[Leica] Incident and metering

["Rod Fleming" <rodfleming@sol.co.uk>]

Hi

I am reminded of the interminable and heated rows I took part in (perhaps to
my shame) when I was at Art School on propositions like "was the Zone System
a straightjacket for the artist" or "why one must always print the whole
image". (neither of which I agree with, BTW)

First, as regards accuracy- there is no difference in the accuracy of a
meter whether it is being used in incident or reflective light mode. Here,
I'll ask my Profisix- "Does that white helmet make you more accurate?"

He says it doesn't.

What is important here is the use that the photog makes of the information
that is delivered by the meter. If you point a meter at a scene it will see
an 18% reflectance grey card- it's up to you to make sense of that info. And
if you are using tungsten lights, whether as the unique light source, or to
balance daylight, it's a damned sight faster to use an incident meter to set
up the lights- that does not mean that you can't then use a system that
relates exposure and development to scene contrast, which is what the Zone
system is, to help you decide on the final exposure. And BTW you can't
sensibly use a straight Zone System approach with an incident reading,
because the incident reading will not take account of local colour (ie the
cat I'm photographing is black) whereas the Zone System does. I mean, that's
the point.

Wedding pros usually use the incident meter- why? Because they are using
colour film which they won't develop themselves, and they are usually
dealing with an outrageously contrasty subject- bright white maid's gown and
black groom's attire, and at the same time they have to get skin tones right
_and_ show the maid's hairdo off. No room for errors there, and no time to
stuff around! (and people wonder why I won't do weddings.........).

In general, and this statement carries the corollary that applies to all
generalisations, incident readings will give a quick and efficient result,
in most cases acceptably within the tolerances that apply. But more detailed
appreciation of scene contrast and the understanding of the appropriate film
stock, exposure and development can only come by measuring the light which
is actually reflected using a conventional meter close up or a spot meter
from further away. It does not matter whether you use the Zone System- which
was regarded by its inventor Ansel Adams as a way of teaching about light
and exposure, rather than a cast iron rule - or whether you use 30 years
experience and say "I'll give this an extra stop and hold the development a
tad." Comes to the same thing.

What matters is understanding how to make that which you see in front of you
translate into an image which accurately renders your perception of the
scene at the time that you photographed it. That's very very subtle.

It is also one of the most intriguing aspects of the art of photography.


Oh, and BTW, if I don't see you again, a very Happy Christmas to all of you
who are celebrating.


Cheers


Rod