Lighting For Digital Photography

1

How exactly do use the light meter in a digital camera ? Am using an Olympus E-500?

I am a beginner to digital photography and have gained a half decent grasp of many of the important concepts ie. white balane, shutter speeds, f values etc but I am not quite sure how toi meter light.

I understand the concept of metering light but I am not sure how to do it.

Do I simply point the camera at the area where I want to meter from or do I have to press the shutter or something else.

I know that i have to half press the shutter to focus, I am just not quite sure at what point the metering comes in to the equation.

Thanks for any help.

Most digital cameras (and, for that mater, most other cameras with auto focus and auto exposure) have an instruction that has the operator press the shutter half way down for a moment before pressing it fully.

This halfway step starts the auto focus and exposure features. Some cameras will flash a light next to the screen or within the viewfinder, such as a yellow or red light while the camera sets itself, then green, to tell the operator that it is ready to shoot.

You really must read the manual for more specific details on this feature. It is very handy, and can be used to great advantage in tricky lighting and focusing situations. For example, if your subject is in a low, bad light, but the rest of the frame is well lit, you can trick the camera into exposing your subject properly by making sure the central, critical area in the viewfinder is exposing the poorly lit part. You can even aim the camera at one thing while getting the focus and exposure for it, then reaim the camera to frame it differently when you shoot.

Knowing your camera's features, and how to use them will result in a lot more good pictures, and a lot less of them being deleted, or missed entirely.

Digital Photography 1 on 1: Episode 42: High Key & Low Key Lighting: Adorama Photography TV


lighting for digital photography5
lighting for digital photography5
lighting for digital photography5

Lighting For Digital Photography

1

Inexpensive lighting for digital/video?

Aside from buying pro light kits, what's a good alternative for good lighting for digital photography and video?

Thanks

Your local home improvement superstore can solve this issue, with a very low cost compared to "pro" kits.

To do both still and video with one kit, you will have to use continuous lighting. That's why the mega-hardware store is the place to go.

There are several names for a work lamp with a 10-12" round reflector, you need a couple or three of them. Should be less than $20 each. There are other options in the same aisle, look at some others too.

You may have to go to the lighting section to find clip on "desk lamps". A couple three of them as well.

Now you need bulbs. Although they cost more, I suggest daylight balanced fluorescent. The biggest they have for the larger lamps, and a medium wattage and low wattage set for the smaller lamps. Fluorescent lamps put out as much light as an incandescent bulb with a wattage 4-5 times higher. You can get seriously high wattage fluorescent bulbs online if you decide you need more power.

Whichever way you go with the bulbs, they must all be of the same type. If you mix fluorescent and incandescent, you will have nasty, nasty color issues in both your still shots and your video.

Now you should have at least 4 lamps with bulbs. All 4 should be clip on lamps. Use at least one large lamp as a main light, and one smaller lamp to fill shadows. Add more as necessary. Use a small lamp as a backlight for stills.

You can diffuse these, but you have to be careful. Instead of putting a white cloth right on the front of the lamp, it would be much better to hang it a short distance in front to avoid heat issues. By heat issues I mean fire.

Digital Photography 1 on 1: Episode 65: Lighting a Green Screen


lighting for digital photography5
lighting for digital photography5