Filter
Top Products
With experience you'll recognize the few kinds of scenes which require compensation and
you'll be smart enough to adjust the compensation before making the first shot. Thankfully
many cameras today, especially the matrix meters on Nikons, are usually correct more and
more often. That's a reason I love my Nikons; they are very hard to fool and don't require
much twiddling, which saves time and lets me make more great images.
HOW-TO: FILM
Same as digital above.
The only catch is that you have to get film processed between steps 1 (shooting) and 2
(evaluating). You then apply any correction on your next shoot.
With film it takes more experience to learn what works where, since you always have to
have done your homework in advance.
The only things that fool modern meters are light subjects in subdued light, or completely
black subjects with no background. In sunlight or with a background there's no problem,
but in less light the camera just can't tell that your subject is white. With my F100 I knew to
add +1/3 or +2/3 for light subjects under clouds. You learn that by experience
Professionals used to use Polaroid film to gauge their exposure. Today I just use a digital
camera! You of course need to make tests the first time to correlate your film results to the
digital camera. I explain that here (page 87).
WHAT YOU CAN'T FIX
You can fix exposure. Exposure can't fix bad lighting.
If there is too much range between light and dark then no exposure will look correct.
If the shadows are too dark use fill flash, reflectors or wait for the light to change to lighten
the dark sections.
To darken the highlights we use scrims, or dark screens, placed between the light source
and the subject. Scrims don't affect the shadows.
THE ZONE SYSTEM
Knowing the zone system is helpful, but not mandatory, as you learn all this. See my page
on the Zone System (page 69).
LIGHT METERS
I use what's built into my camera. It's better than an external meter because it looks
through my lens and filters. The only people who tell you that external meters are better
are the people trying to sell you light meters.
For cameras lacking a built-in meter I use a digital camera and look at what exposure it
© 2007 KenRockwell.com 56 converted by Sándor Nagy