There is another way to look at it. Images are data. If the most important
features (as perceived by the photographer) are clipped in the shadows, then
the viewer will never see much detail in those features. It is the
photographer's choice to identify what should be midtone. That's part of the
zone approach.
Question: Where is a black cat most mysterious?
Answer: In a dark place.
Question: What color is a black cat in bright sunlight?
Answer: Gray.
Question: Where are the details of a black cat most revealed?
Answer: In bright sunlight.
Question: What's more important, mystery or completeness?
Answer: It's the photographer's choice.
Another Question: What color is the full moon (uneclipsed)?
Answer: It is the color of a dark charcoal briquet.
Matt
At 15:31 15-05-03 -0700, Jan Steinman wrote:
>>From: Matt BenDaniel <matt@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
>>
>>Don't you interpret incident readings based on reflectivity of the
>>subject/scene?
>
>No! That's the beauty of it. If you are shooting a black cat on a black couch,
>you're simply guessing with a scene or spot meter. But an incident meter
>measures the light falling ON the subject, and thus gives you an exposure
>equivalent to a "gray card" meter reading.
>
>How about a white dove on a white counter top? Same thing -- the incident
>light can be measured accurately, but a scene or spot meter is just a guess.
>
>(Of course, the cat or dove might not tolerate having a meter shoved in its
>face... I'm not saying incident metering is always practical, just that it is
>the most accurate, if your situation allows it. The things I shoot every day
>don't move much on their own... :-)
--
Matt BenDaniel
matt@xxxxxxxxxxxx
http://starmatt.com
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