Using a light meter...have I got the idea?

[Bend The Light]

I have a Shepherd Light Meter which I intend to use in the studio. I just want to be sure I am using it properly.

So, here is it:


How to use light meter small by http://bendthelight.me.uk, on Flickr

So, I decide to read the light coming directly from the studio light, and so set the meter to "incident" with the little dome covering the sensor.
I set the ISO, in this case to 100.
I press the flash button on the side which triggers the flash (I have it plugged in to the unit).
I read 2 LEDs.
I turn the dial to "2"
I read off the aperture below (in this case, f2). (measurements are given as 1/125 seconds for shutter)

If I have shutter at 1/250 I need to open up by a stop (which would mean going to f1.4?)
If I set the shutter at 1/60, say, I need to stop down by a stop (going to f2.8?)


So does that sound right? So what if I have 2 lights?

Another thing - what if I want to read reflected light? I set it to the reflected setting, but this time read the light coming from, say, a person's face. This would read a combination of more than one light?

Another question - If I make a measurement of the face, reflected light, and then make a reading of reflected light from clothing, for instance, and they are different...what do i set?

Hopefully there are some folks who can help...I HAVE read the manual, but the manual is about how to take readings, not what to take readings of, or why.

 

[Garry Edwards]

It's a clumsy meter but it works fine.
I set the ISO, in this case to 100.

I press the flash button on the side which triggers the flash (I have it plugged in to the unit).
I read 2 LEDs.
I turn the dial to "2"
I read off the aperture below (in this case, f2). (measurements are given as 1/125 seconds for shutter)

Yes

If I have shutter at 1/250 I need to open up by a stop (which would mean going to f1.4?)
If I set the shutter at 1/60, say, I need to stop down by a stop (going to f2.8?)

No. Shutter speed is all but irrelevant when using flash. Changing the shutter speed to 1/250th is very likely to result in the shutter not being fully open when you take the shot, but it will make no measurable difference to the exposure in most situations - reducing the shutter speed will just allow the ambient (existing continuous) light to go from ziltch to almost ziltch.

Another question - If I make a measurement of the face, reflected light, and then make a reading of reflected light from clothing, for instance, and they are different...what do i set?

Normally, you don't use reflected light in the studio. You might take a reflected reading from hair, when using a hairlight, or if you want the background pure white and it starts off as a grey background, but that's about it. The meter includes reflected light reading ability in case you're photographing outdoors and so are forced to measure reflected light - incident light has none of the problems associated with reflected light, use that instead.

Finally, and I don't want to start up a silly argument with people who don't understand again, but you point the meter at the camera, not at the light.This will give you an accurate reading of all the light (regardless of the number of sources) falling upon the subject from a more or less frontal position, and as seen by the camera. Don't point the meter at a light, as your picture indicates

 

[Bend The Light]

It's a clumsy meter but it works fine.
I set the ISO, in this case to 100.
Yes
No. Shutter speed is all but irrelevant when using flash. Changing the shutter speed to 1/250th is very likely to result in the shutter not being fully open when you take the shot, but it will make no measurable difference to the exposure in most situations - reducing the shutter speed will just allow the ambient (existing continuous) light to go from ziltch to almost ziltch.
Normally, you don't use reflected light in the studio. You might take a reflected reading from hair, when using a hairlight, or if you want the background pure white and it starts off as a grey background, but that's about it. The meter includes reflected light reading ability in case you're photographing outdoors and so are forced to measure reflected light - incident light has none of the problems associated with reflected light, use that instead.

Finally, and I don't want to start up a silly argument with people who don't understand again, but you point the meter at the camera, not at the light.This will give you an accurate reading of all the light (regardless of the number of sources) falling upon the subject from a more or less frontal position, and as seen by the camera. Don't point the meter at a light, as your picture indicates

Ok...thanks for that. Makes good sense, thank you.