Alex's Photography: Photographic Theory and Practice

Metering modes
In photography there are 3 different types of light meter modes these are:-Evaluative Metering (on Canon cameras), or Evaluative/Matrix Metering (on Nikon cameras) this is usually the default metering mode on most cameras. -Partial Metering (on Canon cameras), or Spot Metering (on Nikon cameras) this metering mode is used for when the photographer wants to expose a certain part of the photo because the camera reads the lighting on one specific spot.

Center-Weighted Average Metering (on Canon cameras), or Center-Weighted Metering (on Nikon cameras) this metering mode gives priority to the center of the photo but also takes the surrounding areas into consideration. Because it focuses on the center of the photo it is best to use this setting then subject is placed in the middle of the photo.

Zone System

The Zone System was a technique made by Ansel Adams and Fred Archer in 1930. The zone system was made to best ensure the right lighting and the right exposure in every situation. The zone system is many used when the camera is tricked in to thinking a scene is too bright or to dark when it’s actually not. Even though the zone system was originally made when only black and white was used it is also applicable to roll film, colour, negative and reversal and digital photography.

The Middle Grey

The middle grey meter is designed to give you photographer the right readings of exposure in average circumstances. When the camera looks at a scene it will read it as an average reflectance which is 18%, this is middle grey. When camera looks at a scene and it is too bright it will darken the photo causing under-exposure, but if the photo is to dark it brightens it up causing over exposure.

Reflective and Incident metering

There are two ways of measuring light when taking a photo the most common one is a reflective reading this the one which the camera aromatically uses, it work by picking up how much light is being reflected off of the main focus in the image. Incident lighting is when you have a separate reader, this is mainly used in a studio or somewhere where lighting is controlled, it is used for things such as portraits, product, fashion and still life, incident measuring take an exposure measurement straight from the light source which is being used.