Photography Basics: Part II - How Your Meter Works

In this video we continue learning the basics of photography. Make sure you watch part one first: kzbin.info/www/bejne/lZzVin56jrqFh5Y
This video focuses mostly on your cameras light meter. The meter reads the amount of light in your scene and tries its best to recommend a suitable shutter speed, ISO, and aperture to use in order to create a properly exposed image. The meter is so important to your cameras functionality, that without it, your camera wouldn’t work in automatic mode, and you would have no idea how much or how little light was in your scene without simply guessing.
Meters have a few quarks that make them a bit difficult to understand. The first is that your meter can only see in black and white, and the second is that the meter is calibrated to try and make everything you point it at half way between white and black (middle grey, 18% grey, etc.).
The fact that your meter cannot see color means that we need to do our best to visualize the world in black and white to effectively “see” the way the meter does. We see huge differences between fire engine red, and green grass green, but to your meter those two colors look almost identical :0 (more on that in the next video).
Additionally, since your meter tries to make everything you point it at 18% grey, we need to take extra care to only meter off of things that we want to end up middle grey. If we point our meter at something white and use the meters recommended settings, the meter will see all of that light and try to darken our white object down to middle grey, resulting in an image that’s too dark. The opposite is true with something that is supposed to be black.
Along with those quarks, we also need to consider how the meter reads light. Most cameras have a few options, but the two most useful are spot metering, and zone metering (also called evaluative, or Matrix). With spot metering your camera will only read light form a very small portion of your frame. This is great for taking very accurate meter readings from only one small part of the frame. Zone metering will average almost your entire frame and come up with a meter reading that roughly works for everything.
Usually I would recommend that if you are shooting on Manual mode, use spot metering as it will give you the precise control you need to make smart decisions on Manual. If you want to use one of the automatic modes like Aperture Priority or Shutter Priority, use Zone metering as it will do the best job making everything look okay (but not perfect).
In the next video we will look at how you can become smarter than your meter! Stay tuned!
PHOTO BASICS PART III NOW UP! kzbin.info/www/bejne/f4Grf5R9mJ17b6c
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Items used to film this video:
Fuji X-T4: bhpho.to/2YlWsMK
Fuji 35mm Lens: bhpho.to/3i13kIe
Key Light: bhpho.to/2XL7Ra8
Zoom F4: bhpho.to/2Gy91vo
Audix HC Microphone: bhpho.to/39SDC3z
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Learn more about RMSP: rmsp.com

[@alancantu2557]

I’ve been binging this channel ever since I bought my first serious camera a few weeks ago. I’ve learned so much already and I feel like I’m enjoying photography more now that I understand some of the basics.

[@dwrisdon2487]

Great material. As a fellow educator, I enjoyed your comment "there is no failure, there is only struggle." I'll use that with my students, ok?

[@forestchaput]

Hahaha, go for it!

[@jacobandersen9912]

When you gave the example about pointing the spot meter at the grass before photographing a black dog lying on the grass, I had a lightbulb moment and audibly shouted, "holy shit that's genius"

[@MichaelGower-c3k]

Awesome! Grear presentation, love your enthusiasm and simple terminology used for the beginner.

[@forestchaput]

Thank you kindly!

[@hurleygreen927]

Appreciate this informative video...thanks for taking us photography veterans back to metering basics! Many thanks!

[@forestchaput]

You're welcome!

[@sandielowe9487]

Thank you Forest. This is the best explanation of the whole mid-grey topic I have heard and think I've finally got it! Really enjoyed this lesson and also part I. Terrific teaching and looking forward to part III in July.

[@forestchaput]

Glad it was helpful!

[@LARealEstate]

What a great presentation! I've been interested in knowing more about what I'm doing behind a camera, and your instruction is great! Just a note... wouldn't mind if there were some photo examples along the way as you explain things. Given that this is a visual medium, showing actual pics of the right way and wrong results of a technique, would be a great add. I look forward tro finishing the series-- thanks!

[@forestchaput]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@99muddy99]

What an excellent explanation of camera fundamentals! I very much appreciate it.

[@OifelOifel]

We are all waiting on part 3! :) Maybe put those in a seperate playlist as well

[@forestchaput]

We actually did a part three, but it was a live that we didn't name as part three. I will link it here! kzbin.info/www/bejne/lYapm62ji96Ae9U

[@ROVideos]

This is a great video.

[@francper3644]

this is great! how come not more people knows about this? im learning so much,thanks,underrated content,seriously,great job

[@paulweber3339]

You do an absolute fantastic job of explaining whatever it is. Your explanation would be great for beginners.

[@forestchaput]

Wow, thank you!

[@matthewblackwell8053]

Great lesson, very well explained.

[@LuisConte-s4z]

Thank you Forest I am learning so much!

[@forestchaput]

Glad to hear it!

[@psbsynthmusic]

Excellent, spot on tutorials! A very cool and in-depth teaching! I have learnt a lot from you. Subscribed.

[@forestchaput]

Awesome, thank you!

[@farahjo2123]

Thank you so much. Very helpful

[@forestchaput]

You're very welcome!

[@richardarmstrong1682]

I love this series!

[@forestchaput]

I'm so glad!

[@organicrobot4710]

Extremely helpful!

[@sdflyer1672]

Awesome series of videos!!!! Thank you

[@forestchaput]

Glad you enjoyed them!

[@hieuthuan7933]

That was just amazing ….

[@johnjuby6184]

Great teaching job!

[@forestchaput]

Thank you!

[@dalemogk38]

Well, it's two years since Basics Part II came out. Looking at your available videos, I don't see a lot of really compelling stuff for a new photographer. I will look it over once again. And maybe wait for more basics videos. But, I really can't see keeping my subscription list cluttered with otherwise inconsequential trivia. But, I can wait a month or so before deciding.

[@forestchaput]

Check out our recent videos. We have a ton of content for beginners. Also, here’s part III of exposure basics. Live: BASIC Exposure Workflow - Get the Perfect Exposure Every Time! kzbin.info/www/bejne/lYapm62ji96Ae9U

[@Divinedreamer248]

Amazing content, I am subscribed.

[@forestchaput]

Thanks so much!

[@alistairstephenson4145]

Very informative thank you

[@jamesmcmullan7921]

Brilliant video , so well explained, thank you.

[@shot_by_gus]

Maaaan this videos are awesome, i knew some things from before but it’s a pleasure to hear you explain them. Keep on going. You’re great!

[@forestchaput]

Glad you like them! Thank you!

[@ravikanagasabey285]

Very well explained 👏

[@forestchaput]

Thank you 🙂

[@leonrose2799]

love your videos, you truly are the first one who explains it in an understandable way!! Cant wait to take my Sony Alpha 7III out into nature again ;))

[@forestchaput]

Awesome, thank you! So glad to help!

[@kiddrone8336]

Cool. I'll have to give spot metering a try.

[@forestchaput]

Do it! You'll get even more full control over your camera.

[@sanderpappot]

Thank you!

[@Tanya25000]

Any tips on how to get a good exposure indoors? That grass tip was a game changer! So easy!!

[@GardenPhotoFun]

Awesome, I think I’m getting it. :)

[@forestchaput]

Great! Glad to hear it!

[@toribringedahl1799]

loving these videos! super well done and very clear. thank you! Did part 3 ever come out?

[@BrolympicBWL]

Doesn’t appear so ☹️

[@eduardomedina8387]

@@BrolympicBWL It's out

[@tcwhite0104]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/lYapm62ji96Ae9U

[@pladju]

Hi, thanks so much for this video! Have you made part 3 yet? Hope so!

[@forestchaput]

Yes! We actually already shot a part III as a live. Here is the link for it! kzbin.info/www/bejne/lYapm62ji96Ae9U

[@MajorAddiction]

Useful info, thanks

[@forestchaput]

Glad it was helpful!

[@rossramirezfilms]

This was so helpful

[@forestchaput]

glad to hear it!

[@VintageVines80s]

great video!

[@forestchaput]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@davemccorquodale5148]

Great Video...thanks!!

[@forestchaput]

Glad you liked it!

[@jackh1749]

Awesome! Thank you!!!

[@forestchaput]

Any time!

[@loritalbott9078]

This might be a really dumb question -- But ... When you "set" the meter by pointing at the green grass and then move to your subject, do you then refocus on the subject? Does this refocus change the meter? I use back button focus.

[@forestchaput]

Focusing and metering are independent, so yes, you can meter on the grass, then focus and your metering won't change (assuming you are on manual mode).

[@navid8276]

This was such a great video. Thank you for this free knowledge. I feel I’m becoming a better photographer every day 😎

[@Zabarotropitili]

i made several shoots with canon 5d III and was disappointed with its new iFCL meter. if you focus on something bright the overall shot will be very dark by two stops. you could leave the EV compensation constantly to solve this issue but when you shoot a scene without any bright area where you focus at the overall shot will be overexposed. i tried to play with autofocus modes but it didn't help much. one can think i used spot exposure mode but i used evaluative mode which should engage all its 63 zones sensitive to light.

[@forestchaput]

Interesting, I've never heard that complaint about the 5D III meter. It sounds like it might need to be sent back to Canon for calibration.

[@Zabarotropitili]

​@@forestchaputthe ifcl evaluative mode uses all autofocus points as per the specifications but it seems the mode is using a very small area around the selected autofocus point or provides an unreasonably high priority to it.

[@muminki7783]

I heard from someone (old school teacher) that to avoid blowing the picture the best way is taking the metering from the brightest point of composition. Is it the truth? P.S. Great video and thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[@forestchaput]

You can do that! But it will result in underexposed images. Better to stick to metering things that should fall in the middle of the range.

[@K88MUD]

Great content but still waiting on part III

[@forestchaput]

Hi! We actually already did a part III but it was a live that we didn't name as part III. Here is the link to it! kzbin.info/www/bejne/lYapm62ji96Ae9U

[@puddy007]

Thanks Forest! I’ll be looking forward to that video in July. Perhaps you can explain in that video what to do if you’re shooting a black locomotive in the snow. Which tone would you correct for or is there a way to correct for both the black locomotive and white snow so both colors are accurately represented in the image. I probably made the mistake of not overriding my meter when the “BigBoy” steam locomotive made a stop to our town last summer. Now I think I understand why my images didn’t appear as black as I remembered it to be. I’m going to start experimenting with spot metering in manual mode. Roger

[@forestchaput]

That's a great question. In the case of a black locomotive in the snow it would depend on a number of factors. We will talk about that a lot more in the next video 👍

[@armandoalvarez5879]

So when it comes to spot metering, basically focus on that spot you’re going to capture the shot on, properly expose it then take the shot?

[@forestchaput]

Check out part III: kzbin.info/www/bejne/f4Grf5R9mJ17b6c

[@mofi7351]

t.y it was very good, my q is how do you recomp if you read the meeter and you comp somewhere else ?

[@tonyasieg8176]

that is my question. I just tried it and it didnt work, cuz if you push 1/2 way, then you are focusing on the wrong thing, and when you recomp, its screws up the reading

[@franjopavkovic2732]

Thank you 🇭🇷👋

[@drownyourfish]

9:52 EVF only? What if you do not have an EVF do you still use the viewfinder?

[@forestchaput]

Yep!

[@Chris-Brown-]

Helpful

[@forestchaput]

Glad you think so!

[@puddy007]

I usually shoot in manual mode. If I am taking a photo of a black locomotive do I need to underexpose my light meter to the left of center to correctly achieve the black color of the locomotive. Likewise, if shooting a photo of snow I would need to overexpose my light meter to the right so the snow would actually look white? Thanks, Roger

[@forestchaput]

What a wonderful question! Yes. You are exactly correct and that very thing is going to be the topic of our next video 👍

[@Backnine59]

@@forestchaput When is Part III coming out?

[@thedreamer5442]

I am in full manual and I see the meter but, on a half push there is no second line.

[@captiinahab8118]

Just got my first camera yesterday, Canon 90d. Going to shoot a wedding in 30 minutes hope you can get me up to speed. 😂

[@Mononoken]

Where’s part 3????!??

[@forestchaput]

We actually made it as a live! Here is the link to it :) It isn't labeled as part 3 but it is our part 3. kzbin.info/www/bejne/lYapm62ji96Ae9U

[@charlessands6933]

The size of that church makes me think it's makes it look like it's the preacher's bathroom than the church itself.

[@EveronesInvited]

Please don’t shoot a wedding if you’re watching this video 😂😂😂

[@forestchaput]

🤣

[@segura455]

i have a wedding tomorrow

[@forestchaput]

Nice! Best of luck!

[@MrRalph-wt3fo]

Forest thank you sir…yes makes good sense and i hit the dislike button twice and the like button one big time!

[@forestchaput]

Thanks!

[@OeloDickAble]

So i can just set to manual and spot metering, then "spot" some green paper or something and then apply it to all my scene?

[@forestchaput]

Sure! Or pick yourself up a "grey card" which is calibrated to be a perfect metering target! www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/981245-REG/impact_qbp_g_12_quickbalance_panel_18_percent_gray_12.html