Spotmeter.A good spotmeter is a luxury for most
photographers. It is an invaluable tool, especially if you
are working outdoors. The value of a spot meter is that
you can use it to compare exposure values within the
scene, something you can’t do as critically with an inci-
dent meter. For example, you can look at the highlights
in your subject’s hair, which may be illuminated by sun-
light and compare that reading to the exposure on the
subject’s face, which may be illuminated by a reflector. If
the hair is more than two stops brighter than your expo-
sure, you will know that you need to adjust one or the
other to maintain good detail in both areas. Similarly, in
the studio, you can use the spotmeter to check on the
values created by various lights, reading them individually
or collectively.File Format.
DSLRs offer the means to shoot in several modes, but
the two most popular ones are JPEG and RAW. Each
mode has some advantages and drawbacks.
JPEG.Shooting in the JPEG Fine mode (sometimes
called JPEG Highest Quality) creates smaller files, so you
can save more images per CF card or storage device. The
smaller file size also allows you to work much faster.24 CHILDREN’S PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY HANDBOOK
LEFT—This wonderful image calledGalaxywas photographed in RAW camera mode and processed in Adobe Camera Raw, with minor
adjustments, including a tonal alteration. The photographer then enhanced the image in Photoshop. Photograph by Kersti Malvre.
RIGHT—For Kersti Malvre, digital is an extension of her creativity that allows her to push the art form further. But she likes to maintain
the integrity of a photographic image rather than manipulating it into something too wild. She says, “I can explore all the possibilities
of color and mood and access all the incredible creative choices that Photoshop offers.”