Possibilities of the exposure measurement – Light measurement

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To carry out the light measurement correctly, we need a handheld exposure meter. We position the hand-held exposure meter to evaluate the incident light spatially at an angle of 180°, using a small hemisphere that is pushed in front of the measuring cell. Since the dome is opaque, we only consider the portion of the incident light that aligns with a specific standard. We will clarify the specific norm in the following section. To carry out the measurement, we position ourselves in front of the object to be photographed with the device rigged in this way and point it at the camera. When photographing spatial subjects like landscapes or portraits, it’s important to choose a measurement direction that cuts the angle between the main light source, such as the sun when shooting outdoors, and our capture device. In diffuse lighting and repro shots, on the other hand, the light meter may be aimed directly at the camera. A convenient feature: If the illumination of the subject and the shooting location are identical, we do not need to approach the subject but can perform the measurement in the described manner at the camera location. – Do you notice anything? I have written down the same hints a few lines above under the keyword „Substitute measurement with the gray card“. Since the principle of light metering is identical to that of gray card metering, this is also correct. Compare the two methods once. If you follow the procedure correctly, both measurement results will be the same.

Light metering is more simple because we don’t have to worry about the reflective properties of the subject. Remember, because the light meter interprets everything as a medium gray, we actually have to use an area of that brightness for the measurement. We have seen that this requirement may be difficult to fulfill. However, the light measurement automatically determines the correct ratio of incident light, ensuring the correct distribution of objects on the density curve based on their brightness. Assuming a correspondence between the subject contrast and the exposure range, we can directly use the measurement result for exposure.

Next Exposure determination for silver film

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Previous Possibilities of exposure measurement – Object metering

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