> >
> > --- 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?
>
Of course you can learn to evaluate most lighting conditions without the
aid of a meter. In some situations, such as direct sunlight, you can be
very accurate. Others are going to involve more of a guesstimate. But,
in my opinion, you will never be as accurate as you can be if you use a
meter AND your ability to analyze a lighting situation. The real key to
achieving that ability is to develop a clear understanding of what the
meter is actually measuring. When using a simple spot, center weighted
or averaging meter, you have to remember that the meter assumes that the
subject has 18% reflectance, the reflectance of a gray card. Thus, the
meter reading has to be considered in regard to the true reflectance of
the particular scene. What's more, the direction of the light must be
considered. If it's coming from behind the subject, an averaging or
center weighted meter will be fooled if direct light is in your frame
but the subject is in shadow. That's why a spot meter (and/or an
incident meter that measures the light source) is so valuable to the
photographer who chooses his exposures carefully. Yes, program modes of
contemporary cameras can correctly analyze most lighting situations, but
none is as powerful as that lump of gray matter on the top of your head.
A thorough knowledge of exposure, coupled with an analytic approach AND
a good meter is the best way to go.
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