Pixiq

I have always been an advocate of using a light meter.   Knowing that you have the right exposure is not enough for mastering light.  You need to know where the light is falling on your subject and where it falls off.  When shooting close portraits of woman I usually want very even light, and in those situations I will meter my subjects entire face section by section.   I want to know the exposure in every section and where it falls off.

If I take one reading I may get F16.0 as a correct exposure but I need more information to really understand how the light is falling on my subject.  If I only read the histograms I will see that my image is exposed properly but still this will not tell me where the light is falling or where it falls off.  To get a proper reading of my subject I will read the middle of my subjects face and then the left side, right side, top and bottom.  I want to make sure the range of exposure stays within a third or less all around.  For for example, if the center of my subjects face is reading F 16.0, then I'd like the other readings to read between F16.0 to F16.3.  If the left side is reading 16.7 and the right side is reading 16. 0, then my light is off and I need to make an adjustment with the light direction.

All examples were shot with the Sony A900 using a 100 macro lens and Sekonic light meter.  The main light, which is also the only light, is a Profoto 8 foot umbrella with a small silver reflector underneath.  Sometimes less is more.

For more information about photography check out the instructional videos available in the Gallery Store.

Always Dream Big!