Preferred style of Shooting

[munkey]

Hi ya'll fella newbs or pros.. jus wanted ta ask a qn of preference. When you guys shoot, do you use spot metering w center focus if your camera has it, or perhaps centre weighted average with joystick etc? This is usually for non-Manual mode of shooting rite

Cos when i use Average priority with my spot metering, it kinda fks up my exposures, on say an outdoors shoot with harsh lightings, when its supposed to be helpful.. Do suggest guys. thanks.

X

 

[Dream Merchant]

Fisrt off - I LURVE this series, esp this shot: http://theserialhobbyist.multiply.com/photos/album/4/Personal#7

In cam 'spot' meters are not really spot meters, but more like restricted area meters. Spot meter covers 1 deg, cam spot meters give you anything from 3 - 5 deg.

If you meter anything that is close to a bright edge (as you mentioned, in strongly back-lit scenes), that will affect the accuracy of the reading as there is usually some 'bleeding' effect into the 3-5 deg.

Also, you need to choose which are to meter correctly.

Move in or zoom in if you are using constant apeture zooms and take the reading making sure no bright areas or high contrast areas come close to the 'spot' meter circle.

Hope this helps.

 

[munkey]

Well yeah, say you are shooting lightweight, maybe with a canon dslr and prime without flash .. so that rules out the compensatory effect from fill flash. That aside.. i'm beginning to re learn how i take photos again.

They always say aim for the eye, sharpest, gives the image life, that kinda stuff. But after switching to spot metering, when i aim for the eye, its mostly the pupil (black part) that i aim for. As such, the camera is tricked into metering a DARK area, and miscompensates by producing an overexposed picture. Similarly, when metering say Av mode again off somebody's white clothes, what you will get in return is a grossly underexposed picture, and it certainly does not help if you are shooting against the light to mess things up more.

Some help here? And thanks for your kind comments

x

 

[stupidbloke]

well then, i would suggest then, if you wish to be a little more hardworking, bracketing. which means shoot 3 pictures plus minus 0.3 or 0.7 stops in burst mode and use pp blend. either that or just choose which one u like best.

its a hell alot more work. personally i dont use this unless there is a great contrast in lighting. i shoot on manual, use centre weighted metering and adjust my settings first then recompose to autofocus.

 

[zhuangzhou]

Hi, I was thinking we could properly zoom in with the spot meter to lock exposure first, before going on to decide how we should lock focus. I know this may make the process of photography more troublesome, and also, it is slower in dealing with quickly changing scenes, but at least that's a method if spot meters are your preference ?

Just my 2 cents...

 

[munkey]

Alright, fair enough, its just that with everyone raving about WOW THEY THREW IN SPOT METER WITH UR NEW DSLR i just thought its high time i tried it out.

Any of you non-purists like myself.. shooting with Av or non-manual modes in the above described situation, how do you usually go about it?
Is it just a 1) lock focus 2) recompose n shoot
or
1) AE get exposure 2) lock focus 3) recompose n shoot

im assuming everyone here is using the center focus ?

x

 

[Dream Merchant]

Read up about the principles and basics of light (in photogrphy) and basic photography/equipment (in context of modern digital equipment).

The problem is that most manufacturers seduce us into thinking that we do not have to think (very much) anymore ... what with all the modern wizzadry and technology.

Technology is only a tool or servant. Someone still has to be a master, and if the master doesn't know what's happening or why, sooner or later thing will become chaos.

 

[munkey]

Lol dude thanks for your insightful words which i will muse over. As for now what would a real-time strategy to conquer my inner demons be? Its late and i dont think ive got da time to explore the domineering and subservient roles of the camera et al. The camera is a tool of mine. I give it a pet name to respond to my (in)actions. I do hope that this doesnt hold true the other way around!

OT!

 

[Dream Merchant]

Exactly what do you need to shoot, and exactly what are the conditions, and do you really need to shoot it like by today?

I'm going off soon, and really would like to help give you capsule answers, but I suspect they may not be nearly adequete. No instant pill or magic potion was truly effective against a lack of understanding or 'inner demons'. Heck, those kind of battles go on for decades.

At any rate, the magic maggie mee answer you so desperately seek in relation to your original post is already in my first reply.

All the best in your battles.

 

[giantcanopy]

I spot meter and adjust the exposure as necessary, then focus and shoot.

Ryan