Denali Sunrise from Reflection Pond
You can have many of the advantages of a $300 – $400 incident light meter for less than $20. Sound too good to be true? It isn’t too good to be true. This is about as close as you can get to a photographic “free lunch”.
When I fist became serious about metering (one of the first signs a photographer is really serious about the quality of their work), I couldn’t afford an expensive incident light meter, so I bought a Kodak 18% gray card. It was a wise decision. If you don’t have an incident light meter, I would highly recommend you get an 18% gray card and learn how to use it.
I just revised and expanded my article on how to use a gray card. You will learn the tips and tricks of using a gray card to simplify and improve your metering. You will have better exposures, and better exposures means better colors from your camera. A gray card is also one of the best ways to set a custom white balance on your camera. Setting a custom white balance is another way to get the best colors your camera is capable of producing. So go read Incident Light Metering on the Cheap: How to Use an 18% Gray Card.
Photographer Metering a Gray Card
Links
Incident Light Metering on the Cheap: How to Use an 18% Gray Card. This is the seventh in a series of articles that begins with Why Is Exposure So Important?
Order an 18% gray card in your choice of several versions in the Photo Goodies section of my Photography Store which is powered by Amazon.com and backed with Amazon’s excellent service and guarantee. My first choice is the Kodak brand but Delta is a good alternate choice. Prices range from $12 to $20 for a pair, but they are 8×10 inches in size and you can cut them in half so you are actually getting four 5×8 gray cards for your money. You can also get a collapsible gray card made out of fabric for about $30.
My most complete guide to exposure, incident light metering, and using a gray card is in my highly recommend book, Digital Photography Exposure for Dummies. It is simple enough for beginners, but advanced enough to be used in photography classes at two universities. You can learn more about it here and order it at Amazon.com.