Exposing in difficult situations

I have seen photos like under trees that are exposed quite well. Shadow isnt too dark, lit areas arent blown out. How would you go about exposing for that situation?

 

By understanding the Zone System for digital photography and taking control of the light rather than letting it control you.

1. Look up The Zone System for Digital Photography... learn and understand it.

2. By using flash (preferably off camera flash), one takes control of the light instead of the light controlling them.

 

With no additional lighting, this is how I would do it-

1 - Like Jerry said, know and understand the zone system.

2 - Meter. Meter the highlights, meter the shadows. Decide your exposure after that.

Depending on how far the highlights are form the shadows, you may have to loose one.

 

But, you really don't have to loose one. That's where knowing how to use strobed light comes in.

 

Ah, the number of times I've had people ask why the heck I have a strobe on my camera in daylight. Even professional-looking photogs running around with their 5D's and L lenses have asked me why. (Cue "are you kidding me?" face.)

 

Some people just can't grasp the concept of fill flash and catchlights.:mrgreen:

 

With no additional lighting, like I said, you often do have to loose one.

 

Or why your setting up 6 flashes on stands in daylight. :lmao:

 

no comments from the natural light guys? . haha don't cream me for this one strobists.

Answering your question on how I would do it...I try to have the minimum amount of discrepancies of light between what I'm framing which minimizes what I can't control - light.

Even shooting underneath a tree in high noon can get tricky. When using natural light I tend to position my subject where it is brightest(but still be in the shade) and meter the subject from there. When suspicious meter whatever is brighter then your subject an if you must change angle and frame it to where your subject is the brightest but the overall picture still remains even as possible as far as the lighting is concern. I use Avg metering in my camera when there is a very high discrepancy of light.

This is how I meter when performing portraits.

 

Yup, Ben. Had a few weird looks at my stands before too. :lmao:

*pulls out his 580's* Set to full power! *blasts camz* Can't do that with the sun! :greenpbl:

 

I'm melting...

 

This is funny to me, I came into this forum unknowing of fill-flash, and as soon as it was introduced I completely understood. I had a sort of "ah-hah" moment, as it makes sense. So to think that there are people that may consider themselves at an above-amateur level and still be confused by the idea is funny.