I exposed for the two men.
I like to have complete control over all aspects of my final composition/photo. That means being in control of the final exposure as well. Letting the meter in your camera decide your exposure takes you out of the control you need to create strong images with lots of Visual Tension/energy, and interest. I can tell you that the meter in your camera, no matter the brand, is not giving you the right information.
One of the many areas I cover both in my online classes with the BPSOP, and in my “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” workshops I conduct around the planet is how to take meter readings that will provide you with this tension, interest, and energy.
Most of my fellow photographers have the meter in their camera set on Matrix. The problem with that is the meter doesn’t know exactly what you want. It will read a large area of reflected light, and that’s not the best way to have control of the final photograph.
For me, I want more control than that. I want to know what every area of my composition reads so I can compare one part of the frame to the other. I want to know what it’s going to look like before I look at it on the back of my camera, and certainly before I sit down in front of a computer. By that time I had lost control and now I’m left to devices, computer software, and programs to help out.
The next time you go out, try setting your meter on ‘spot’ so it will read a smaller portion of your composition. Read the highlights and then the shadows and see what you get. If you really want to master the light, get a handheld meter like the one I’ve used for the past forty-four years. I use a meter that’s not made anymore but you can find them in mint condition on e-Bay.
I use a one degree spot meter that was made by Minolta, and in it’s day, it was the state of the art. I can read just one degree of light at a time and can compare readings from the highlights to the shadows…and everything in between.
Minolta One-Degree Spot Meter
In the past couple of years, this meter has become very popular again. I guess there’s more people out there that want the challenge of being a good photographer and not a good computer artist.
Of course these days you don’t need that, but to me it’s fun and challenging to get exactly what I want in a photo…before I click the shutter.
In the photo above, I wanted that sunrise energy so I read the reflected light on the two men. Once I set my camera to expose for them, the early morning sky behind blew out creating the Visual Tension, interest, and energy.
I’m sure some of you out there are horrified because I clipped the highlights. All I can say is…get over it. Stop being predictable and following rules written by people along time ago that never colored outside the lines.
Visit my website at: www.joebaraban.com, and follow me on Instagram. Check out my 2023 workshop schedule at the top of this blog. I’ll be going to Bordeaux, and Toulouse France September of 2023 so if you’re interested, send me an email and I’ll send you the description.
JoeB
