ABSTRACT
The following exposure guidelines can deliver standard exposures
under a wide variety of conditions with a minimum of fuss.
Camera Light Meters Are 18 Percent Gray Contrast Built-in camera exposure meters are what most of us initially employ to
make our exposure calculations. All DSLRs have a sophisticated thru-
the-lens (TTL) metering system that makes getting a good automatic
exposure a sure thing in most situations. However, there are particular
times when you will want to change the exposure mode from Automatic
and make specific exposure decisions. The more you know about the
camera’s metering system, the greater the likelihood you can use it to
achieve your desired exposure. All meters are partially blind, as they see
only a middle 18 percent gray reflectance. This means the meter’s reading
only tells a photographer how to set the camera for an average exposure
that assumes an 18 percent reflectance. The meter measures only the
intensity of the light; it does not judge the quality of the light or the
feeling and mood that the light produces upon the subject. Therefore,
the best exposure is not necessarily the same as that which the meter
indicates. The meter is a guide that only reads the signs. It is up to the
photographer to see, respond to, and interpret the light, and decide what
exposure will deliver the color, detail, and mood needed to express and
convey the situation to the audience. Learning to recognize and control
the quality of light illuminating a subject is the aesthetic essential for
making superior photographic images. But first you must become skilled
with the basic technical metering guidelines, summarized in Table 4.1.
