mike ray wrote:
> --- Should I (or anyone interested in exercising control over this
> photographic medium) be able to assess a lighting situation and determine
> an appropriate aperture/shutter speed combination without benefit of any
> metering device?
Yes. It's a very good skill to acquire. While some may say that
you can get a more accurate result by using a meter, unless one
knows just what the meter is reading and how that relates to the
scene and the results you want, following a meter can be just as
wrong as you might be by assessing the light yourself. Edward
Weston - or maybe Brett - asked "Why should I use a meter? What if
it breaks while I'm shooting?" Remember, the more you know, the
better your luck.
> --- Is such a thing possible?
Of course it is.
> --- Do any of you start shooting a scene without first consulting a meter;
> relying only on your familiarity with basic photographic principles (e.g.
> sunny 16 rule and its variants) and your own assessment of a particular
> scene?
I used to do it a lot, and then got tied into using meters. When I
tried shooting without a meter recently I screwed up because I'd
been out of practice.
> --- If so, how did you develop the skill?
Practice, practice, practice. Shoot some film, take good notes,
process the film, see how good/bad the results are.
> I guess the question comes down to this :
> --- If a camera body, lens and meter are all photographic tools one may use
> to produce a desired result, is the meter a tool of necessity or one of
> converniance ?
IMO, it's a matter of convenience.
> Or to put it another way:
> --- To what extent should a photographer rely on metering devices (either
> built-in or external)?
I suppose it's up to the photographer and the equipment s/he uses.
Personally, I'd be thrilled if I could go back to shooting meterless
most of the time, and getting good results while so doing. I have
to practice the technique more.
--
Shel Belinkoff
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
There are no rules for good photographs,
there are only good photographs.
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