# Where do you point your Iight meter?



## lance70

Hello, wondering where photographers point their light meter and your reason behind it....I watched several videos and it shows pointing towards the main light source but then I read a few articles and it shows the importance of pointing the light meter back to the camera....


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## 480sparky

If I'm taking an incident reading, I aim it at the light source.  That tells me how much light I have.  Aiming it at the camera may make it a shadow meter instead of a light meter.


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## tirediron

You meter the area you want the exposure information for.  Generally speaking, that is the area that the camera will be pointing at.  In lighting situations where you're using large light sources, it likely make too much difference, but if you're using smaller, or more controlled light sources, then it becomes critical.  In this image, lit with a single speedlight driving at 24" gridded beauty dish, I placed the meter directly in front of the client's nose pointing toward the camera.  This way it only received part of the intensity of the strobe.  Had I pointed it directly up at the flash and it measured the full intensity of the strobe, then the shadow side would have been severely under-exposed.


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## KmH

How to Use a Handheld Light Meter


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## unpopular

Yeah. I thought you incident metered to the camera, unless you're measuring ratios, then you meter toward the source.


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## tirediron

unpopular said:


> Yeah. I thought you incident metered to the camera, unless you're measuring ratios, then you meter toward the source.


 That's the thing, there is no one right answer, but most of the time, especially in ambient light work, the 'general area' is close enough.  Once you get into percentages of ambient vs. flash and highlight/midtone/shadow ratio it gets a little more important.


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## unpopular

and with digital its so easy to chimp that it's just as fast using a meter anyway.

at least for me. I'm sure a more experienced studio photographer would disagree.


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## tirediron

unpopular said:


> and with digital its so easy to chimp that it's just as fast using a meter anyway.
> 
> at least for me. I'm sure a more experienced studio photographer would disagree.


It probably is... I still meter everything; not sure if it's force of habit, or 'cause of how cool I look using the meter!


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## table1349

unpopular said:


> and with digital its so easy to chimp that it's just as fast using a meter anyway.
> 
> at least for me. I'm sure a more experienced studio photographer would disagree.


Some of us probably would.   The point is, use what works.


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## snowbear

tirediron said:


> t probably is... I still meter everything; not sure if it's force of habit, or 'cause of how cool I look using the meter!



Hipster!


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## tirediron

snowbear said:


> tirediron said:
> 
> 
> 
> t probably is... I still meter everything; not sure if it's force of habit, or 'cause of how cool I look using the meter!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Hipster!
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure that's the first (and likely last) time anyone has ever called me a "hipster"!!!


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## table1349




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## unpopular

tirediron said:


> snowbear said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> tirediron said:
> 
> 
> 
> t probably is... I still meter everything; not sure if it's force of habit, or 'cause of how cool I look using the meter!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Hipster!
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> I'm pretty sure that's the first (and likely last) time anyone has ever called me a "hipster"!!!
Click to expand...


judging by the avatar, seems more likely he's a regular at the local railroad club!


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## decyjohn

Well, this blog entry was prompted by  this post on a photography forum. It started off with a perfectly simple question but I made the mistake of mentioning that the meter needs to be pointed, not at the light, but at the camera.

And that started some discussion, with different people expressing different views, so I thought it might be a good idea to demonstrate *why* the laws of physics proves that the meter needs to be pointed towards the camera (which sees the actual amount of light reflected towards it, not the amount of light that the meter sees when it’s pointed directly at the light.


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## beachrat

decyjohn said:


> Well, this blog entry was prompted by  this post on a photography forum. It started off with a perfectly simple question but I made the mistake of mentioning that the meter needs to be pointed, not at the light, but at the camera.
> 
> And that started some discussion, with different people expressing different views, so I thought it might be a good idea to demonstrate *why* the laws of physics proves that the meter needs to be pointed towards the camera (which sees the actual amount of light reflected towards it, not the amount of light that the meter sees when it’s pointed directly at the light.



For basic incident metering,I'd think it should be directed at the camera.
But,for setting up ratios with multiple lights,it would need to be pointed at each light source individually.


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## tirediron

beachrat said:


> decyjohn said:
> 
> 
> 
> Well, this blog entry was prompted by  this post on a photography forum. It started off with a perfectly simple question but I made the mistake of mentioning that the meter needs to be pointed, not at the light, but at the camera.
> 
> And that started some discussion, with different people expressing different views, so I thought it might be a good idea to demonstrate *why* the laws of physics proves that the meter needs to be pointed towards the camera (which sees the actual amount of light reflected towards it, not the amount of light that the meter sees when it’s pointed directly at the light.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> For basic incident metering,I'd think it should be directed at the camera.
> But,*for setting up ratios with multiple lights,it would need to be pointed at each light source individually.*
Click to expand...

Precisely.  The short answer is:  You meter the point of the scene for which you want exposure information.  For instance; if I'm doing a high-key shot using three lights on the subject and two cross-lighting the background, I will:
-Meter each background light independently, aiming at the LIGHT to ensure both lights are providing the same light to the background, since under some conditions, a difference in distance of 6" could mean a difference of 1/2 stop or more;
-Meter the confluence of the background lights with the meter pointing toward the camera so that I can compare what the camera will "see" on the background to that on the model;  
-Meter the output of each light on the subject to ensure that they're equal in output, again, by aiming at the light;
-Meter the subject toward the camera to verify overall exposure and compare it to the background; and
-Meter any areas which might have highlight issues by metering both toward the light and toward the camera.


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## beachrat

You make it sound so easy.


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## tirediron

beachrat said:


> You make it sound so easy.


It is!


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## beachrat

You're right.
It is.
My cameras limitations forced me to learn how to use flash and light in general,and i'm actually grateful for that.
Eventually I'll upgrade my camera body,but meanwhile I'm still going to concentrate on light which I feel is of utmost importance.


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## table1349

Good resource:  How to Use a Handheld Meter | Photography How To Articles – What's Your Specialty? Photographer


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## decyjohn

Positioning your meter and yourself can affect the accuracy of your readings and the look of your images.


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## Gary A.

I point it towards the camera in front of my subject (front = the part of my subject also pointed towards the camera).


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## fmw

I point it at the camera.  I normally use incident light readings.


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## Watchful

Point it where 'the sun don't shine.'


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## chuasam

When I went to Photography school, the instructors themselves could not agree on this.
Basically the product photographer instructor said: point at the light source
the photojournalism teacher said: there's no time! point at the camera.
the fine arts photographer said: what light meter? I wear a black tshirt and base my exposure on how warm I get.

I'm not kidding.


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