Hand Held Light Meters and Weddings

No matter how advanced or sophisticated a camera is, no gadget inside it claiming to be able to meaure light can compare to the benefits of using a hand held light meter to capture those precious moments.

Cameras work by ensuring that the focus of the shot develops as an average of the entire scene being measured. The device inside the camera works by calculating a single brightness value of all the tones that will be captured in the picture as a whole. A basis is then provided for the shutter speed and aperture to create the perfect picture. This type of meter reading is known as a reflected reading.

This method will suffice when a variety of tones are present, but complications arise when the focus is all white or all black, and even more complicated when a solid white object is paired with a solid black objects in a single shot.

Reflected reading in a situation such as this will produce a photograph that brightens the black to grey and dims the white to grey as well when taking an average of the scene as a whole.

A hand held light meter must be used to ensure a quality photograph by measuring the light falling on the subject the photographer wishes to shoot, not the surrounding tonal differences that simply provide a necessary background for the main subject. This type of meter reading is known as incident reading, and it produces a much more accurate reading and detailed photograph than reflected reading.

Several stereotypical examples are given to provide a guide as to what the basis is for knowing when a hand held light meter is absolutely necessary to guarantee the best possible shot: a black cat in an equally black coal mine, a polar bear playing in the white of the snow, a black cat playing in the bright white snow, and a polar bear trekking through the coal mine.

These examples are not commonly called upon photo shoots by the traditional professional photographer, but capturing a wedding is, and hand held light meters must be used to ensure quality photographs.

If the hand held light meter is not utilized, the details of the groom’s black tuxedo will disappear, and the glorious white of the bride’s dress will be blown out. Also, if a women with dark skin is wearing a white dress, or a man with very pale skin is wearing a pitch black tuxedo, there is more room for error that the hand held light meter erases.

Using a hand held light meter for incident reading is particularly important if the light of the scene is variable, for example if the wedding is outside or in a room that has spot lighting on the ceiling.

Despite the undeniable advantages of a hand held light meter, some photographers still question if it is necessary to use if they have a camera equipped with a similar interior device. The answer is that no matter how high of a quality the camera is, the hand held light meter will also reign over the all-inclusive camera.

While having a built in light meter is better than no light meter at all, the act of being able to physically pinpoint the focal point of the shot, or to read and adjust according to desired results can turn a good photographer into an artist.

Using a hand held light meter will also allow the camera to remain on a tripod without having to reset the camera or remove it from its position, saving precious time on such a precious day.

Even though the average person will not swap their handy digital camera for a professional quality device with a hand held light meter, it is important that professionals use a hand held light meter when capturing those once-in-a-lifetime moments for their customers.

Weddings last a day, but the marriage lasts forever. Give the new couple the first piece of their new life together without disappointing fadeouts.