Ideally, you should take an incident reading from on stage, that is not always possible especially if the stage in inaccessible, the next best option would be to spot meter if you have a spot meter (expensive) or your cameras meter has one, failing these two options you can use a partial meter. (not as accurate) A work around is to use a partial meter with a long lens for the meter reading, this will effectively reduce the percentage of coverage in a wider scene, so when you zoom out/mount a wider lens, you will get an effect closer to a spot meter.

 

Confusing maybe, but think of a wide landscape with a 9% partial centre, then the same landscape with a 300mm lens with a 9% partial centre, now fit a 24mm lens and think about the size that the 9%  was with a 300m lens, you now have something like 3% centre, don’t take my word for it go out and try it!

You have to use the settings that the reading with the long lens was for the shot (yeh a lot of messing about but cheaper than £3-400 for a spot mertr)

 

In a situation like this amount of light from highlight to shadow is quite different, I would think about 1 ½-2 stops looking at it, so you are faced with the possibility of getting either burnt or close to burnt highlights or deep shadow (especially with digital) for a commercial job the emphasis would most likely be on the band and therefore a compromise of slight over exposure in the foreground may be necessary. For personal or competition work you may feel that this is an unacceptable compromise.

 

I would probably use film as it has a much wider (and forgiving) exposure latitude.

 

A general rule is to use an incident meter where possible, as this is generally more accurate than a reflective meter (what TTL metering is) not always practical or possible (perfect world scenario)

 

Whilst on a stage subject scenario, if you are photographing, say a gig where there is a lot of blue light, you will need to over expose, as blue light has a lower luminosity than red or green, the human eye reacts in the same way, but the brain is able to compensate for it better.

 

Remember that the mid tone is 18% gray! (or is it really?) Some speculation about that too. Another story!

 

 

Enola

Full Time Professional Photographer