Quote:
Originally Posted by jasonjoo  . . . . . .
So then, if I needed to expose for the monitor itself, or lets say a bright neon light, I would have to take a reflective meter reading as opposed to the incident reading correct? |
If only the monitor, or the light, fills the entire frame, then you can take an incident reading of the light coming from the monitor. If you want the computer screen edges, the keyboard, or any other parts of the computer in the final image, then you need two meter readings to balance it out.
What you would do is rotate the head of your L-358 towards the monitor. Then take a reading. Then press the AVE./∆EV button, rotate the head of the L-358 away from the computer monitor, and take another reading. You should now have two dots on your display. Your correct exposure (like for transparency film), will be between those two readings. Depending upon which reading you expose closer to will determine how much the monitor affects exposure, and how much the light falling upon the computer affects exposure.
You basically have two light sources when you are photographing a computer or television. In a daylight lit room, the daylight will be much stronger than the monitor, so you would bias towards the daylight reading. In a dark room, with mostly the monitor visible, the monitor will provide most of the light, so bias towards that reading.
If you have time, or are not sure, then bracket shots (on transparency film) between the two reading. If you are shooting negative film, then any reading between the two should get you close enough.
Same applies for photographing neon lights. If you only want the neon lights, and everything else in the image dark or near black, then you bias towards the reading from the neon lights. It is still incident reading, though this time the light going towards the camera, and not that falling upon the subject.
It probably sounds counter-intuitive. If you take the time to run a roll of transparency film through a bracket test with one set-up, then you will get a better feel for this. Afterwards you should be able to handle any artificial light situation.
Anytime you are in a hurry with a set-up, either shoot negative film, or expect to bracket a few shots. The best looking exposure might not always be the technically correct reading.
Ciao!
Gordon Moat Photography
Linear Mode
