How I Meter for Film Photography

[@andrewcanton3539]

For anyone confused, here's another way to explain Ansel Adams' zone system and figuring out exposure. First, you have to know that all reflective light meters, like the ones found in all cameras, are calibrated to expose for middle gray, or the "V" in Ansel Adam's scale. That means that if you go by what your camera is saying is a "correct" exposure, the subject or scene that you're shooting will turn out as a middle gray tone. That's all good if the world were made up of only middle gray tones, but it's obviously not. So if a reflective light meter always exposes for middle gray, then when you take a picture of say, a white barn, then the white barn is going to come out looking dull and underexposed, in other words, it will look gray. To compensate, you actually have to "overexposure" white tones in your scene in relation to what your camera is saying is a correct exposure. For example, if you're shooting a white barn with the sun shining on it, and your camera is telling you that a "correct" exposure is f11 at 1/1000th of a second, then you should try taking a picture of the white barn at f11 at 1/250th of a second (a longer shutter speed) "overexposing" your scene by 2 stops, that way the barn will come out looking white like you see it with your eyes. The opposite is true with shadows. You want to "underexpose" your shadows (use a shorter shutter speed then what your camera is telling you) if you're metering for your shadows. I just realized that my explanation sounds really confusing after typing this out, but it's actually really simple when it clicks and it makes for perfect exposures every time. The key to this method is to start getting familiar with what middle gray is in the world, and to compensate for what your light meter is telling you based on the tones your metering off of. Once you figure out where to place just 1 tone in your scene, everything else falls into place. Your highlights will be bright, your middle tones will be gray, and your shadows will be dark. And as an extra tip, green grass in the daytime is a middle gray tone, so meter off that if possible.

[@MacnTeensVisuals]

Cheers for sharing Andrew, hope one of us makes sense 😂

[@Floppyrom]

How will this work if you already overexpose Porta400 at Iso 200 by default?

[@andrewcanton3539]

@@Floppyrom So you're not pulling the film and compensating with a shorter development time, and you're just overexposing by 1 stop? In any case, apply this method and it should all be relative, and you'll get your 1 stop overexposure in your highlights, middle tones, and shadows. I don't know how consistent your metering is or what you usually meter off of but it should all work the same.

[@GK-vj9dz]

just a note for those confusing what's being presented here with what the zone system is/was. when archer and adams thought up the zone system, it was used to specifically shoot/develop/print shots that matched the vision of the photographer. what is being shown here would be better served with an incident meter, and a little know-how. an incident meter will read the light, and use it to determine middle gray. the highlights and shadows will fall where they do. as long as the amount of stops of light doesn't exceed the film's latitude, you will get a reasonable exposure. the zone system was used to ensure that the image would print as desired. there were/are many factors. you can't effectively use the zone system on roll film, unless the exposure and development times (which are part of the equation) will be the same. sheet film shooters, or cameras that have removable film backs, can be labeled for specific development times, which can be used to control highlights while preserving shadow details. shooting a bunch of different valued shots on a a single roll of film in a tlr won't be using the zone system, except the amount of shots that would be properly exposed/developed at that films rated speed, with normal development. but getting people to think about exposure values is a good thing, regardless of what you want to call it.

[@SS-jt9ex]

Thank you.

[@kirazous2809]

This is the first metering video I actually understand😭 thank you for explaining it so well

[@MacnTeensVisuals]

Hey there! So glad to hear that, I wasn't sure it would make sense as I was trying to explain things but nice to hear it did 😀

[@Joel4JC]

Great video, a nice clear explanation. I did not see the link to Cody’s channel.

[@MacnTeensVisuals]

Thank you hope it was helpful :) My bad here is the link to Cody's vid kzbin.info/www/bejne/g5mWnp6Ngrejm9ksi=7hEfY3HxeO17o3cn

[@1331photo]

Hey! I remember you from week 1 of Brae’s Community Gallery! Your video was recommended in my feed - nice work! Great explanation of the Zone System! 😎👍🏻

[@MacnTeensVisuals]

Oh hey hey ✌🏼 The gallery was amazing to be apart of and thanks, glad it all made sense 😂

[@1331photo]

@@MacnTeensVisuals You’re welcome! 😀

[@eamonnmatson4872]

Great video for a beginner to film photography. Cheers Mate 👍

[@MacnTeensVisuals]

Cheers, glad to hear it was helpful 😀✌

[@ivarwb4115]

Very well explained; can't wait to try this out!

[@MacnTeensVisuals]

Hey! Thank you glad it all made sense haha Good luck 👍

[@braixeninfection6312]

My secret for how I meter my film. It’s a huge secret so I don’t often say it to many people. But how I meter is……..program mode! Lol I don’t know how to guess exposure or have an external meter. So auto mode is what works for me and works the best. All of my film is exposed nearly perfectly and I’m really happy with the results! My Minolta 7xi works really well for this and even has a spot meter function which I haven’t used yet. But it’s there if I want to.

[@MacnTeensVisuals]

Your secret has been revealed 😂 Got to love it when you have a camera with a good light meter 👌

[@brucepowers7164]

Thanks. The scale explanation resonates.

[@MacnTeensVisuals]

Glad to hear that. It can certainly be a confusing process at times lol

[@furiouzzzz]

Awesome. How I see it it's simplest idea than the scale. Imagine you metering 3x for shadows, highlights and mids. If your reading are within 3 stops difference you are good to go as you will be having highlights at 8 in the scale and your shadows at 3.

[@AdamSagePhotography]

One of the most helpful videos I've watched! Thank you!

[@MacnTeensVisuals]

Cheers Adam appreciate it man, glad to hear it 😀✌

[@TeddyCavachon]

I used the Adams Zone system for my B&W photography, learned to fit scene range to to print with flash assisting top wedding photographer Monte Zucker then got a job as technician at National Geographic where I reproduced photos and artwork with halftones and color separation for its publications and maps. Zone System and 18% gray / Zone 5: Back when Adams first wrote his books film was rated by ASA which had an exposure calibration value of 18%, meaning if one set the meter at ASA 400 and photographed white, gray or black walls and used the indicated shutter/aperture and made prints exposed with just enough exposure to make the border (film base) maximum black the image of the wall on the print would reflected 18% of the incident light. 18% was selected but as the ASA calibration point because when an average outdoor scene was metered that exposure would be enough to expose the shadows with density on the negative which would result in shadow detail on the print. But there is some variation of true film speed in manufacture so the first test in calibrating meter for reading off an 18% card for exposure was to a shoot bracketed exposure test where the ASA setting on the meter was changed - e.g., 400, 380, 360, 340, etc. - resulting in wider aperture / slower shutter settings for the photos. You then made “standard” prints on #2 grade paper exposed for max black on the film base and looked at the prints. The print with the ideal Print Value (Zone) 0/1/2 detail would be the adjusted ASA used on the meter from that point on. On Tri-X in the 1970s an adjusted ASA in the range of 300 - 350 was typically needed to optimally expose the shadows. Zones are not f/stops! This caused huge confusion to the point in the 1968 edition of The Negative Adams changed it to “Print Value” but too lazy to revise the entire book just wrote that when seeing “Zone” in the text to remember that was a desired tonal value on the print you were planning for when evaluating the scene. In the 1968 edition there were only Zone 0 (max black on the print) to Zone 9 (a light gray tone used to reproduce smooth white objects like the hood of a white car). The idea that you had to reproduce white objects as gray tones on the print also confused those reading the book who didn’t remember him writing that the reason was the white paper base had to be reserved for the SPECULAR HIGHLIGHTS on the white objects because specular highlights are one of the clues our brains use to perceive 3D shape on white objects. So in later editions of the book he added Print Value / Zone 10 = paper base. Expose for the shadows (on the negative) / develop for the highlights (on the print): A characteristic of B&W film is that its contrast / density range changes with development time. To correctly reproduce those specular paper base Print Value 10 highlights on the Print Value 9 white hood of a car it was necessary to develop the negative until its density range matched the range of the print paper being used. Adams opted to use #2 grade paper which required a negative density range of 3.0 to get optimal PV9/PV10 3D rendering of white objects on the print. The second test for setting up the B&W Zone system was to take photos of a full range subject wearing black and white clothing under different contrast lighting then find the FILM DEVELOPMENT time need to create the desired PV9 solid white (light gray on print) / PV10 specular white (paper base) separation starting by shooting in direct sun with the subject cross lit to create shadows. That became the “normal” development time. The test was repeated on partly cloudy, overcast and other lighting. The less contrast there is in the lighting - i.e., fewer f/stops in scene between the PV1 shadows and PV9 objects the more development time is needed to get the 3.0 range on the negative need to fit the range of the #2 paper. Using Roll Film with the Adams Zone System: The short answer is you can’t unless the entire roll you shoot is done under the same lighting and you know from testing how to adjust negative development time to fit the 3.0 range of the #2 print paper. With roll film shot under a variety of lighting contrast it is necessary to change the contrast of the paper to fit the density range of the negative. That is the approach Kodak used, first with different grade paper 1 to 4 for different negative ranges and then with “Polycontrast” paper whose range can be adjusted to the negative with yellow or magenta filtration on the enlarger.

[@TeddyCavachon]

Part Two: Negative film has lots of head room for overexposure on its DlogE curve: It is possible to to OVER expose B&W film by 2-3 stops and still get a full range of PV0/1 to PV9/10 detail on the print because the DlogE curve has a very long and linear middle section. In the darkroom one simply needs to expose the print longer. But the caveat is the scene range shadow and highlight detail will only be rendered optimally on the print if the paper grade being used matches the range of the negative. A commercial lab or advanced hobbyist would use the same development time / temp for all negatives then use an enlarging meter when making prints, reading the lightest shadow area of the negative image projected by the enlarger to determine print exposure then the darkest highlight area of the projected negative to determine the density range of the negative and the grade of B&W paper or Polycontrast filtration needed. If one does not have an enlarging meter the next best thing is a contact test print make with #2 paper / filtration with the print exposed for max black on the border. Using a standard exposure for the contact sheet will make it obvious by inspection which frames were optimally exposed for the shadows, those which were underexposed an lost shadow detail, and those which were overexposed and will need extra time when making the print in the enlarger. For the frames with correct shadow exposure looking at the highlights on the #2 contact print will reveal what grade of paper will be need when printing. Why you want to bracket exposures shooting film: Something I learned working at National Geographic is that the photographers who were shooting Kodachrome bracketed a lot, sometimes shooting several rolls of film of a scene to ensure the exposure was correct and the photo editors would like the composition. Bracketing exposure means shooting at, above, and below the indicated meter reading to increase the odds of getting a negative with perfect shadow exposure which makes it much easier to select the ideal frame to make the enlarged print from when viewing the contact sheet and what paper grade will be needed.

[@TeddyCavachon]

Part Three: Modern metering In the 1970s ASA ratings on film change to ISO and there was also a change in the ‘average” exposure calibration standard from 18% to 12% because it was found that metering off an 18% card with and 18% calibrated meter wasn’t actually exposing the film with detail in the shadow - why photographers would bracket. Another innovation in the 1970s was the spot meter. Learning the Zone System in 1971 I used a Honeywell 1° spot meter and quickly realized I didn’t need to meter for Zone V off a gray card, I could meter the shadow in the scene I wanted to be rendered as PV1 (dark gray no texture) on the print to set exposure then meter a white textured highlight to determine the negative time needed if using Zone System and printing on #2 paper, or if using Polycontrast what filtration I would need for that image to get a full range print. A modern meter will render the metered spot with 12% reflectance if the meter is set at the nominal ISO, so when metering the shadows directly on negative film - B&W or color - you need to lower the ISO on the meter until the shadow area you meter is darker by doing the same type of bracketing of ISO used as the first calibration step suggested by Adams. But since the metered area is a dark shadow in the scene, not a sunlit 18% card the ISO which will correctly expose the shadows on negative and print will be about 3 stop lower (e.g. ISO 50 for ISO 400 rated film). The same direct read / ISO adjustment is made when shooting transparencies except the PV (Zone 8) textured highlight in the scene is read and the adjustment to the ISO on the meter will be about 3 stops higher because the area read is that much brighter than the 12% calibration point of the meter. Unlike B&W the contrast of color negative and transparency film cannot be altered by development to match differing scene contrast, but after recalibrating a spot meter for direct exposure based on the PV1 shadow for print a spot reading of PV8 texture area will inform it the range of the scene in f/stops exceeds the range or the color print paper, which will be case in sunny cross lighting. Despite knowing scene exceeds paper range the negative should still be exposed to record detail in the shadows, with the decision on optimal highlight vs shadow rendering made when exposing the print.

[@charlessummers7381]

Thanks! Will try a 120 roll of Cinestill 400 tomorrow. I will hope for the best.

[@MacnTeensVisuals]

Cheers Charles! Happy shooting, hope the shots turn out nicely ✌

[@ElefanteTriste]

Hi thanks for the video. Can you share the link to Cody’s video you mention?

[@MacnTeensVisuals]

No problem hope it was helpful. Oh my bad I thought it was in the description, here it is kzbin.info/www/bejne/g5mWnp6Ngrejm9ksi=7hEfY3HxeO17o3cn

[@oceaniccurrents]

🙏🏻

[@MacnTeensVisuals]

😀✌

[@adventuresofjandk]

Good stuff

[@MacnTeensVisuals]

Thank you! ✌

[@NateG459]

great vid! great shots! Thanks! Although, i can't find the app, mind sharing the link? Maybe it doesn't exist in the US...

[@MacnTeensVisuals]

Thanks very much :) Hmm I am actually not sure about that. Here's the link - play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.willblaschko.android.lightmeterv2.free&hl=en&gl=US

[@mamiyapress]

Stoicism!

[@MacnTeensVisuals]

Thank you.... I think 😂

[@Chargerphotos]

Do you have a link to the light meter app you use? Thanks

[@randallstewart1224]

The good part of this video is that it explains the undertaking which Adams described as "previsualization. This recognizes that if you measure an exposure with a meter, the subject you measured will be rendered on "Zone V", or "middle grey", or its color tone equivalent density for color film. Further, that if you measure a subject which is not naturally a "middle grey" tone, be it lighter or darker, you need to modify the measured exposure so that tone is rendered lighter or darker on your film. So for example, he complains that when he "measured exposure for the shadows", his images came out with shadows in the mid-tines and highlights blown out. Of course, that technique made no adjustment in measured exposure for the fact that he was measuring Zone III shadows as though they were Zone V mid-tones and just over exposing his film by a couple of stops. All of that is instructive, but the rest of the video is basically nonsense. There is no natural order that all films have 10 zones of exposure range from black to white. No color film comes close. Most B&W films will not either. So his application of the "system" to adjust measured exposure to put shadows on Zone II and highlights On Zone VIII or IX as a matter of course simply will not work. The Zone System starts by exposure tests to determine the true film speed of your film and developer (B&W), then further tests for a development time which will adjust your film to create those 10 zones (or 9 zones as Adams updated his system for modern films). Without that film speed and development calibration, there are no 10 zones. So, routine "placement" of scene tones to "zones" for exposure purposes, where no calibration has been done, is just random guessing. Further, when shooting color film, you cannot increase or decrease development times without introducing other image problems, so you have to test your film to determine what its normal range from black to white is, then define your zones for that film accordingly. For example, Portra (low contrast film) might have 6 zones from 2.5 under to 3.5 over measured exposure, whereas Ektar may be only 4-5 zones from 2 under to 2.5 over zone V. So, the exposure principles of the zone system still apply, but you need to recognize that the number of zones you have available to play with may be different from film to film, and you need to define your exposure adjustments to fit that reality.

[@slothsarecool]

seems like an app could integrate the zone system pretty easily, wonder if any of them do 🤔

[@MacnTeensVisuals]

Yeah totally agree, I haven't tried many different ones tbh so they might. lol

[@RyanHamilton-gr2zm]

Love the video. What is Filum? haha

[@MacnTeensVisuals]

Cheers Ryan. Irish film also known as Filum 🤣

[@superhussein]

is your advice good or bad advice for newbie?

[@MacnTeensVisuals]

Well hopefully good 😂

[@petrub27]

fil-m?

[@MacnTeensVisuals]

😂 Indeed

[@danpinho]

Wind screen indoor 😂

[@byeggs]

didnt even know that there are automatic film cameras 👀

[@MacnTeensVisuals]

Yep there sure is, it does make things a lot quicker and easier. It just sometimes might get it wrong.

[@byeggs]

@Phillip Banes amazing

[@captainbackflash]

At least your Nikon has passed!

[@MacnTeensVisuals]

It sure did 😉

[@MacnTeensVisuals]

Did this help or make things worse..? 😂

[@Blackmind0]

can`t help, i hear always fil"e"m.... ;-)

[@MacnTeensVisuals]

😂 Some things will never change 🙈

[@Blackmind0]

@@MacnTeensVisuals ..no problem, but for me english is an foreign language, so i had to listen again because i was not sure what i hear..🙃.. greets BM