LIGHT METERS
Lightmetersareindispensablein thestudio environment
andarevitalformeasuringthecorrectexposurelevelsof
your portraits.They arerelatively simple to operate: by
settingthecorrectISO(thesameISOasthecameraisset
to)andshutterspeedintothelightmeter,thephotographer
is then able to take a correct ƒ-stop reading from the
subject towards the key light. This typeof metering is
calledanincidentreadingandproducesthemostconstant
results.
Life’s light. Life is light. You can make light do
anything you want to. Photography means ‘light
writing’.- L. Ron Hubbard
Thephotographershouldfirstplacethesubjectinposition,
thenputthekeylightontothesubject,andtakeareading
fromthefaceofthesubjectbacktowardthekeylight.This
readingwilldeterminetheƒ-stopvalueofthelighthitting
thesubject,andthusbethevaluethecameraissetto,for
anaccurateexposure.Allotherlightsandreflectorsadded
shouldbebalancedinratiowiththekeylightorlights,and
shouldcomplementthekeylightandnotfightagainstit.If
the ratios are incorrect, the portrait can become flat,
uninteresting or unflattering.
Whensettingupstudiolights,thephotographerwillneed
totakea fewtestshotsto determinewhatthecamerais