Kostas Kavoussanakis wrote:
- The rule of thumb says that, in order to get a very snowy picture to look white, you add +2 to whatever the (say, CW) meter says. Will the +2 correction work with a white flower on a macro (ie mostly white) shot?
+2 should give you texture but the highlights might blow out. You need to spot meter the brightest part of the subject. You might have better luck with +1 1/2.
- How many stops between 18% gray and pure white? Is it 2, as per the rule of thumb?
It depends on the medium. Slide film is 2 1/2 stops from medium gray to textureless white. It's probably more than that for print film. I have no idea what the dynamic range is in digital sensors.
- Assume a backlit (setting sun, still white light) white flower. How do you meter that sod?
I do it the same way. Spot meter the flower from the shooting side and expose 1 1/2 to 2 stops above medium tone (for slide film).
The palm method does not work, I don't think,
because the white flower-petals are translucent but the palm isn't. If you get the palm to face the source of light, one's metering device/own body shadows it. Or can you take an accurate enough reading even if spot metering the palm from an angle?
I don't think reflective metering would work with a backlit transluscent flower.
Tom Reese
