying that book for the last few months. Here's my take on your question:

Taking a meter reading on the sky and then recomposing: for a landscape with fairly even lighting, point the camera to the sky while in Manual Mode to get a meter reading. Set your aperture and shutter speed to reflect a correct exposure for that meter reading, then point your camera at your subject and compose your image (ararange your subject in the frame as you want to see it). Your foreground may be underexposed but your sky will turn out pretty good. you can fiddle with the exposure to get the foreground right later. Caution: on my camera, Nikon D90, the ISO changes, even on Manual mode. So you need to take it off of Auto ISO, else your exposure will actually change, despite "setting it on manual".

An alternative: on all other modes, Point at the sky, half-press the button to get a meter reading, then press (and hold) the exposure lock button to lock the exposure settings, recompose and shoot.

Hope this helps,

Javier

You should definitely keep auto ISo turned off! You're camera isn't perfect and it may turn your ISO up really high on images that don't need it!