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Re: [OM] To spot or not

Subject: Re: [OM] To spot or not
From: "Giles" <cnocbui@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 4 Aug 1999 00:36:36 +0000
For my tastes I find metering off the face alone (caucasian) produces a degree 
of 
underexposure.  I try to take a spot reading  off the subjects hair as well, 
especially the shadow area around the ears.  So I usually take one spot reading 
of 
the face and one of the hair, or sometimes just one of the hair.

Alternatively, I sometimes spot meter the face and the clothes, so long as they 
are 
darker than the face.

I very rarely use the exposure compensation dial at all.  I find it quicker to 
just 
bias the exposure by use of extra spot readings.  If, for example, I was doing 
a 
portrait of a bald caucasian wearing black, I might take two spot readings of 
the 
face and one of the clothes.

I use spot metering a lot and have found the 0f my shots with good exposures is 
far higher than when I used another brand of camera with just centre weighted 
metering.

I have found the use of a spot meter has been a tremendous learning tool which 
has 
made me think about the lighting and elements of a scene far more than I used 
to 
previously.  As a consequence, I reckon I could go back to my old centre 
weighted 
only camera and get a far higher 0f good exposures from it using the exposure 
compensation dial, or more likely, using it in manual mode.

I do not use the hi-lite and shadow buttons much.  However, when I have done 
they 
have worked very well.  In the Oly Gallery I have a shot of a doorway.  This 
photo I 
took not long after getting my 4Ti.  I wasn't too sure about the exposure but I 
knew 
the one effect I did want was of an inky black shadow through the partialy open 
door, so I spot metered that area and pressed the shadow button.  I have used 
the 
hi-lite button when photographing a white car in bright sunshine. I wanted the 
car 
to come out  white so hey presto.

Giles

Skip Williams 
wrote:

> 1. I find myself constantly wanting to take portraits, often side or
> backlit.  The CW metering gets confused in these situations.  A quick spot
> reading off the face of my subject and a flick of the memory-store lever

> >and/or highlight/shadow control. I'd be interested to hear from those that
> >regularly use these functions what techniques they've adopted and how
> >successful they are. Am I alone in using the C-W metering and occasional
> >exposure compensation with this camera? Although this works for me most of
> 

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