The document explains camera metering and its relationship to exposure in photography, describing how incorrect metering can lead to underexposed or overexposed images. It details various metering modes including matrix, spot, partial, and center-weighted metering, each with specific use cases. Suggestions for correcting exposure with different modes are provided, while acknowledging the limitations of metering in certain situations.

1. CAMERA METERING
HOW IT WORKS, AND THE MODES

2. HELLO
My name is Kiam Cai Tng
I love photography and share the
passion by giving free presentations.
You can find me @kiamcai

3. “Photography is a love affair with life.”
- Burk Uzzle

4. WHAT IS EXPOSURE
• To understand metering, you need to first
understand exposure.
• Exposure simply means “exposing camera
sensor to light” in photography.
• When camera does not receive enough light,
dark photo is produced – Underexposed.
• When camera receives too much light, bright
photo is produced – Overexposed.
• We usually aim for “just right” in photography.

5. WHAT IS METERING
• Process of the camera adapting the amount of
light in the environment and automatically
update the settings.
• Metering is not perfect, and can still go wrong
sometimes.
• For example, skies too bright while ground is
dark.
• Focus on the wrong subject – adapt to a bright
sparkler while leaving the human subject dark.

6. METERING MODES 1
• To remedy, you have to first learn how to use
the various different modes of metering.
• Matrix metering mode – The “default” mode
of most modern cameras.
• Uses the entire frame for consideration.
• Will differ from different camera makers and
models.
• May be intelligent to determine the scene
correctly and give good settings, or just
average out and give a good enough setting.

7. METERING MODES 2
• Spot metering – Uses a small spot that you
specify for consideration.
• The camera will simply use that particular
spot, and ignore the rest of the frame.
• Good for small subjects and/or when you
have a single subject.
• Partial metering – Same as spot metering,
except uses a larger area for consideration.
• Only available on Canon cameras mostly.

8. METERING MODES 3
• Center weighted metering – As the name
implies, the camera will only use the center of
the frame for consideration.
• Good if you have a single subject.
• The subject must be placed in the middle of
the frame, and must occupy sufficient framing
space.

9. FIXING EXPOSURE
• To fix bad exposures, you can try using
different metering modes.
• For example, if evaluative mode gave you
bright sky and dark ground, use spot metering
on the ground instead.
• Sky will still be overexposed, but ground will
be nicely exposed.
• There are limitations to cameras, and
metering cannot fix everything. To totally “fix”
the exposure, you will need a piece of ND
filter to bring back the exposure level of the
sky.

10. THANK YOU
For the complete guide on camera
metering, please visit –
https://xlightphotography.com/camera-
metering/