I understand you can use your palm as a light meter. If I take a reading from my palm (same light as the subject) and it gives me a reading of 1/250 f 5.6, then I would adjust my settings to 1/125 f 5.6. OR 1/125 f 8.0 Is this correct..based on your palm being 1 stop brighter?
2007-01-30 05:57:26 · 5 answers · asked by cindy 1 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Visual Arts ➔ Photography
incident meters are designed to take an average of light and give you an exposure based upon an 18% grey card. That is a card that is exactly 50% black and 50% white. It has a reflectancy of 18%. Your palm has a reflectancy of 36% typically. That means taking a reading off your hand in the same light will give you an exposure to render your hand 18% grey rather than 36% grey. So you have to open up one stop in order to get the correct exposure. Base on the information you presented if the reading is 1/250 F5.6 then you would use 1/125 at 5.6. You can then vary the aperture and fstop inversely based upon this reading (i.e. 1/250 F4.0 or 1/500 f2.8 or 1/60 f8 etc.
make sure that you do not cast a shadow with your body on your hand. Also make sure that you are holding your hand in the exact light (For example don't stand under a tree or roof overhang and expect the subject in the distance to read the same.
2007-01-30 15:21:22 · answer #1 · answered by viclioce 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That is an old trade that works in many general settings.
The truth is that the meter to measure light particle synapse
was recently moved from top secret to digital studio. A piece
that is not on sale on the counter, it is not complex, it is not
expensive, a light meter should apply to the actual photo style
and equipment. Outdoor shooting is the area that needs even
further meter calls, such as wind, moisture, and clouds. The
sweetest shots are very still life in their sale, just a reality. In
taking hand palm meter shooting, two older notes on the right
hand towards the sun, the greater distancing of the light is now
also variations in term, 2 feet per shadow entry. Also in the
left hand low shots on the ground, the vortex is equal to the
growth of the solar chip, brightness need be reduced. Take
a look at this paper enhancement study for laying out shots.
http://www.paper.com
2007-01-30 07:45:23 · answer #2 · answered by mtvtoni 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes... It will give you a good guide, with two caveats. Your palm needs to be at the same distance and angle to the lighting source as the subject. Shutter speed is of little consequence on a still subject as long as you are using a tripod. Changing aperture changes depth of field. If you want your subject in crisp focus and the background indistinct use a low aperture (e.g. F 2.8), If you want both your subject and the background in sharp focus use a higher setting (e.g. F 16)
Remember 1 step down in shutter speed equals 1 step up in aperture. That's why they are such strange numbers, they're calibrated that way.
Then bracket your shots with various settings to get exactly what you want!
2007-01-30 06:31:48 · answer #3 · answered by Gordon B 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
As a rough tool, it works...you will probably need to fine tune it according to skin shade. Not a bad choice if you forget to bring a gray card. Be sure your palm is angled in the same fashion as your subject, facing your camera. Also, if you are not sure, be sure to bracket.
2007-01-30 06:15:34 · answer #4 · answered by Ken F 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
just out of curiosity, why would you want to meter your hand when you can meter your subject instead?
2007-02-03 02:56:35 · answer #5 · answered by cheeken lita 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋