getting the right metering

On a recent trip to a nearby university, I was presented with a few light metering issues that we can discuss here. I didn't bring any lighting with me, so all these were taken with available light.

After being rightfully critiqued that my composition was "boring", I made more of an effort not to put the eyes of my subject in the middle of the viewfinder. This first pair of photos illustrates a number of technical challenges. The fact that I have 2 photos shows I couldn't get it right in one try, but that makes for a more effective demonstration.

First, on my camera, a Pentax K10-D, I have the options of spot metering, center weighted metering, and overall metering. I believe these two were center weighted metering. Spot metering requires me to use the center focus area to meter, and this is one thing I was trying to stay away from because then the subject that is metered also ends up in the center of the photo



In the photo at left, the person is shrouded in darkness, while the background is exposed properly. The photo at right shows the person exposed properly, while the background is completely blown out and you can't see the detail. Without the addition of more light, it was more important for me to get the subject exposed properly. I can think of a number of ways to do this, but do not know which would be "better". Joe McNally would leave his camera on matrix metering, and compensate for the bright door by adding exposure stops (maybe EV+1). This probably gives the most control, and takes the most skill. I could also change my camera setting to single shot mode (AF.S instead of AF.C), lock the exposure on the subject, then recompose the photo. This is problematic with the lens I use because the Pentax FA 50mm f1.4, while being a great portrait lens, is built on old film technology, and focuses really slowly. By putting the camera in single shot mode, I can not trigger the photo if it isn't in focus, so I would miss many photos while the camera takes too long to focus on a moving subject (I used a Nikon D90 the other day, and the focusing felt instantaneous by comparison). This is as bad as shutter lag.

By adding light, I could have taken the photo at left with the background in focus, and still lit the subject. This really isn't an option when you are chasing a kid around though. Also, I think it would have been a better photo if I had dropped down to the level of the subject. Again this is hard to do when you are chasing a kid around, but possible if I can work my camera and walk faster.


This next set of photos shows a few different technical challenges. Again, the fact that I have 2 photos shows that I didn't get it in one shot.


Again, these are shot in center weighted metering. On the photo at left, the shirt is perfectly exposed and you can see the details. At right, I adjusted to EV+1, and the shirt is a little blown out but the face is no longer in shadow.

First, the camera was almost sitting on the ground to take this photo. I think my next camera needs an articulating viewscreen so I can take these photos without laying on the ground.

The only way I can think of to fix this photo is to either light the face separately with an external flash, or try to photoshop it.

Or I could take the baseball cap off the subject's head when I take a photo. I did get one photo properly exposed when the subject lifted his head, but from a different angle. However, I do not think this photo is as interesting.