Practice question · Sort into groups
Sort each scene by what a straight reflected-light reading does to it.
Groups: Comes out too dark · Comes out too light · Comes out about right
- Flat-lit street scene
- Grey card in subject light
- Black cat on black sofa
- Full-frame snow field
- Close-up of a coal heap
- Bride in white, pale wall
Hints
- A meter renders everything as mid grey; ask what that does to something much lighter.
- Two of the six are already near mid grey and need no correction.
Show the answer
Comes out too dark: Full-frame snow field, Bride in white, pale wall
Comes out too light: Black cat on black sofa, Close-up of a coal heap
Comes out about right: Flat-lit street scene, Grey card in subject light
Why
The first column needs opening up and the second needs closing down, which is the reverse of most people's instinct. The rule that survives is: give more exposure to light subjects and less to dark ones, exactly opposite to what the meter says, because the meter is arguing you back towards grey.
Practise Exposure and Metering
The app has 6 more questions on this lesson, and keeps your place in the course. Photography I is free to start.
More questions on Exposure and Metering
- Why does a reflected-light meter under-expose a snow field? Select every statement that is part of the reason.
- A reflected-light meter is unaffected by how reflective the subject is.
- Complete the vocabulary of exposure measurement.
- Arrange these metering methods from the widest area measured to the narrowest.
- A flash is moved from 2 metres to 4 metres from its subject. How many stops of light are lost?
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- An incident-light meter measures illumination falling onto a subject rather than light bouncing off it. What…