With regard to metering, it really matters not the method used, as a firm understanding of exposure should allow the photographer whatever the meter pattern or method used to render the subject as desired. Although the reflective meters built into cameras are convenient, they are problematic. When using in-camera reflected metering, the subject's tonality, size relative to the background and meter pattern in use will have a major influence on the meter recommendation. I prefer to eliminate as many variables as possible, choosing to use the Incident metering method for the majority of my exposures. With exposure no longer a worry, I can now concentrate on focus, composition, and depressing the shutter at the decisive moment.

Light meters presume all subjects are of average reflectance, often called the "midtone", because it falls in the middle of the zones between pure black and pure white. All light meters measure one thing: the intensity of light; be it a reflected reading by measuring the light reflecting off a subject, or an incident reading by measuring the light as it falls onto the subject.

Incident readings measure only the amount of light falling on the subject, negating background tonal influence, and subject size relative to the image frame. Thus a white bird at twenty yards is exposed the same as one closer. Moreover, it does not matter whether the area behind the subject is white sky or green pasture. Incident precisely and consistently places exposure at the capture medium's midtone, as the exposure is set for a given quantity of light and ISO (EV). Tonal values above and below the midtone will be rendered accurately. If you were to set your exposure using your in-camera reflected Center-Weighted or Spot meter to photograph separately a white, gray, and black piece of paper, the resulting images would appear identical, the same midtone gray. Using an Incident meter, the papers above would appear as viewed. Evaluative/Matrix readings will vary the exposure depending on the algorithms programmed. In most situations, an incident reading is extremely accurate and records tones, colors and values correctly.

When exposed at the incident meter recommendation, subjects that appear lighter than middle gray to your eye will appear lighter in the finished image. Subjects that are darker than middle gray will appear darker. Colors will be rendered accurately, and highlight and shadow areas will fall naturally into place.

It is imperative that the meter reading be taken in the same light as that falling on the subject. Typically, when photographing, the dome is oriented toward the camera, but when metering for the most important highlight the dome is pointed toward the light source. Quite often, I take a reading before heading out to shoot, not needing to recheck my exposure until a short time before dusk. Remember to pay attention to light intensity, as the readings are transposed from the handheld meter to the camera in Manual mode it is usually necessary to take additional readings when the quantity of light falling on the scene changes, as is typical on partly cloudy/sunny days. However, as long as the light intensity remains constant you need not take measurements every time you take an image. Previously, I mentioned the meter needs to be in the same light as the subject, but it does not have to be next to the subject. You can shade the dome with your hand to simulate a subject in the shade, and point the dome downward for raptors in the sky, but watch out for reflective ground surface that will influence the reading. With a little bit of practice, the Incident meter can be your ticket to consistent exposures.

Publishers prefer images with approximately a 3-stop brightness ratio, as this is easier on the eye. I typically expose for the most important highlight, controlling subject shadow detail and contrast via flash, diffusers, reflectors, and gobos. If you are using transparency film and no supplemental lighting (flash) is available, or the subject is to far for the supplemental lighting to be effective, you must expose for the primary subject, letting the foreground/background and highlights/shadows fall where they may on the tonal scale. It is always necessary to assess the ambient light direction relative to the subject when using this method, as a turn of the head can make all the difference.

The practice of closing down for whites, and the opening up for blacks is a matter of salting and peppering to taste. For more detail in the blacks, open up - for more in the whites close down, no secrets here. To render highlights on a clean white bird photographed on a bright sunny day with detail close down two thirds to one f/stop, for a black subject open up two thirds to one stop. I have found I only need to apply this amount of compensation on extremely bright sunny days. The flatter the light, the less compensation applied. On heavily overcast days, the addition of plus 1/3 compensation will render a midtone subject a bit livelier (brighter); again, this is personal preference. It is important to consider the image in totality. Compensating exposure will shift the tonal scale up or down much like a slide rule, giving up detail on one end of the scale to gain detail in the other. Moreover, when using digital, the software program curve used to convert your RAW data will have a great effect on the amount of detail rendered. It is amazing how much image detail is captured in the RAW file.

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Charles Glatzer is a Certified Professional Commercial Photographer with a Master of Photography Degree, and an Award winning photographer, a two-time recipient of the Kodak Gallery Award of Excellence, "the benchmark for saluting technical execution and visual impact in the photographic arts." A full time professional since 1983, Charles possesses a wide range of photographic talents with a special emphasis in nature and underwater photography.

Charles owns and hosts monthly "Shoot the Light" seminars and workshops throughout the USA and his underwater photography workshops are conducted on live-aboard dive boats throughout the world. All workshops now employ state of the art digital technology, allowing real time, in-field assessment of metering theory, compensation, composition, fill flash, DOF, etc.

Charles is a Photography Advisor for the Potomac Museum Group and Endangered Encounters. He is the Principal Photographer for the new Atlantis Marine World Aquarium, NY, a past Adjunct Associate Professor at Long Island University and lecturer at the prestigious EXPLORERS CLUB in NYC. He serves on many judges' panels for both national and international photographic competitions. His Natural History presentation and lecture hosts include Fuji Professional, the Professional Photographers of America, ASMP, the Audubon Society, Nature Conservancy, Sierra Club, among others. Charles was the keynote speaker at this year's (May 2003) prestigious "Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival", Homer AK.

Represented by the world's premier stock agencies, his images are published internationally in both the advertising and editorial marketplace. Recently his images were on public display including the Orlando International Airport and Disney's Epcot Center. Fujifilm Professional has played an active role sponsoring, in part, Charles career for many years; poster signings, film and product, workshop/lecture sponsorship and image purchase are greatly appreciated. Additionally, Charles is sponsored in part by Wimberley, Lowepro, Photoflex, Vested Interest, Capture One DSLR, Robert White, Wildlife Watching Supplies, and Image Arts. His images, articles, product reviews and informative postings can frequently be seen in print, and on the web at www.photomigrations.com and www.naturescapes.net

His equipment and experience includes 4x5, 6x6, 35mm film and digital formats. His leap into the digital domain started with PhotoShop 3 and LS 2000 film scanners. He has further expanded his creative and teaching options shooting almost exclusively now with 35mm digital format. Charles uses Lumedyne strobes and Quantum radio slaves for off camera lighting. Gitzo CF tripods with Arca Swiss B1 ballheads, Wimberley products (gimbal head, sidekick, flash brackets, and lens plates), Groofwin Pod, Groundshot plate, and beanbags are used for support. Sekonic L358 incident meter is used for exposure. All equipment is carried in Lowe Pro bags. His films of choice are Fujifilm's, Velvia and Provia.

Camera equipment: well versed in both Nikon and Canon film and digital bodies. Current equipment includes Canon digital 1D and 1V HS film bodies, 16-35, 24-70, 70-200 IS, 180 macro, 300 2.8 IS, 500mm IS w/ converters and extension tubes, 550 flashes and all accessories.