During the Introduction Photography class we talk about three things that we often do as photographers with our cameras to create a photograph.
- Metering: Using a light meter in our camera to measure the brightness of light.
- Making An Exposure: Controlling the tonality (lightness/darkness) of our picture along with other visual elements of composition.
- Focusing: Using our lens to make something in our photograph clearly/sharply defined visually.
During class a participant was discussing the creation of a photograph.
I asked her what she was metering off of. She replied that she was “focusing” on the sky.
From the standpoint of making a picture and camera operation, focusing is different than metering.
I asked her if she was focusing with her lens to make the sky sharp or was she focusing her attention on the sky and metering.
It turned out that she was was she focusing her attention on the sky and metering.
While it’s important to focus your attention during the creation of your picture, It’s also important to to be thoughtful about your intent when it comes to camera operation.
Is your intent to meter, focus or choose the parameters of your exposure?