Am heading off to the Alps on Friday (strikes Eurotunnel and covid, to name but a few, permitting) and will be shooting analogue bw for the first time in years…….wondered if anyone had any advice for metering in high glare snow scenes (I’m taking a sekonic) and seem to remember this being tricky in the past……all advice hugely appreciated…best T
Snowy Alpine Scenes: General Thoughts
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In bright, snowy mountainous conditions most light meters will tend to underexpose, unless you're using a spot meter and placing the snow on Zone VII - Zone VIII. If you're not using a spot meter, I would advise giving a bit more exposure (in the range of a stop or two) over your meter reading. I don't use incident meters so, maybe, someone with specific experience will jump in here.
Good luck and enjoy your trip!
Good luck and enjoy your trip!
Take the light readings off the palm of your hand and that will be close enough for most exposures. Sometimes you may need to have your palm in the shade if the subject is in the shade. If you use a general light meter reading, you will only get the contours of the snow and everything else will be silhouetted.
And the vacation will have been over for weeks before the results get back. Therefore bracketing is less than useless in this case.
What kind of Sekonic? Incident, spot, reflective?
Sorry...I assumed the OP developed their own film. If not, my advice is still good, it was just was asked for weeks too late.
Totally my habit to take a new film or whatever on a unique trip and just wing it (with a few decades of background knowledge and experience).
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Bracket especially if you are shooting smaller formats like 35mm
If one is asking about going to a different environment for a vacation, the bracketing is a big WOMBAT: Waste Of Money Brains And Time They want to know how to take photographs without worry and enjoy photography. They are not asking how to spend their life doing endless wasteful testing and experimenting. They are looking for good results for a vacation not a career. You missed the point and walked off the end of the pier because you were wearing the testing blindfold. Bracketing is not the automatic answer for everything.
I agree with you generally. However, if you're shooting a specific scene after spending twenty minutes setting up, just bracket a couple of extra shots. On the other hand, if you walking around snapping shots and it's snowy, then just set the ISO for 1 or 1 1/2 stops slower and shoot away. Forget bracketing.
When we are answering to help people we should not make assumptions that they are here to ask questions that someone deep into photography would ask. We need to ask what their goal is and guide them.
The OP neither said what camera he is shooting or what kind of meter nor what kind of pictures he's shooting. So the answers he gets will be non-specific as well.
But as regular contributors we must think outside the box and be more inclusive by anticipating or asking or providing more than one alternative.
But in this case, if new to photographing snow and there is some snow around the town, to meter some snow scenes (in the sun w/ rear, side, and back lighting) with the film and meter to be used later, bracket with notes, and then judge the best exposure by one's negatives (or transparencies), seems to be an extremely intelligent thing to do before vactioning in a snow environment.
Unfortunately, while London is due some snow the next couple days...sun may be a different story.
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Yes, bracketing when learning, but as I noted, sometimes people do not have time to learn. With slides especially the exposure must be correct or the shot is worthless.
I did. I asked what camera he was shooting and what kind of meter. He didn't answer.
Even more reason to bracket. But again, the OP hasn't told us what he's shooting.
MattKing
Moderator
Bracketing is only to be avoided if one lacks curiosity about the variety in results one can achieve by choosing to make small to moderate changes in exposure - including with slide film.
It has a related cost - in film and processing and time - but it also offers benefits, when used intentionally.
A digital example, where a "properly" exposed frame was "blah"
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It has a related cost - in film and processing and time - but it also offers benefits, when used intentionally.
A digital example, where a "properly" exposed frame was "blah"
:
If the snow if close, I use my Sekonic both in incident and reflective mode with snow. In reflective mode, I get close to the snow, making sure that's all I'm getting (essentially making my meter equivalent to a spot meter reading). If there is texture in the snow, I put it in zone VIII (opening up three stops from the reading), if not, I go to zone IX (opening up four stops from the reading). I compare that to the incident mode reading, just to make sure.
If the snow is far, just part of the general scenery but not dominant, I just go with the incident reading. If you will do landscape, i.e., snowy mountains from afar, I would suggest a yellow filter. You'll get better tonal separation between the sky (slightly darken) and the snow. Snowy scenes with washed-out sky don't make for very appealing photos.
With high contrast snowy scenes, you also have to make sure you use the right developer. For example, stock D-76 or Xtol risk blowing your highlights, so best to use a compensating developer.
If the snow is far, just part of the general scenery but not dominant, I just go with the incident reading. If you will do landscape, i.e., snowy mountains from afar, I would suggest a yellow filter. You'll get better tonal separation between the sky (slightly darken) and the snow. Snowy scenes with washed-out sky don't make for very appealing photos.
With high contrast snowy scenes, you also have to make sure you use the right developer. For example, stock D-76 or Xtol risk blowing your highlights, so best to use a compensating developer.
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Yes he did...something you don't have in New Jersey....
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Incident light meters are really the way to go in the snow. Unfortunately outside of places like
It would have been more helpful if we knew his camera type, film, and type of meter.
And we do have snow in New Jersey, if not mountains. Beach too.
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