Friday, December 8, 2017

What is a Light Meter?

What is a Light Meter?

Photographers capture light rather than the subject from which light reflects. A light meter measures a subject's luminosity by gauging either reflective light or by incident light methods. Light meters measure either reflected light or incident light. All light meters provide settings that equalize light values to middle gray.

Significance


    Without an indication of a subject's brightness, a photographer cannot know what camera settings to use. Light meters measure the intensity of light that falls upon or reflects off of a subject. A photographer uses a light meter's exposure settings to adjust aperture and shutter speed. The information provided by a light meter is used as a factor to determine the lightness and darkness of a final print. The brightness value supplied by a light meter is not the same as an evaluation of a subject's lightness or darkness.

Types


    There are two types of photographic light meters. Reflected-light meters measure how much light reflects from a subject. In-camera light meters are of the reflected-light variety. Hand-held meters can measure reflected light as well. Reflected-light spot meters determine exposure settings for light reflecting from specific areas rather than larger areas. Incident-light meters are always hand-held and measure the brightness of light that falls on a subject. Some meters are three-in-one, with reflected-light, incident-light, and spot meter functions.

Function


    For either type of light meter, the initial step is to set the film speed into the meter. To use a reflected-light meter, either point the camera (in-camera meter) or the hand-held meter at the subject area. Obtain measurements for all areas of a subject. To use an incident-light meter, stand near the subject and point the meter at the camera. Use of incident-light meters is limited to subjects that are lit by an identical light source. It is difficult to use an incident-light meter when determining exposure for distant scenes.

Benefits


    Photographers use different light meters depending upon subjects, such as landscapes or portraits, and depending upon the photographer's creative purpose. Reflected-light meters are most commonly used and provide exposure information for subjects with complex lighting. Incident-light meters indicate exposure that will apply for all areas of a scene. They also work well in controlled lighting situations.

Considerations

    Light meters are calibrated to give exposure settings based on middle gray of the photographic gray scale. The exposure provided by a light meter is a starting point. If, for example, a photographer wants to capture the depth of a dark crevice in a sea cliff on a bright day, he must adjust aperture and shutter speed to create darkness and dimensionality. The photographer will use the light meter's reading to determine camera settings necessary for darker exposure. The same is true for especially light subjects. If one wants to communicate the ethereal glow of a mountain lit by the rising sun, one will adjust camera settings from the exposure provided by a light meter to expose more light to the film. Another consideration is that people normally see reflected light. Reflected-light meters give the best measurements for accurate representations of a subject or for a "normal" light measurement from which to begin the creative process.


What is a Light Meter?

Photographers capture light rather than the subject from which light reflects. A light meter measures a subject's luminosity by gauging either reflective light or by incident light methods. Light meters measure either reflected light or incident light. All light meters provide settings that equalize light values to middle gray.

Significance


    Without an indication of a subject's brightness, a photographer cannot know what camera settings to use. Light meters measure the intensity of light that falls upon or reflects off of a subject.

    Enhance your photography skill,The Top Secret Photography Techniques

    . A photographer uses a light meter's exposure settings to adjust aperture and shutter speed. The information provided by a light meter is used as a factor to determine the lightness and darkness of a final print. The brightness value supplied by a light meter is not the same as an evaluation of a subject's lightness or darkness.

Types


    There are two types of photographic light meters. Reflected-light meters measure how much light reflects from a subject. In-camera light meters are of the reflected-light variety. Hand-held meters can measure reflected light as well. Reflected-light spot meters determine exposure settings for light reflecting from specific areas rather than larger areas. Incident-light meters are always hand-held and measure the brightness of light that falls on a subject. Some meters are three-in-one, with reflected-light, incident-light, and spot meter functions.

Function


    For either type of light meter, the initial step is to set the film speed into the meter. To use a reflected-light meter, either point the camera (in-camera meter) or the hand-held meter at the subject area. Obtain measurements for all areas of a subject. To use an incident-light meter, stand near the subject and point the meter at the camera. Use of incident-light meters is limited to subjects that are lit by an identical light source. It is difficult to use an incident-light meter when determining exposure for distant scenes.

Benefits


    Photographers use different light meters depending upon subjects, such as landscapes or portraits, and depending upon the photographer's creative purpose. Reflected-light meters are most commonly used and provide exposure information for subjects with complex lighting. Incident-light meters indicate exposure that will apply for all areas of a scene. They also work well in controlled lighting situations.

Considerations

    Light meters are calibrated to give exposure settings based on middle gray of the photographic gray scale. The exposure provided by a light meter is a starting point. If, for example, a photographer wants to capture the depth of a dark crevice in a sea cliff on a bright day, he must adjust aperture and shutter speed to create darkness and dimensionality. The photographer will use the light meter's reading to determine camera settings necessary for darker exposure. The same is true for especially light subjects. If one wants to communicate the ethereal glow of a mountain lit by the rising sun, one will adjust camera settings from the exposure provided by a light meter to expose more light to the film. Another consideration is that people normally see reflected light. Reflected-light meters give the best measurements for accurate representations of a subject or for a "normal" light measurement from which to begin the creative process.



  • Lux - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lux

    The lux (symbol: lx) is the SI unit of illuminance and luminous emittance, measuring luminous flux per unit area. It is equal to one lumen per square metre. In ...


  • What You Need To Know About Blood Glucose Meter

    my-blood-glucose-meter.com

    A blood glucose meter is a must have especially for diabetics who always have to monitor their blood sugar levels. Of course, just like any medical equipment, it is ...


  • Luxi turns your smartphone into incident light meter: Connect

    connect.dpreview.com/post/5677030984

    While several apps promise to turn your smartphone into a light meter digitally, Luxi takes the idea one step futher by adding a diffusion dome that, along with an ...


  • light

    imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/dict_jp.html

    Dec 30, 2004 This site is intended for students age 14 and up, and for anyone interested in learning about our universe.


  • What is the wavelength in meters of radio waves produced by a ...

    wiki.answers.com Categories Science

    Wavelength of radio waves is speed of light c divided by frequency f. speed of radio waves c = 299 792 458 m/s and frequency f = 1,400,000 Hz = 1/s Wavelength ...


  • sekonic light meter eBay - Electronics, Cars, Fashion ...

    www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=sekonic+light+meter

    Find great deals on eBay for sekonic light meter and gossen light meter. Shop with confidence.


  • What is the weight of 1 cubic meter of water? - Yahoo! UK ...

    uk.answers.yahoo.com Science & Mathematics PhysicsLast updated: Nov 30, 2006 10 posts First post: Nov 30, 2006

    Nov 30, 2006 Best Answer: Do you mean mass or weight? To get the mass of 1 cubic meter of water: A cubic meter is a cube 1m x 1m x 1m Convert to centimeters this


  • light meter eBay - Electronics, Cars, Fashion, Collectibles ...

    www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=light+meter

    Find great deals on eBay for light meter and sekonic light meter. Shop with confidence.

0 comments:

Post a Comment