Determing correct exposure

[Eric Rose]

Jerry I sent you a PM.

[Jay DeFehr]

I don't often use a meter. I stand near the camera, if I'm not holding it, and look at my subject. I make a guess about the general level of illumination, and then I squint at the scene to get a feel for the contrast range. If important shadow areas disappear when I squint, I expose generously. If not, I expose normally, based on my estimate of general illumination.

Or-

If I happen to have a meter handy, I take one incident reading from the shadow side of my subject's face, with the meter dome pointed at the camera.

These are not exactly tricky lighting scenarios, so no tricks are required. It's when the lighting gets tricky that metering technique and a thorough understanding of exposure becomes important. But in general, I agree with the guys above -- exposure and metering are disproportionately considered by most photographers.

[kansasjhawk]

I use a spot meter. If possible I will just meter a grey card in the same light as the subject. Otherwise, I'll find something that I know will be neutral grey and use that to determine exposure. I do tend to use the Zone System if there is an obvious black or white subject in the scene. I will meter off that and then move it to the proper Zone.

[Ari]

Incident meter pointed at the camera, and in the same light as the subject (if it is farther away).
I'll bracket very rarely, if there are reflections off glass or snow, or if the light is mixed and contrasty.
Works like a charm for negative film, and most transparency shots.

[Old-N-Feeble]

I haven't yet begun shooting again but, since I'll be using modern high-latitude color neg emulsions, I'll just spot meter the darkest area in which I want to retain detail and underexposed two steps. Yeah, I'll meter the brightest important highlight too but I don't think I'll be worrying about loss of detail. If contrast is really extreme then maybe I'll take a second shot to avoid compressing the highlights. In that case I'll allow Photoshop to align the two images and do a very simple HDR (I don't much like "extreme" HDR). If I was to shoot B&W then I'd give some consideration to adjusted development to keep highlights off the top of the shoulder but, even then, since I'll be scanning to digital it doesn't much matter. My processes today won't be much like my processes of yesteryear. Those days are long gone for me. The hours too long and the days too short to work so damned hard.

To reiterate... spot meter for shadow detail and underexpose two steps.

[Lenny Eiger]

It would be informative to have others share their steps in deciding what exposure to use before taking the shot. A brief step by step of description would be very helpful.

It would be helpful to know what kind of film you are using...

Lenny

[Vaughn]

I take my spot meter, read the darkest area I want detail in...I take that reading and reduce exposure by two stops. I then stick my finger in my mouth and then stick it in the air. Depending on how cold my finger is I adjust for reciprocity failure and expose a couple sheets of 8x10.

I write that stuff down along with the reading from brightest area in the image so that I'll know how to develop the film.

[Jerry Cunningham]

In response to Lenny I use mostly T-Max 100 and 400. I live within eight miles of Glacier Park in Montana. Many of the scenes I would call "dappled." There is often deep shadows right next to direct sunlight. It is extremely beautiful in places (the bears can be a problem) and I would like to make a larger percentages of easy to print negatives. Many people do not try LF because they doubt their ability to make a good exposure. As film becomes more expensive (especially 8x10) one wants to do the best they can. I appreciate all efforts to share your methods and thoughts.
Jerry

[ic-racer]

I take an average of a representative reflected area of the scene (view meter) and set the camera so that the area of the film curve represented by the "W" point, (a surrogte for 0.3 x the average gradient) lies 5 stops below.

This ensures adequate shadow detail under easily identified "usual" conditions and avoids the pitfalls of trying to use one's eye to guess at the area of the scene that would be on zone 1, 2 or 3 etc. Finding those specific low zones in the scene requires the same extremely subjective visual assessment required when one uses an extinction meter.

[cyrus]

I don't know much about color at all, but if you're doing B&W, the extreme contrast conditions you describe can be a real PITA. A normal incident reading may not be sufficient here, and you may have to shorten development time to handle the contrast. Using film with a wide latitude would probably help too. Or, wait for a cloud to pass overhead.

(I've also heard good things about waving a chicken in the air whislt chanting, to satiate the Exposure Gods.)