Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: Question about light metering for shadows and highlights  (Read 1825 times)

scottfwalter

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2
Question about light metering for shadows and highlights
« on: January 18, 2017, 02:21:02 pm »

All,

I am new to using a Sekonic spot meter.  Normally if I would meter on a nice white puffy cloud and it meters f/8@1/500.   Since the meter is metering middle grey I need to increase my exposure by lets say 2 stop to make sure the clouds are white with detail.  So I set my exposure on my camera at f/8@1/125.

However I have been watching some videos from Sekonic on metering a seen for middle grey, highlights, and shadows.  This is the basic formula they use:

1.  Take mid-tone reading and press the mid-tone button
2.  Take the highlight reading and press the memory button
3.  Take the shadow reading and perss the memory button

Assuming I followed this formula and the mid-tone reading was f/8@1/500 and the highlights are at f/8@1/125.  Do I set my camera f/8@1/500 to get the white puffy clouds?  Or do I need increase by a couple stops to get the nice white puffy clouds?
Logged

BAB

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 515
Re: Question about light metering for shadows and highlights
« Reply #1 on: January 18, 2017, 09:57:20 pm »

You want to meter the brightest part of the scene you want detail, the darkest part of the scene you want detail, then what a middle gray, grass light colored rock for a mid tone. With this in memory and clipping points set before hand you can the shit the mid tone so your highlight is just before clipping and that is you camera exposure setting

Logged
I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kic

BAB

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 515
Re: Question about light metering for shadows and highlights
« Reply #2 on: January 18, 2017, 10:36:43 pm »

Meanwhile I can't seem to get the software to accept my three images -3/0/+3. The software worked before the latest mac OS X upgrade any suggestions I get to the part where it's making the graph and then the software HANGS
Logged
I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kic

E.J. Peiker

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 891
    • http://www.ejphoto.com
Re: Question about light metering for shadows and highlights
« Reply #3 on: January 19, 2017, 08:50:07 am »

You want to meter the brightest part of the scene you want detail, the darkest part of the scene you want detail, then what a middle gray, grass light colored rock for a mid tone. With this in memory and clipping points set before hand you can the shit the mid tone so your highlight is just before clipping and that is you camera exposure setting

Man I hate it when I shit the mid-tones!  ;D
Logged

SZRitter

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 384
Re: Question about light metering for shadows and highlights
« Reply #4 on: January 19, 2017, 09:11:29 am »

Man I hate it when I shit the mid-tones!  ;D

That usually happens in post when I mess up the curves  :o
Logged

scottfwalter

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2
Re: Question about light metering for shadows and highlights
« Reply #5 on: January 19, 2017, 02:37:21 pm »

Meanwhile I can't seem to get the software to accept my three images -3/0/+3. The software worked before the latest mac OS X upgrade any suggestions I get to the part where it's making the graph and then the software HANGS

Thanks for the help.   I never used the DTS software before.  Planning on doing that this weekend.  I'm on a Mac with Sierra wonder if I will run into the same problem.
Logged
Pages: [1]   Go Up