"What exposure are you using?" When you see a group of photographers afield, that's the one question you are most likely to hear. Determining the correct exposure, particularly when working with color slide film, is vital to making a successful image, and Arthur Morris has developed something new to make that task much easier! Arthur's "Pocket Field Guide to Evaluative Metering Systems" is a foldable, laminated guide with 60 slide-sized color images, each accompanied by a suggested exposure compensation value. The guide is primarily intended for use with evaluative metering patterns in film cameras, but the principles covered are applicable (with a bit of fine-tuning) to digital photography as well. The sample images cover a wide range of combinations of subject and background tonalities. Simply look at the examples and choose the one that comes closest to the situation that you are photographing.

For example, are you trying to photograph a white subject such as an egret, against a nearly black background? Then check out example #45 and you'll immediately know that Art recommends -1/2 to -2/3 stop of exposure compensation. How about a small black subject with a light background? Example #19 tells you to use +1 exposure compensation. The hallmark of Arthur's system is to evaluate the tonality of the background along with the size, placement, and tonality of the subject, as well as the overall lighting conditions. Based on his years of experience and the tens of thousands of photographs he has made using his camera's evaluative metering pattern, he provides examples for many combinations that illustrate these key factors.

All one has to do in the field is take out the guide, which fits easily into a pocket, and compare situations. The mystery and panic of getting a good exposure will be eliminated. Many photographers will also want to study the guide at home so that they can learn to quickly and correctly evaluate various background and subject combinations and come up with excellent exposures in the field on a consistent basis.

List price for the card is $20.95 (postpaid) and is available from Birds As Art, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, Florida 33855. (Please make your check or money order payable to "Arthur Morris"). Visit BirdsAsArt.Com for additional details or to order online. The Pocket Guide is without a doubt one of the most useful accessories you'll ever put in your pocket!!

Editor's Comment: Let us know what you think! Please email the Editor to let us know your thoughts. Ellen Anon is a freelance photographer who specializes in all types of outdoor photography - particularly wildlife, scenics, flowers and macro. She seeks to go beyond the ordinary with her images. Ellen's prints are carried by Glass Growers Gallery and her images are displayed in private collections throughout the United States, as well as in England and Italy. Her images are also used on calendars, cards, posters, brochures, magazines and books. Ellen is Arthur Morris' teaching assistant on some of his larger instructional Photo Tours and also teaches photography and Photoshop techniques for photographers by private arrangement.