She doesn't uaually allow this! :) CC please!

[Nickie1358]

traveller - would you spot meter on her face?

If I am taking a quick picture of someone against a bright sky, I just overexpose a stop or two, depending on the brightness and where I am standing and their relationship to the sky. (that's why the exposure compensation wheel is so useful)
If I have enough time to switch to spot meter, I will.
If I have more time and can move the subject, I get them somewhere more conducive to a good result.

great advice thanks! and thank you everyone for showing me what can be done with the editting on those pictures!

 

[xj0hnx]

Attempt at brightening this one up, but the color on my monitor at home is kind of whack sooo...

 

[2WheelPhoto]

that gorgeous look of hers is quietly screaming "light me up please"

 

[The_Traveler]

What I said wasn't very clear and someone sent me this PM.
If I was unclear for one person, probably I was unclear to several so here it is, edited to make sense when out of the context of the PMs

I just overexpose a stop or two (?)

ARE YOU REFERRING TO:
the exposure compensation (+ or -) button
OR
are you referring to your shutter speed or aperture (to control the light)

If you shoot manual, you don't have to change both and you don't have to mess with the EC wheel, you just use the meter in the viewfinder and adjust whatever you want to get the meter to read where you want.

I shoot Aperture Preferrred so I need to 'fool' the exposure meter and I do that using the exposure compensation dial.

Since I often shoot in a bad, glary situation I do a lot of instant judgement using the exposure compensation wheel to shoot. As soon as I get to the scene, I check how many stops of compensation do I need if the subject is against the sun directly, then under the sun, thanagainst the sky but with the sun to my back. I remember that and dial in the e.c. as I need to based on where the subject is related to the sun and me.

Don't get me wrong, when shooting like this, I have a lot of misexposed shots, I check the histogram routinely.
If I have time to aim, check exposure, shoot, I am pretty comfident that one shot will do it but in a fluid situation under bright natural light, I get what I can by preparing as well as I can.

I hope that makes sense a bit,

Lew