Use a Handheld Light Meter to Nail Exposure Every Time!

It's been talked about here in detail; when you're photographing your clients, you should be utilizing the proper tools to make sure you achieve the proper exposure and color (white balance) for every image you create. Today, I'll show you exactly how easy it is to use a handheld light meter and white balance target and why you should be using them with every session you photograph.

Let's begin with one basic premise; your camera - no matter what brand - is simply a computer with a lens. When we feed it proper information, we receive the results we want. Sure, there are some "AUTO" settings that allow you to concentrate on composition, but because your camera set on AUTO-anything is now "averaging" the results, you may find that you spend quite a bit more time in post-production tweaking files for exposure and color. This will help you get some of that time back!

Why do I not just use the AUTO setting? As stated above, the AUTO settings tend to provide averages in both areas of exposure and white balance. Any of these AUTO settings can be affected by color of clothing, backgrounds, or just the available light source; all of these will influence how your camera's internal system reacts.

Every time I change lighting or location in a session, I pull out the meter and the target. (I wear my meter on my belt and the target around my neck, so it's not like I'm digging through gear to find these items.) It takes just seconds to check exposure and adjust the settings on my camera for a perfect exposure. The same is true with the white balance target (which can also be used to check exposure via the histogram on the camera's display); for info on how to use the white balance target for color calibration later, CLICK HERE.)

The images below are SOOC (straight out of camera) and show the difference taking a few extra seconds on the front end makes.

Many people first beginning in photography feel as if lighting, posing and composition are the #1 things they need to master. In order to take your photography to the next level, you need to learn to properly expose your photographs so that they don't require extra tweaking in Photoshop. Every minute you save by NOT having to "Fix it in Photoshop" is a minute of your own life that you get back.

Grab that light meter and save yourself time and headaches later on!

- David Grupa

White Balancing Made Simple

Since the dawn of digital, many new term were born that had never even previously existed. One of these such terms is "White Balance".

As simple as it sounds, this one area of digital photography seems to mystify photographers at all levels. While some photographers have a tried-and-true method of nailing the white balance with every exposure, others seem to struggle no matter what tools and devices they employ. Worse yet, others simply set the camera to AUTO and end up having to open and tweak each individual file, wasting time and effort on something that can be managed easily.

While I don't profess my method to be "the only way", it is definitely the easiest I have ever used to streamline my workflow and get great, consistent color. Here's a step-by-step of what I do using the White Balance Targets from Photovision Video:

Part One - In-Camera

1 - Set the WB on your camera body to 5000k and lock it in. Leave it there, don't touch it . . . ever.

2 - Once you've determined your exposure using your hand-held light meter (yes, you really do want and need one of these!), photograph your subject holding the target with the white stripe closest to your light source.

3 - Photograph that outfit / set as you normally would until you either change lighting, outfit or background again.

4 - Each and every time you change lighting, background or outfit, repeat Steps 2 & 3.

There you go. These simple tips will speed up the pace of your session, because you're not constantly going in to redo a "custom white balance" or worse yet, setting your camera to AUTO WB.

Part Two - Post-Production

Once you have copied the images to your hard drive and made appropriate backups, now you can make all your color-corrections with a few simple clicks in Bridge..

1 - In Bridge, open the files from a specific outfit or background. I always look for the target as my first image, then highlight all of the images until I come to my next target.

2 - Using the White Balance dropper, select the white area of the target. You may then tweak your settings for saturation, vibrance, etc. using the sliders in the Camera Raw window.

3 - Click Select All in the upper left-hand corner, then click "Synchronize". Click "Done" when sync is completed.

4 - Continue until your images are all balanced to satisfaction. Once you've tweaked everything, you may edit and process the files you wish to work with as JPGs.

Consistency is the key; if your white balance and exposure are all over the place, your final images will look the same. Strap that light meter to your hip and wear the target around your neck during every session and you'll be amazed at the new look of your images!

- David Grupa

FREE Webinar - Color-balancing in Camera Raw made easy!

Coming up one week from today (January 20th), the folks at X-Rite are presenting a FREE webinar on color-management using the X-Rite ColorChecker Passport. You can tune in at either of 2 different times to learn about things like:

• Creating and Using Camera Profiles
• Custom White Balance with the Passport
• Once click accurate color edits
• Matching color response of two or more cameras
• Matching color response under different lighting conditions
• Color editing in Adobe® Lightroom®
• Color editing in Adobe® Photoshop®

Do YOU need to tune in and watch this webinar? That depends. If you're not passionate about proper color in your final images, you can probably skip it. If you don't ever need skin tones to look natural, don't bother. If you have never had difficulty getting beautiful, vibrant colors from your files, then you may not care about watching.

However, if you're like most photographers, you are always searching for a better, more efficient way to manage color and get the best images possible. For you, this will be an excellent investment of your time. Best of all, it's free.

You can register for this event here:

http://xritephoto.com/ph_learning.aspx?action=webinars&eventid=871&eventdateid=4573

I personally use one of these great tools and love the way it has taken the guesswork out of color-balancing.

Check it out.

- David Grupa