Overcoming TTL Meter Limitations


So what do you do with a high-contrast scene or with a scene outside the average reflectance range? The solution that offers the most control is to measure the scene accurately, set a strategy for which parts of the tonal range are important to you, and manually set the shutter speed, f-stop, and ISO settings to capture the desired result.

Obviously, you must have a camera that can independently control these three settings, allowing you to operate in what is called Manual mode. I'll touch on non-manual mode strategies later in this chapter, but being able to manually set f-stop, shutter speed, and ASA/ISO is a very important feature in controlling exposure. Consider upgrading your equipment if you really want to control exposure.

 Clouds
Nikon D2H
1/350 sec, f/9.5
EV +0.33
Focal length 105mm

Take Readings for Individual Areas

To properly expose a child's face or a tree trunk in a landscape, you must isolate the meter reading to that specific area. If your camera allows you to spot meter specific areas, measure the face or tree and enter the exposure settings manually. Envision in your mind how the face will look at a neutral 18% gray. Is this what you want, or should it look lighter or darker? Make these decisions based on your vision for the image and set the exposure accordingly.

Use a Gray Card

One way to get an accurate exposure reading is to take a meter reading off an 18% gray card (available at most photo shops) placed in the same light as the subject. (Use the gray card to calibrate the exposure; use a white card to color balance the camera.) Set up the tripod, put the card in front of the camera, and meter the scene. Enter the meter readings as the settings in Manual mode to expose properly for the light in the scene.

Trick the TTL Meter

If you don't have a gray card and you can't spot meter, try moving close to the area to be metered, filling the entire frame with the tree trunk, snow bank, or face that is the subject of the image. Don't worry about focusing the camera, just take the light reading, being careful not to cast any shadows on the area in the viewfinder. Enter the close-up meter reading into your camera's manual settings (or adjust exposure up or down if you want to shoot the image in a different zone), recompose the scene, and shoot. As long as the light hasn't changed, the close-up area you metered will be exposed perfectly. Figure shows an image created by filling the frame with the grass from the foreground, taking a manual light reading, and then recomposing the whole scene.

 Tree Silhouette
Nikon D2H
1/320 sec, f/9
Focal length 85mm

Use Exposure Lock

If your camera has an exposure lock feature, take advantage of it. Exposure Lock is a button that freezes the exposure settings and allows you to recompose the scene before you shoot. Thus, you can fill the frame with the desired area (or meter the gray card), press the Exposure Lock button, and shoot away with the proper exposure locked in. This feature saves you from manually setting the exposure settings for every shot, allowing you to work faster.




The Art of Photoshop for Digital Photographers
The Art of Photoshop for Digital Photographers
ISBN: 0672327139
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2006
Pages: 141

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