Few Facts about Light Meter and How to Use It

In general terms, a light meter shall give the photographer the necessary information regarding the lighting condition. In this regard, the information given by the light meter will be the basis of the photographer and the lighting director to make certain adjustments. A standardized light meter will automatically analyze properties and effects a photographer must use such as shutter and film speed and aperture. And as far as the photographer is concerned, using a light meter will save time, effort and the dramatic decrease of using the trial and error method.

Basically, there are two types of light meters: reflected exposure light meters and incident light meters. Reflected light meters are used to gauge the amount of light reflected by the actual scene that is to be photographed. This type of light meter is primarily used to calibrate the exposure settings for normal scenes and is not recommended for complex scenes that require hard light situations since it can give the photographer inaccurate readings and exposure settings.

Incident exposure light meters on the other hand, are more complex that reflective light meters. As its term suggests, incident light meters determine the amount of light on the subject itself. In as far as this light meters is concerned, it only focuses on the subject and not on the light distributed on the background. With the aid coming from a spotlight, the lighting director can give the subject sufficient lighting that does not mingle with the background scene. This can also be achieved by placing a rotund light sensor beside the subject. Using an incident exposure light meter will give the photographer exact and accurate light readings and is suitable for studio based sessions with one subject. As a waterloo, incident light meters are not suitable for landscape photography or when the subject is shot on infinity mode.

Naturally, the first step any photographer should do is to choose which light meter is to be used. If the scene will take place outdoors, then a reflected light meter is best; if the session will require only one subject and is suitable for indoor or studio shoot, the incident light meter will do the trick. And of course, it is only necessary to know the elements of your light meter. The first thing you have to do is to set the ISO, or film speed. Analog light meters will have dials as means of setting the ISO while digital light meters will have buttons.  A reflected light meter is used by pointing the light meter in the direction of your subject, with the photographer holding it beside its camera. Incident light meters should be placed near your subject and towards the photographer's camera. With this, a detailed calculation will be rendered by the light meter which will also be the basis for your camera settings. 

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