Originally posted by Sveg15 Thanks Steve! I am SO glad I found this Forum, such a big help
Regarding my question... sorry, I should have been more specific. I hope I'm explaining properly. This is more of a user error/question than a camera issue I think. My meter definitely adjusts depending on where it is aimed and seems to be in great working condition being that I've gotten some gorgeous images on very bright days. I am trying to get a centered exposure reading on my meter as often as possible but I can only seem to do this in absolutely perfect lighting situations. If I'm shooting on a cloudy day and the meter is reading a few stops below the center how would I shoot that and ensure that the images are properly exposed?
Regarding rating my film at 200... after reading numerous wedding photographers' blogs regarding shooting with Portra 400, the sweet spot is said to be around 200 ASA or 320 ASA to achieve the bright and airy look and the few rolls I've shot rated at 200 in beautiful light look significantly brighter than when rated at 400 (this confused me).
This is the look I am going for (these are not my images)....
Central Park Fall Engagement Session | Megan & Drew ? Stephanie Sunderland
Thank you for your help everyone! Pentax newbie trying to get a hold on this
Stephanie
Hopefully, this will help to dissolve your confusion- I'll give a simple explanation. Using ASA 400 will for example provide a higher shutter speed, everything else being equal, than would ASA 200 using the same exposure settings of the same scene. That is because ASA 400 is more sensitive to light, so a higher shutter speed, letting in less light, is more appropriate. So this of course means that suddenly reducing from ASA 400 to ASA 200 will result in a slower shutter speed, which lets in more light, which means more exposure on this sensitive film than would be the case if shooting with the normal ASA 400 setting of the camera. More exposure means brighter photo. Since the camera's exposure comp control is not usually in effect when shooting in Manual mode, this is an alternate method of implementing exposure comp.
You are on your way to understanding how to interpret what your meter is telling you regarding lighting in a scene. From your descriptions, I think what is happening is this- On days with good lighting, in the way you are positioning your camera at the time, and you are using normal matrix metering, there is pretty much an equation between the brighter and the darker areas within your frame. So the meter does its job quite easily, and the results turn out brightly, a bit more brightly because you are shooting with the ASA 200 setting instead of the normal ASA 400. On a gray day, there will basically be a mixture of semi-bright (sky), dim, dimmer, and quite dark areas in your scene, so you get a lot of meter readings on the low side, meaning underexposure.
For one thing, when shooting in Manual mode, and understanding how the meter sees things, you must learn when to ignore what it is telling you, which is often. The best way to operate in Manual mode, especially in less than balanced lighting conditions, is use the spot meter. Find a mid-tone area in the scene to train your camera on and meter from. A richer green, deeper blue, or deeper gray area that is more well-lit. Adjust to center the meter in such an area. Then re-position your camera to frame your shot, ignoring any further indications from the meter. Give that a try, and you might even be able to get fine results when using the standard ASA 400 with that film with some practice. Mark your settings of each shot on a piece of paper so you can see the results later. It boils down to understanding lighting and when and how meters can be fooled by certain circumstances. Then you will anticipate what steps need to be taken. There will be better communication between you and the meter. When you get to be pretty good with this technique, you will be able to set your exposure in manual mode as above, and as long as the lighting does not change at all, you can point your camera virtually anywhere in the scene, ignoring the warnings from the meter, and your exposure will be excellent.
BTW I just looked at your examples. I find them to be definitely overexposed. For one thing I'm sure it is from using ASA 200. The other is to not neglect using fill flash outdoors after exposing properly for the background. It can compensate for backlighting, which is the case in some of your shots, and preserve the beauty of the background. Fill flash outdoors can also enhance people shots in general, unless you are going for some special shadowing. it also can put catchlight in the eyes, as well as reduce any harsh shadows. Getting the right amount with the equipment you have is also a learning experience. The shot sitting on, and including the stairs, is your best-exposed example. This is because your meter had a lot of better-lit mid-tone gray to read from and indicate a good exposure for you.