Exposure (compensation) Tips

silvercloud2323 · Mar 19, 2022

Hi
I am looking for real useful exposure tips that i can apply quick with relative certainty.
For example,

I meter with my camera to a relative dark spot that is about 2 stops darker than the average 18% grey. So I underexpose 2 stops in the camera
The same for a blue bright sky. I overexpose a little because i don't want the sky turn grey on the print.
A footpath is about 18% grey. So i expose and do the metering on the footpath , recompose and make my photo.

Do you know or use other tricks to get a good exposure?
thank you

Andrew O'Neill · Mar 20, 2022

For your first point, you mean you under expose by two stops in the camera...

MARTIE · Mar 20, 2022

Sounds like a handheld light meter would be perfect. For quick and relative accuracy, just take 1 incident reading and keep shooting for as long as the light stays the same.
Or using your camera, take a reading from a greycard.

Nitroplait · Mar 20, 2022

Take a reading from your hand. It is always there. Adjust accordingly (my hand is lighter than a greycard, other's may be darker).

Chan Tran · Mar 20, 2022

lieven2323 said:
Hi
I am looking for real useful exposure tips that i can apply quick with relative certainty.
For example,

I meter with my camera to a relative dark spot that is about 2 stops darker than the average 18% grey. So I underdeveloped 2 stops in the camera

The same for a blue bright sky. I overexpose a little because i don't want the sky turn grey on the print.

A footpath is about 18% grey. So i expose and do the metering on the footpath , recompose and make my photo.

Do you know or use other tricks to get a good exposure?
thank you

You don't want to change development. In such case you want to decrease your exposure from the meter reading and develop the film normally. You can do that if you use the exposure compensation function or use the camera in manual exposure mode.

BrianShaw · Mar 20, 2022

Didn’t we have this same discussion recently? Have you taken any pictures yet to experience the effects of these metering schemes? Especially answer the following: why do you feel the need to COMPENSATE from a “normal” metering. You may be complicating metering too much.

Nitroplait · Mar 20, 2022

BrianShaw said:
Didn’t we have this same discussion recently?

Is there any discussion we didn’t have recently?

RalphLambrecht · Mar 20, 2022

lieven2323 said:
Hi
I am looking for real useful exposure tips that i can apply quick with relative certainty.
For example,

I meter with my camera to a relative dark spot that is about 2 stops darker than the average 18% grey. So I underdeveloped 2 stops in the camera

The same for a blue bright sky. I overexpose a little because i don't want the sky turn grey on the print.

A footpath is about 18% grey. So i expose and do the metering on the footpath , recompose and make my photo.

Do you know or use other tricks to get a good exposure?
thank you

the back of your hand is abut Zone VI.

gone · Mar 20, 2022

Nitroplait said:
Is there any discussion we didn’t have recently?

Now, now, let's not muddle the issue w/ facts.

Rick A · Mar 20, 2022

Grass meters approximately the same as a gray card.

radiant · Mar 20, 2022

Nitroplait said:
Is there any discussion we didn’t have recently?

I think we haven't yet discussed of prewashing film?

RalphLambrecht said:
the back of your hand is abut Zone VI.

Who is first to tattoo into their hand a empty box and arrow pointing into the box saying "Zone VI".

Don_ih · Mar 20, 2022

RalphLambrecht said:
the back of your hand is abut Zone VI.

Doesn't that imply everyone is the same shade? That's very Kodak girl....

BrianShaw · Mar 20, 2022

Don Heisz said:
Doesn't that imply everyone is the same shade? That's very Kodak girl....

I keep getting confused… back of hand or palm of hand. Perhaps we need a new thread to measure and compare hands to confirm or refute this internet wisdom. Something like the thread on Sunny 16.

silvercloud2323 · Mar 20, 2022

Andrew O'Neill said:
For your first point, you mean you under expose by two stops in the camera...

yes sorry , mistake

wiltw · Mar 20, 2022

To the OP comment about pavement brightness, I offer this past post of mine...
https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/meter-recommendations.141702/page-5#post-1868519

RalphLambrecht said:
the back of your hand is abut Zone VI.

BrianShaw said:
I keep getting confused… back of hand or palm of hand. Perhaps we need a new thread to measure and compare hands to confirm or refute this internet wisdom. Something like the thread on Sunny 16.

That BACK of the hand's brightness depends entirely upon the combination of what RACE of skin color, in combination with the status (that varies with time of year) of the degree of tanning.
The PALM of the hand is about 1EV brighter than 18% gray card....about the same without significant difference based on racial background.

Just taken with Minolta Spotmeter F...my Asian skin in winter pallor:

18% gray card = EV0
palm of my hand = +1.3EV (post in Oct 2008, my palm was +1.2EV)
back of my hand = +0.9EV

I also posted in the past multiple readings at various other times, of the palm of my hand
https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/meter-recommendations.141702/page-4#post-1860713

Let the comparative readings begin!

Sirius Glass · Mar 20, 2022

lieven2323 said:
Hi
I am looking for real useful exposure tips that i can apply quick with relative certainty.
For example,

I meter with my camera to a relative dark spot that is about 2 stops darker than the average 18% grey. So I underexpose 2 stops in the camera

The same for a blue bright sky. I overexpose a little because i don't want the sky turn grey on the print.

A footpath is about 18% grey. So i expose and do the metering on the footpath , recompose and make my photo.

Do you know or use other tricks to get a good exposure?
thank you

Skip number two. Meter without the sky or using number one and the sky is big enough to take care of itself.

Sirius Glass · Mar 20, 2022

BrianShaw said:
Didn’t we have this same discussion recently? Have you taken any pictures yet to experience the effects of these metering schemes? Especially answer the following: why do you feel the need to COMPENSATE from a “normal” metering. You may be complicating metering too much.

+1

Sirius Glass · Mar 20, 2022

Rick A said:
Grass meters approximately the same as a gray card.

Does that include dead grass?

Don_ih · Mar 20, 2022

Sirius Glass said:
Does that include dead grass?

Pretty much.

BrianShaw · Mar 20, 2022

My left hand is Zone VI with .1.EV difference between front and back.

Sirius Glass · Mar 20, 2022

wiltw said:
To the OP comment about pavement brightness, I offer this past post of mine...
https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/meter-recommendations.141702/page-5#post-1868519

That BACK of the hand's brightness depends entirely upon the combination of what RACE of skin color, in combination with the status (that varies with time of year) of the degree of tanning.
The PALM of the hand is about 1EV brighter than 18% gray card....about the same without significant difference based on racial background.

Just taken with Minolta Spotmeter F...my Asian skin in winter pallor:

18% gray card = EV0

palm of my hand = +1.3EV (post in Oct 2008, my palm was +1.2EV)

back of my hand = +0.9EV

Let the comparative readings begin!

Yes, my skin is a "whiter shade of pale". - Procol Harum

BrianShaw · Mar 20, 2022

BrianShaw said:
My left hand is Zone VI with .1.EV difference between front and back.

… but that was a single measure. Did not do a repeated-measure methodology with averaging.

Rick A · Mar 20, 2022

Sirius Glass said:
Does that include dead grass?

Let me clarify my post. GREEN grass has about the same light reading as a gray card. There, are you happy.

Doremus Scudder · Mar 20, 2022

I'm assuming black-and-white negative film here.

In-camera averaging or matrix meter: Just use the value the camera gives you for the scene most of the time. For contrasty situations, add extra exposure: one stop for extra contrasty, two stops for extra, extra contrasty and backlit portraits. Otherwise, no worries and really no need to meter separate areas of your scene (this coming from a die-hard Zone System user). Keep notes and adjust your personal E.I. as needed to get consistently good results. For roll film, use printing controls to deal with print contrast (VC paper, filtration, etc.). No need to use anything but normal development, but keep notes and adjust your normal development time as needed to be able to print the extremes well.

Hand-held spot meter: base your exposure on a shadow value. Use your judgement and experience to decide how you want to expose a particular value. Dark shadow with detail = two stops more exposure than the meter reads. Inky black detail-less shadow = three or four stops less than the meter reads. Luminous shadows = one stop more than the meter reads. Bright shadows in snow = use the meter reading.

The above will get you going and in the ballpark. You can refine as you go and learn more.

I'll let the incident-meter experts chime in with their techniques for that method of metering.

Best,

Doremus

Rick A · Mar 20, 2022

Sirius Glass said:
Yes, my skin is a "whiter shade of pale". - Procol Harum

Reading from the back of my hand requires about one half extra stop of exposure. A meter reading of my cousin's wife needs two extra stops exposure. She is a milk skinned blond.

Exposure (compensation) Tips

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