Spot Measuring for Better Exposure
You may have experienced a situation in which the light around you was uneven, harsh, dark or bright. This type of situation happens all too often if you’re not and shooting in a studio.
Your camera comes with a spot metering feature that will help you get the right exposure for your subject.
Find your Spot Meter
You can spot-meter in manual mode as well as priority modes. It is easier to spot-meter in Manual mode because it gives you the most control. Check your camera’s user manual to see how you can turn on spot-metering.
You will see in the lower row of settings on the top screen of your camera or in the viewfinder. It is a row with dots and a needle at the center.
To achieve correct exposure you should aim to have your exposure dead-center on the needle. This is where the arrow points in the image.
SPOTLIGHT METERING EXAMPLES
Here are a few examples of how spot metering can be extremely useful:
Example 1.
Imagine you’re photographing a person who has a bright backlight. Most likely, if you let the camera auto-expose it will expose correctly for the backlighting and leave your subject underexposed.
In this case, you should point your camera at the subject and press the shutter halfway down. After that, change your shutter speed or aperture until the line is aligned with the needle in the middle. You will need to use a slower shutter and a larger aperture if your subject is backlit.
Example 2.
Imagine the opposite. You want to expose the light behind the subject so that it appears as a outline.
In this situation, you’d need to spot-meter the brightest light spot behind your subject. So, your subject will be in silhouette and the bright light will be properly exposed.
You may need to adjust your exposure a little darker to get the subject to appear in full silhouette.