SPOT METERING for EXPOSURE

This is a basic tutorial of what spot metering means, why I use it and how you can
possibly benefit from this method of reading the light to set exposure. If you
understand what happens when you push the shutter and the camera sensors measure
the correct light for the shot, skip all the prologue and go directly to Come on, get
to the tut below. That tut is mostly images followed with a few hints at the end.
Preliminary information is for those who might need it to have a slightly better
understanding of what goes on with the camera exposure and how spot metering differs
from the other methods of reading correct light for the scene.

Camera Used: Nikon D70, chosen over my D200 because of the very accurate spot
reading of this camera. Lenses: Sigma F/4.0 100mm-300mm full frame, Nikon 18mm-
200mm F/3.5-F/5.6.

CONTENTS OF THE TUT
Middle Gray: The essential ingredient to accurate spot metering.
Tutorial Based on Images: My feeling is that seeing images is the easiest way to learn
the value and application of spot metering.
How to Take a Spot Reading
Hints on Where to Read for a Spot Metering
Final Words

WHAT IS EXPOSURE METERING?
In a nutshell, exposure metering is the means of telling the camera how much light will
expose the film or digital sensor. Too little light means underexposed with loss of
shadow detail while too much light means overexposed and blown out highlights.

To help us get past the problems of over or under exposing a shot, camera makers have
come up with clever and often quite effective means of measuring the light needed for
the image at hand. There are basic auto or semi auto exposure methods found in most
digital cameras. An alternative is to use a handheld light meter and set exposure
manually. Another method is to use your experience and basic rules like one called
sunny sixteen to set the exposure. In this basic tut, I will only consider the semi auto
priority mode in-camera exposure methods and hone in on the metering area called
SPOT.

MIDDLE GRAY - ESSENTIAL TO METERING
What is Middle Gray and Why is it Important?

Middle gray is considered the central tone of gray from the extremes of white to black.
Ansel Adams came up with this idea as part of his zone system of photography, a
subject too complicated and advanced to consider here. To keep in mind: The idea is
that if the film or sensor is metered to middle gray, the rest will fall into place and be
properly exposed. Think of middle gray as the center tone of the image, the main part
of correct exposure. The whites and blacks fall according to where middle gray is. If you
expose for whites, the shadows go dark. If you expose for darks, the whites may be too
white or blown out. To expose for middle gray is what the camera meter does and
considers this value the central part of light in the shot, with whites and black falling off
on the sides.
Middle gray is officially (in the USA), a tone of gray which reflects 18% of the light
striking it back to the camera. Camera sensor meters and hand held light meters vary a
little one way or the other on this 18% figure so dont be concerned with it more than
what I have said.

Why Middle Gray is Important in Spot Metering.

The idea is to choose a spot in the view which is close to middle gray, even
though you see it in color. You have to use your imagination here or practice and see
what colors are close to middle gray. With the spot chosen and if it is close to middle
gray, the image should be properly exposedor at least the portion of the view you really
need to be properly exposed. For instance, if the sky is very bright and you are taking
a shot of the trunk of tree in some shadow, with sky in the view the camera auto
metering may average the scene and leave the sky just fine but the tree trunk in dark
shadow. To spot meter, you choose a portion of the image you WANT to be seen as
middle gray. You choose a spot not so dark as the tree trunk but much less bright than
the sky. You take the shot. The sky may be overexposed but the tree trunk will be close
to what you want and not buried in shadow. This is a personal choice of the sort of
image you want to have when the shutter is pushed. The first set of images will show
exactly what this is all about and give an idea of how it works with actual photos.

To see middle gray, go to a photo shop and purchase a gray card. This is a cardboard or
plastic card with a surface which is of the middle gray tone. To use the card to
determine exposure, spot on the card while it is placed in the scene, remove the card and
shoot. (Manual exposure would be needed for this in most cases unless you have very
long arms or an assistant to remove the card while your exposure is locked.) This
method should produce the best overall exposure for the scene at hand. Remember,
extremes of white and dark may still cause problems but may be of artistic interest.
Exposure can often be a compromise of shadow and highlight; spot metering gives you
some control on what is and what is not compromised.

BASIC EXPOSURE METHODS. First of all, the amount of light the film or sensor
receives depends on two settings: Shutter Speed and Aperture. A change in either will
change the exposure. Automatic camera settings choose a basic exposure which should
give consistent results. Shutter priority settings change the aperture (think opening to
the lens through which the light passes) and maintain the same shutter speed: You
choose shutter speed and the camera then adjusts the aperture to provide the exposure.
Aperture priority allows you to control the opening the light passes through and
thereby the amount of light. Aperture will determine to the greatest extent the depth of
field of the shotwhat is in focus and what is not. Adjustments to aperture will have a
corresponding auto adjustment of shutter speed, finding a suitable combination of
speed and the chosen aperture opening to provide correct exposure for a normal shot.
Either way, with auto exposures, the combinations of speed and aperture will add up to
essentially the same exposure.

In manual mode, you choose both speed and aperture.

EV Compensation. One of the handy additions to many cameras is a built in EV
adjustment. EV means exposure value. Change the EV by 1 (1 EV) and you either halve
the light or double it, that all depends on whether you go down by 1 EV and cut the light
down or go up 1 EV, doubling the amount of light. One EV is the same as a full stop in
aperture or halving or doubling the shutter speed. Keep this feature in mind. Check if
you camera offers EV adjustment. (The camera may allow to 1/3 EV steps and
perhaps up to 3 EV adjustments either way.) This is one method to help fine tune a shot
to the correct lighting. EV adjustment is very handy when you use spot metering since
all spots may not be middle gray or you may consistently spot too dark or too bright.

Adjustments can be made in manual mode, certainly, simply by changing the shutter
speed or the aperture, with no reliance on the built-in EV button adjustments.
However, if shooting in either priority mode, the camera will adjust the speed or
aperture depending on if you are shooting in shutter or aperture priority. For instance,
if in aperture priority with an aperture of say, F/8, with a shutter speed of 1/125 sec, if
you want more light and go up 1 EV the camera will maintain the chosen aperture of F/8
and double shutter open time to 1/60 sec.

THREE BASIC IN-CAMERA METERING AREAS

Averaged or Matrix Metered: The camera averages the scene light to provide a balance
from dark to light tones and hopefully provide the correct exposure.

Center Weighted: The camera will again average the light but will give more value to the
light values in the central part of the view. Many photographers prefer this method to
others. You are essentially telling the camera this is what to use to set the exposure.

Spot Metered: The camera reads a much more narrow part of the view and determines
exposure from this more limited area of the view. You are essentially telling the camera
that the light in the spot is used to set the exposure and to ignore the light in the rest
of the view. Keep in mind, many cameras provide spot metering. The real difference
between camera models is the size of the spot used to measure the light. Check your
manual to see a comparative size of the spot used by the camera meter;* the larger the
spot, the less accurate is spot metering. The smaller the spot, the more accurate is the
light reading of that spot. A large spot may contain many different elements of light
while the smaller or narrow spot may be more limited to a selected tonality in the view.
You are the one who chooses the spot! Choose it right and all is fine. Choose incorrectly
and the image will suffer from over or underexposure. With a zoom lens, you can help
to overcome some of the problems of a camera with a large spot reading. I will tell
about that trick a bit later.

*Link to one sites comparison of different camera spot metering capabilities:
http://spotmetering.com/1deg.htm

WHY I USE SPOT METERING. I use this metering method most of the time, being
used to it. In general, the method is most valuable in difficult lighting situations, such
as backlit scenes or interior shots with all sorts of window light and interior shadow, or
with a subject perhaps in sun or shade with contrasting background. In these
situations, spot metering lets you choose the part of the scene you want properly
exposed and not blown out or darkened in shadow. When you choose the spot, this may
not and likely is not the same as the main subjectthe spot is a part of the image
which to your mind is closest to middle gray. Averaged and Center Weighted work just
fine for many shots but for some shots, Spot metering does best.
ACTUAL IMAGES ARE A GOOD WAY TO UNDERSTAND THE
DIFFERENCES. Note: Unless noted with an image, I have not post-worked or
tweaked images except for sharpening. Illustrations were taken with both averaged and
spot metered scenes or only with spot metering. A circle on the image shows where the
spot reading was taken. Use spot metering when you believe it is advantageous. Yet, to
learn this tool, you must try it enough not to be frustrated with your choices of spots.
The learning curve is fairly easy.

A si de note: On a r ecent tr i p, I fi lled a 2 gi g card wi th raw shots. Of those
shots, about 2/ 3 were spot metered and the other 1/ 3
r d
exposed wi th
averaged meteri ng. You see, when i n si tuati ons where I do not trust the
average li ghti ng of the vi ew to di ctate the exposure, that i s when I use spot
meteri ng. For example, this tree frog was shot behind glass in a strangely lit
enclosure. I felt averaged metering would not do the job. This one was spot metered on
a portion of the frog and the branch, hoping for an average close to middle gray. This
one could use some levels adjustment. Why do you think I did not spot directly on the
frog?


Now, look at a preliminary set of simple telephoto shots of a scene with lots of contrasts.
The white vehicle in the partial sun and the dark colored truck and background make for
less than ideal lighting.





Notice in the image above, we have grass and can see it. The metering is why.




Too light a spot darkened the entire image. This was done for example of results.

Middle Gray Images, with the spot varied. The camera assumes when you spot
meter that the spot is what you believe is middle gray or creatively what you
want to represent middle gray. All other tones fall off to white and black relative
to the central point of middle gray you select. This method offers lots of versatility in
how your image is exposed, by your choice of where to place middle gray by choosing
your spot you decide what is light and what is dark in the image.

The camera averaged or matrix metered exposure chooses it for you. Sometimes, that
works just fine. With difficult scenes, averaged metering may not cut it, either going to
shadow or blowing out highlights. You still only have a certain range of light to work
with, much less than with our eyes. Why not choose the range you want to work with for
a particular shot instead of the camera doing it for you with camera controlled results?
Spot metering is only another tool in the bag when you are on a photo shoot...to be
used when you believe it is advantageous. Yet, to learn this tool, you must try it
enough not to be frustrated with your choices of spots.

Here are examples of a standard gray card with a white and a black to the sides. Look
what happens when I spot on the middle gray, then the white, then the black card.
The camera thinks because I chose the spot, that is supposed to be middle gray and
adjusts the exposure accordingly.



Text too small in the images? The first is spotted on black. The cam chose 1/25 sec.
The next spotted on a gray card, the cam choose 1/100 sec. The last is spotted on white
paper, with speed of 1/600 sec. That is the difference the spot makes in extreme from
black to white. From my experience, I will generally pick a spot and find it to be a little
to the left or right of the proper exposure (center image) but not anywhere near the
extremes - spotting on the extremes does not make sense unless you deliberately want to
manipulate the exposure for some creative reason.

Much of this tutorial is not how to since that is mostly learned. The tutorial is to show
you what may be accomplished to gain correct or artistic expression of exposure using
spot metering. Most of the tutorial is simply examples with the scene shot. My desire is
that in seeing these images, you will better understand why spot metering is a valuable
asset in your toolbox.

Example of using EV Compensation to fine tune exposure with the above images as
example:

If the spot was very dark, for instance, as in the left image, compare exposures: The left
image is 1/25 sec. Whites are overexposed. One stop faster gives 1/50 sec. and another
gets you to 1/100 sec. and exposure would be like the center image (1/100 sec). The
black is 2 full stops off the correct exposure (usually it doesnt work out so neatly)!
Generally, no one is going to choose a spot in the first place that is full 2 stops or so off
and adjustments are generally less than 1 stop. With practice, you will be surprised how
often you get the spot dead on for a fine exposure. EV Compensation is a fine way to
fine tune exposure. You might find your camera is always shooting a little bright or a
little dark. EV Compensation can take care of that.

A special note about EV Compensation. Follow this simple thought: Dont
think so much about the why explained below. 1) Spot meter for exposure.
2) Look at the led viewer. If the image is too dark, go up some EV, if too light, go down.
Best of all is to find a spot close to middle gray and not need any compensation to adjust
at all.

EV Compensation can be a very confusing thing to understand when using spot
metering. Normally, you use EV compensation to add light or remove light. If the shot
is too dark, you up the EV. If too bright, you lower the EV. With spot metering you are
looking for middle gray, not to brighten or darken the image specifically. What
happens with a spot reading that is too dark or too light is this: The whole scale is
shifted. Suppose your middle finger is middle gray with white to the right finger and
black to the left. If you spot a place that is darker than middle gray, you move the
cameras thinking. The camera thinks that the darker spot is middle gray. The whole
scale moves and the camera then thinks the darker spot should be the middle finger,
moving the whites even further to the right. This means the entire scene will be too
light, too bright. EV can be used to bring the scale back to the middle (to the left on your
fingers) and that means lowering the EV compensation. Less light brings the spot
back to the middle location. You are using EV to correct the spot, not directly lighten or
darken the image. If confused, forget it and just see the images here. Use those as
examples and get out and try it. That is the best learning methodexperience. In fact,
rarely do I actually use EV Compensation when spot metering; I simply look for a spot
and go with it. Generally, that is close enough to get the job done.

Come on, get to the tut!
Here it is for what my simple knowledge understands. Please see the scenes and decide
for yourself which show advantages of using spot metering.

The main thing to do is get out, take shots and see what happens! Reading
where to spot is not easy at first but the learning is easy and remembered from
experience.

If spot metering does not suit the scene, by all means use averaged metering or center
weighted. All are tools in you camera and are there for you to use to your advantage.

LEARNING EXAMPLES AND HOW I DID IT ARE NEXT.
Two Images, same day with different lighting - Think Skin.
The first image would likely have done just as well if averaged metering was used. I
took the spot on the shoulder of the middle rower. The second image likely would not
work well if averaged metering was used. The water is much brighter than the rowers.
Notice the brightness of the water compared to the spot area of the central rower. That
is why I choose to spot on the face area of the middle rower (think skin), to prevent the
white boat from blowing out and to keep the rowers out of shadow. An averaged reading
would be affected by the bright water. Both came out at F/6.3, 1/1250 sec., 300mm.
DIFFICULT LIGHTING

This Downy Woodpecker
was in shadow against a
bright sky. Averaged
metering only would give me
a bright sky and the
woodpecker in shadow with
little detail.

I spotted on the wings of the
bird, hoping the dark and
whitish areas would be close
to a middle gray overall.

It worked and I got the
woodpecker even if the sky
did blow out a bit.

Unfortunately, the shutter
was slow and the bird
moved and I shook, creating
a less than sharp image.

This is one example of spot
metering to capture a
subject which would not be
exposed nearly as well with
programmed averaged
settings.

The sacrifice to get the image was lighting of the bright blue sky. This was another of the
compromises faced in difficult lighting situations.
















Two Different Spot Readings of the Same Scene - Dramatic Results!
Note: The darker spot reading rendered a brighter image. The lighter spot gave a
darker image. The camera took the spot as middle ground and worked from there.
Following is an example of averaged metering gone awry, if only slightly blowing out
the highlights. The sun was harsh, at the direct right at 2 0clock. I chose to spot meter
directly on the bunny rabbit. This shot came out a bit darker but was exactly 1 stop less
exposure than the averaged metering shot. I would rather work with the spot metered
one than the average metered shot. Highlights are under control.

Note: If using a priority mode such as shutter or aperture, using averaged metering,
you could match the shot which was spot metered by going down 1 EV, meaning 1 full
stop in aperture (move to a higher number) or by changing the shutter speed to twice
the speed to darken the image. (With luck, the shots are exactly 1 EV or full stop apart).
You must either use manual to do this or use an EV adjustment on the camera. If in a
priority mode, to only change the shutter speed or aperture will accomplish nothing
since the camera will change the other setting to compensatesame exposure with a
different combination of settings. Using EV is easy if your camera has that option. For
me, the quick solution was to simply spot meter the bunny, saving all the hassle of
going to manual or playing with the playback then with EV Compensation...the bunny
would likely leap into the bushes and be gone. The darker spot metered image may be
lightened a bit easily in most photo editing programs.

The actual shots came out like this:
Averaged Metering: F/8.0 1/200 sec. Spot Metered: F/8.0 1/400 sec.

You see, when using spot metering, all depends on the spot chosen. My spot was a little
bright (the bunny) making the entire shot a little dark. It was the best choice at the
time. Highlights on the clover were not blown out in the spotted shot. In averaged
metered, the highlights were too bright.

Bunniesnext page.



HOW TO TAKE A SPOT READING

There are a limited number ways to take a spot reading with your camera; yet it can be
done with success and allow a shot to work well which otherwise might call for deletion!

Remember: All cameras with a spot capacity are not alike. My Nikon D70 is at the top
of the list of in-camera spot reading because the spot is small. My D200 does a fine
job, too, but is lower on the list. You will need to check your manual or the link on page
3 to see if the size of the spot is shown. Often this is in strange to understand mm size
on the view or percent of the view. Generally, spot reading is measured in degrees of
angle and not the mm size of the spot on the view. Hand held meters have spot reading
capability and some more than others. My Sekonic will do it will but the add-on viewer
is not inexpensive and the x in the spot is difficult to see in some lighting. Still, for a
truly accurate (meaning small) spot, the hand held meter with spot is one way to go. I
find modern cameras have really good exposure metering and use a hand-held meter
rarely...using studio lights is one place it is needed.

Ok, how to do Spot Metering in the camera. Zoom in on the subject as close as
can be and do your reading. If you have exposure lock this is where it is really handy.
You get the reading, lock the exposure and zoom back to the view you want to shoot.
Without exposure locking capability, you have to get the reading from the zoom and
then go to manual to take the pic at the un-zoomed position. This might be too much to
be concerned with and take too much time. Try center weighted metering and see how
that works out.

To complicate matters, many zooms drop the max aperture at full zoom. For instance, a
lens that is a zoom and a F/2.8 F/5.6 will drop to a max of F/5.6 at full zoom.
Generally, you will not need to shoot the shot below 5.6 and this should work fine.
Some lenses will compensate for the change in zoom and refigure the aperture when you
zoom back. Exposure lock is needed for this.

A time consuming but workable method for cameras with changeable lenses is to change
to a telephoto and take a reading then record it, go to manual and use the lens you want
with that exposure reading. This method does work but the scene needs to be
unmoving, like the interior of a cathedral or such with problematic window light and
shadows in the details of the interior. Spot reading is a true asset in such an extreme
situation but you have to find the means to take the reading with the equipment you
have.

What to look for in the reading has already been explained in text and images: A middle
gray to balance the scene and keep as best you can the shadows or highlights from giving
an adverse exposure reading. You are looking for the compromise between shadow and
highlight which gives the best exposure.

If this is confusing, simply look at the photo examples and see what happened in those
real life examples.



HINTS ON WHERE TO READ A SPOT

Today, modern digital cameras have sophisticated and quite accurate metering systems.
Many folks who have recently taken up photography depend solely on these in-camera
methods to expose a picture. Years ago, this was not the case. Photographers had to
know several methods of finding the correct exposure and some of it was trial and error.
From this, a few basic rules of thumb emerged and some of these apply to spot
metering. I will mention grass and skin.

A sports photographer may rely on one metering. He will pick a spot and get an idea of
exposure. He may stick with this for much of his shooting. A journalist who is in a
hurry to get a shot will have little time to get ready and will often shoot the best
opportunity, no chance to pose a shot. Some hints can be learned from these
photographers.

SHOW ME SOME SKINOR SHOW ME THE GRASS.

Skin is a fairly good part of a viewfinder scene to take an exposure. Generally, a cheek or
a face will give a decent exposure but might need to be raised up 1 EV. With a very fair
skinned person, the reading may be a tad too bright and you might want to go up more.
If the person is of dark skin, the reading might be an EV or two too dark and you will
need to drop the EV.* With the general Caucasian and Asian face, the reading will work
with a setting of about dead-on to about 1EV up. Still, a cheek is a good place to take a
spot reading. *Remember, a bright spot makes the image darker since the meter thinks
the bright spot is middle gray. The opposite is true with a dark spota bright cheek
(brighter than middle gray) makes the image darker. The dark cheek (darker than
middle gray) makes the image brighter. Look back at the shots of the black, gray and
white cards to see what I mean. Also, look at the pictures of the girl rowers.
That skin tone worked fine as spotted, no correction needed.

Show me your palms! The palm of the hand is considered and old standby for exposure.
A palm is fairly consistent with most people but might be a tad too bright. Try it and
see. Then you will know how to set the EV to use a palm reading. The palm should fill
the frame and be in the same light as the shot, no need to be in focus for the reading.
This gives you exposure and a little EV adjustment will fine tune it. You can use this to
keep those fair skinned folks from blowing out and having even whiter skin in the photo!

A sports photographer might use green grass in normal lighting for the exposure
reading. Green grass and green tree leaves are a good stand-by and often available.
These are often close to middle gray if seen without the color. Be sure the lighting on
the grass or leaves is the same as for the scene you want to shoot.

Clouds with a patch of gray also make a good place to spot. Did you see the shots of a
lake view with two different spot readings? That should tell the tale. A deep blue sky will
often also provide a decent spot reading.

REFLECTION. This can mess up taking a spot reading big time. Suppose you spot on
some tree leaves in the scene but do not notice the leaves are like little mirrors reflecting
bright spots of light? The reading will be off. Try to use grass or leaves without
obvious highlights. Often, there is more light coming back to you than you might think.
Remember the first image, the tree frog? I chose the strange spot and not directly on
the frog because the frog was shiny, like plastic. I believed the frog would reflect too
much light and was a poor spot. Who knows for certain since that shot was not taken.
As is, the image can be easily corrected in software without blown highlights.

My Recommendation
Try spot metering and see how it suits you. There are shots begging for more accurate
metering than an averaged scene can do. Try center weighted and see how that works.
The camera has metering options for a reason, simply that these are tools to be used as
you choose. One metering method will work better than others, all depending on the
shot at hand.

Final note: All this talk about EV has me confused! If this is confusing do
not think so much of what it isjust try it! You will see the difference it makes. Then
run with it. Think of EV as one full stop, meaning either one full aperture change or
halving or doubling the shutter speed. Generally, EV Compensation may be done in 1/3
to 1/2 stops. If your camera has EV control, allowing you to go up or down in exposure,
this is an excellent tool to learn to use with either aperture or shutter priority modes. If
you camera does not have EV adjustment, you can still try spot metering and be fairly
successful.

WE USE PHOTO EDITING SOFTWARE FOR A REASON.
Keep in mind, who prints or posts to the web or does anything with a photo straight
from the camera? Most of us do not. We go to PhotoShop, PaintShopPro or some other
photo editing software to make adjustments. If you spot a bit off perfect - we who use
this method do once in a while simply go to your photo software and make corrections.
Highlights are to be kept in mind since too bright an image blows out the highlights and
that data is essentially gone for ever. I personally would rather be little bit too dark and
up levels than to have blown out highlights. If you shoot Raw, your raw converter will
allow enough exposure adjustment to take care of slightly missed spot meter readings.

The choice of how to expose a particular photo scene is up to you. Modern cameras have
fine auto exposure but the other tools like spot metering and center weighted offer true
advantages in some situations. Believe it or not, manual exposure is great, too. Get
familiar with these tools and your photos will get better and your creativity may even
come up a notch. Thats how I feel about it.

I hope this rambling tutorial said enough and not too much. I hope you will try the tools
in your camera, thinking through your shots before pushing the shutter. Then your eye
behind the viewfinder may create wonderful photographs with a refreshed sense of who
controls the outcome.

Final Thoughts
This tutorial is written to help you, as others have helped me from their personal
experience and acquired knowledge. What is presented here was done from my
personal experience and hopefully beneficial to others.


Text and all images Thomas Haynes. Tutorial written May, 2007.