(Basic Basic Tip) My camera meter lies! Or does it?

[Jennifer]

How many of you think your new DSLR camera is underexposing and needs to be sent back to the factory? You do?!!! Well, you're not alone! Unless you understand how a meter works and why, you'll tend to get what you "think" are underexposed images. Especially of people.

A camera meter's only job is to read the scene and make it a medium gray tone. (18% gray). If you shoot something that is neutral in tone, your camera will make a pretty picture, exposed correctly. Take a photograph of little Johnny and all of the sudden he's gray! Must be a broken camera! Not really :) In the example below I'll show how taking a photograph of a "WHITE" piece of paper will fool your meter.

I just told you how the camera's meter wants to make things 18% gray. As you can see, my white paper is indeed gray! Job well done :) Anything wrong? Nope! But what if I DO want my white paper white? You need to add some exposure. You do this in Manual mode by adjusting either the aperture, shutter speed, or ISO until the needle of your meter is on the positive side of zero. How much depends on how much lighter your subject is than medium gray. Your histogram will help you know how much. In one of the automatic modes, Aperture Priority or Shutter Priority, you add positive exposure compensation using the EC button on your camera. For instance, in AV mode (aperture priority), I would dial in +2/3 EC so that my needle is two clicks to the positive (+) side of zero (-0-) Before this gets too complicated, I made a visual to show you how your meter sees people.

P.S..... You can use the white paper to adjust your white balance too, just meter it to zero without adding any exposure compensation (so the paper stays gray)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v220/Jennison/Online/WHITE-DOLL.jpg

Try shooting a white piece of paper and a person/doll in the same light and play with the EC button or brave Manual mode and see if you can duplicate this for yourself.

Have a good week, happy shooting!

[Amber Gray]

Silly Meters!!! Fun experiement - can't wait to try it!

[shazzt]

Thanks Jen!! You explained that brilliantly. While I know that the camera wants everything to be 18% grey, when I actually come to take a photo I totally forget all about it or get myself in a spin trying to think which way to turn the dial. Must. Practice. More. :)

[Meryl]

Thanks Jen - as always superbly explained!

[kat_75]

I've always been nervous to use my EV function because I was afraid the picture would be overexposed. So that doesnt have anything to do with it? Does it just make whites whiter? :think:

[RoadMap4Us]

Jennifer -- You are a brilliant teacher! I tried using the grey card this weekend for exposure & white balance. I finally get it and I am SO pleased with the results. Best of all, I only have a little Sony Cybershot point-and-shoot!! Wait until I get a grown-up camera (someday!!!)!

I'm off to try these tips on exposure compensation. The point-and-shoot has that too but is limited in its range. We shall see.

[Jennifer]

I've always been nervous to use my EV function because I was afraid the picture would be overexposed. So that doesnt have anything to do with it? Does it just make whites whiter? :think:

Adjusting exposure (via EC button) on an image helps when the meter is being fooled in to thinking that the subject is indeed medium gray when it may not be. White is not medium gray, so you need to ADD exposure. Conversely, it will also try to make black a medium gray and you will need to LOWER exposure by moving the EC to the minus (-) side.

Caucasian skin is lighter than medium gray so you need to tell the camera to add a little more exposure to lighten it up. If I was shooting a black corvette, I'd end up with a gray Corvette and would need to tell the meter to not expose for so long so I can keep it black.

Snow and sand is lighter than gray.... ADD EC

Black Cats and Groomsmen in black tuxedo's are darker than gray .... LOWER EC

[kat_75]

I'll definitely have to try some experiments...it sounds like people are having success with it. Thanks for the tip, Jennifer! :tup:

[Jennifer]

Kat,
To illustrate, I just went in my bathroom, in natural light, and took a photo of a white card, an official 18% gray card, and a black paper. I set each of them up alone, zoomed my lens all the way to fill the screen, and using Manual exposure metered each of them so the meter read -0- zero.

I, of course, got three different meter readings. What I also got was three GRAY images!

Here is a side by side crop of each image, EXACTLY AS IT CAME OUT OF MY CAMERA.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v220/Jennison/Online/QUESTION.jpg

And below, you'll see all three samples lined up and metered off my gray card only and you'll see that by using the 18% gray card to determine correct exposure, all three samples rendered their true tone.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v220/Jennison/Online/ANSWER.jpg

[kat_75]

Wow. :eek: I'll try that tomorrow! (I'd love to do it tonight but 10:00 is a little late to get started, lol!) I think this might be the answer to quite a few of my problems, one of them taking pictures of a VERY black dog and NONE of them worked out very well! And people in white clothes always turn out dirty-looking!

MUST. PERFECT. THIS. TECHNIQUE. :D

[Jennifer]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v220/Jennison/Online/caucassianskinAVmodeEV.jpg

[kat_75]

What's SOOC? :o

(I'll probably kick myself when I find out. :p)

[Jennifer]

Straight
Out
Of
Camera

Means you haven't done anything to process it. These are cropped to fit in the hole though ;)

[shazzt]

It makes such a huge difference Jen. One day I will actually remember to do it!!

[sammdc]

thanks heaps for these tips I am learning so much from them

[kat_75]

Straight
Out
Of
Camera

Means you haven't done anything to process it. These are cropped to fit in the hole though ;)
OHHHHH. I have heard of that but have never seen it abbreviated. :D

[Stormies r us]

Thanks for posting this Jennifer! Here is my take on the tutorial.
http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa159/stormieandbrian/my%20journey%20un%20photography/My%20journey%20in%20photography/exposure-bias-setting.jpg

http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa159/stormieandbrian/my%20journey%20un%20photography/My%20journey%20in%20photography/exposure-bias-0.jpg

http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa159/stormieandbrian/my%20journey%20un%20photography/My%20journey%20in%20photography/exposure-bias-ev-2-one-thir.jpg
The Nikon D40 is what it says it is...an entry level camera. And the CPU lenses limit your options unless you purchase a non CPU and use manual focus.

I didn't set the exposure time on the dials, them dang things drive me batty. What I did do however is change the Exposure bias from the button on the back of my camera. I don't quite know how to read the histogram yet, but I was wondering if the last two had "blown out highlights" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clipping_(photography))

Question:Is 400 ISO about the norm for indoor portraits?

Thanks again,

Sonya

[Stormies r us]

I'm such a dork! Sorry to babble about the focus on my camera!

Am I totally off on my reply? I never had the dial 2 clicks to the positive side of
-0- it was way down on the negative side....but yet the picture turned out okay.....I think I'm trying to take in to much information, and it's making me dizzy!

And here I thought that adding stops was setting the f 1/40 number. :eek: Back to the drawing board......

[Jennifer]

Question:Is 400 ISO about the norm for indoor portraits?

Sonya

I use ISO 400-800 Indoors most of the time. Even with my flash I use ISO 400 to get as much ambient room light to register so i dont' get harsh shadows and dark backgrounds.

[Jennifer]

Thanks for posting this Jennifer! Here is my take on the tutorial.
I don't quite know how to read the histogram yet, but I was wondering if the last two had "blown out highlights"

The first image, of I assume, your white background is showing the histogram completely neutral... gray. Camera preformed perfectly, exposing the 18%

Second image, notice the histogram is still showing the majority of the infomation as being neutral, middle of the road tonality (18% gray) The extra information we see on this shot is because there are now more objects in the scene and the histogram is representative of that.

Third image, the histogram is spread evenly toward the light (right) side without climbing the wall. If there were blown pixels, you'd see the histogram hitting and shooting straight up that right side wall. There is nothing black, or dark enough in the scene to have much register to the left other than the small trail most likely caused by the black eyes of the bunny. This is nearly a perfect exposure.

Try doing this again, in a well lit area, outside even, without the flash.

[Jennifer]

I didn't set the exposure time on the dials, them dang things drive me batty. What I did do however is change the Exposure bias from the button on the back of my camera.
When you shoot in M (manual mode) you don't use exposure compensation, just over or underexpose from what your meter is telling you. So if you know you'll be shooting white, you'll need to move the needle of your meter in the positive direction, for shooting dark, you'll underexpose by moving the needle to the negative. Exposure compensation is used in one of the semi automatic settings. Aperture priority, Shutter priority, and program shift. What you've done here by using EC in manual, is tell your flash to keep adding more and more light (by the preflash, the flash determines how much light to throw out.)
Again, try this again in a well lit area, no flash, in AV mode and add exposure compensation via the EC button on the camera (+/- button)

[kat_75]

When you shoot in M (manual mode) you don't use exposure compensation, just over or underexpose from what your meter is telling you. So if you know you'll be shooting white, you'll need to move the needle of your meter in the positive direction, for shooting dark, you'll underexpose by moving the needle to the negative. Exposure compensation is used in one of the semi automatic settings. Aperture priority, Shutter priority, and program shift. What you've done here by using EC in manual, is tell your flash to keep adding more and more light (by the preflash, the flash determines how much light to throw out.)
Again, try this again in a well lit area, no flash, in AV mode and add exposure compensation via the EC button on the camera (+/- button)
I always got confused with the difference between EV and Exposure Compensation. Thanks for the clarification! :tup:

That may be the problem I'm having with my whites and blacks, is not shooting in enough light. I shoot my 18% gray and use that image as the standard, and I'm STILL getting gray whites and gray blacks. :think: I'll go read the instructions over in the Gray Card sticky again. :o

[Jennifer]

Point your meter AT your gray card and using the shutter speed and aperture dials rotate them until the needle of your meter rests on the zero. Using THOSE settings, shoot the subject you want properly exposed. By using a gray card to SET exposure, your meter is not being biased by light or dark of the actual subject matter.

EV stands for Exposure Value, EC is Exposure Compensation....

EV; These are numbers which refer to certain combination's of lens aperture and shutter speed.

EC; Compensating for over or underexposure caused by subjects that are either lighter or darker than middle 18% gray. YOU, the photographer, adjust this via the EC button on the camera in the positive + or negative - direction.

[Stormies r us]

Here is the second try at this. This background is totally white! But is surely don't show up that way! This time I dialed in the exposure compensation...which is a dual function on the Nikon D40. The more I Lowered the shutter speed to get the background to look white, the more I over exposed the photo.

These shots were taken on a partly cloudy day early A.M. The middle shot was closest to what I saw through the lens. What could I have done differently?


http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa159/stormieandbrian/my%20journey%20un%20photography/My%20journey%20in%20photography/1_200thsf63.jpg

http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa159/stormieandbrian/my%20journey%20un%20photography/My%20journey%20in%20photography/1_125th_f63.jpg

http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa159/stormieandbrian/my%20journey%20un%20photography/My%20journey%20in%20photography/1_80_63.jpg
p.s. I'm still trying to figure out the relationship between the shutter speed, aperture, and ISO.

Thanks:)

[Jennifer]

Your second one's histogram shows no blowouts. Good! The background being white in real life and blue here shows it's not an exposure issue but now a white balance issue. Try doing this again with the same settings as number two and set a custom white balance. You're getting closer!!!! yay!

The purpose of this exercise is to show how your meter on auto (-0- zero) is fooled by the lightness of the bunny, doll's skin, and white backdrop and how adding exposure can get you much closer to the correct exposure for your scene. Try this using negative EC and lots of dark things.. black background and dark subject or clothing. Hopefully this is helping you understand how a camera meter "sees."

[Stormies r us]

Just had to share this one real quik! As soon
as I shot outside this is what happened.....

http://www.geocities.com/stormieandbrian/DSC_0572.jpg
When I went through the series of shots
I noticed this little wormie thing traveled
from the pant leg up to the hat! Never noticed
when I was taking the pics though:)

I went to flick the little bugger off and got bug
guts (or poo) on the lil sailors hat!:eek:

[kat_75]

Question about metering...I hope this is the right thread.

I had been having trouble with the exposure (seemed to be low contrast and underexposed) on some of my shots and after reading Ken Rockwell's article on metering with a Nikon, I have been using Matrix metering, and it seems to be helping. I also bumped up my EC a bit. I think it helped. :p I need to go back and try the white paper trick again.

I am going to be taking shots at an air show at the end of May, and I have noticed for example, when I try to take a picture of a bird on a power line, the bird is nothing but a silhouette and the sky is a nice, pretty blue. (I understand why the bird was all black.) I took similar shots using my Landscape option and on Auto and both turned out better.

I did a search online and I read that when taking a shot of something very light on a very dark background (the moon was the example), to use spot metering. Would that work in reverse (the dark bird on the bright background)?

The air show is why I am asking. Of course, I may not have this problem if the planes are white, right? :p I dont want to depend on Landscape or Auto.

One other thing...any cons to matrix metering? I like it so far. Should I stick with this only when I dont want my highlights blown out? Maybe I dont fully understand it, but I am almost thinking it's trying to make my shot 18% gray. It's helped a lot with taking pictures of my sister's cat--he is black from head to toe! The only way I was able to get any usable shots of him was to use my flash at full max (in broad daylight!) Luckily the rest of the shot wasnt TOO washed out, but it was a little.

[Jennifer]

Spot metering only works if you understand that the "Spot" you're metering off is or is not 18% gray.

Also, metering the plane may blow out your sky, metering the sky may put the plane in silhouette. Sometime you need to compromise on exposure. Knowing your limitations on what you can recover in photoshop is important also. I'd underexpose the sky to keep the clouds and then in photoshop lighten the plane (or whatever variation your particular circumstance is.)

[kat_75]

I kinda was thinking along those lines, as well. :yes: Thanks, Jennifer!