Portrait metering?

[stradibarrius]

When metering a portrait inside using hot lights, is using an incident reading or a reflected reading with a gray card more accurate?

[Ari]

It depends on what you're comfortable using.
I use an incident meter, and I have used one for everything; the job can be done just as well using a reflected-light meter if you know how to interpret the readings.
Accuracy is a matter of opinion.

[vinny]

I haven't seen someone pull out a grey card (except to shoot it) in ages. The vast majority of cinematographers and gaffers use incident meters. What Ari said. I use a spot meter for landscapes and an incident meter for people if I have one with me. Otherwise, I'm completely fine with my spot meter knowing what various shades of skin need as far as +/- the reading.

[C_Remington]

Easy spot meter the face.

[C. D. Keth]

Easy spot meter the face.

Yup, I just spotmeter a lit part of the face and assign that a zone. It doesn't really even change much in trickier situations like strong backlight.

[Ken Lee]

Perhaps another way to ask the question is not which type of meter, but how best to use each type of meter.

We can use a spot meter and get unfortunate results, and we can do the same with an incident meter.

[SergeiR]

I always meter incident, when i could as it gives me better middle tone concept.

[John Berry]

Tungsten will half your shooting speed.

[John Berry]

Tungsten will half your shooting speed.

[Mark Barendt]

Perhaps another way to ask the question is not which type of meter, but how best to use each type of meter.

We can use a spot meter and get unfortunate results, and we can do the same with an incident meter.

Very true.

[Mark Barendt]

Easy spot meter the face.

Spot metering what on the face?

Many, if not most, of the portraits I like best have a wide range of tones across the face.

[Terry Christian]

Keeping in mind that the meter will give you Zone V, it doesn't matter what you meter on the face. If the spot you decide to meter is what you want to be at Zone V, then fine. If not, adjust your exposure up or down as necessary. For example, if you have a certain spot you want to be Zone VI (average Caucasian skin), then take the meter reading and open up a stop.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2