Movie Makers (Jan-Dec 1952)

Photographs by Leo J. Heffernan, FACL 47 FIG. 3: Dark subject will need Vi stop more exposure than meter shows. FIG. 4 (below): Correct exposure for shadow side of a back lighted subject is arrived at by computation within 1:4 brightness range. than three times brighter than the midpoint of brightness range. This midpoint is found in objects which reflect 18 percent of the incident light. For example, lush green grass or a medium gray suit or overcoat would be about midpoint, while a photographic gray card provides the exact (18%) midpoint of reflectance. Since a white card reflects 90 percent of the incident light, it is therefore five times brighter than midpoint. Thus, a handy way to identify a light colored subject would be to estimate if the scene or object approaches the white card in tone more nearly than it does, say, a gray suit. If it does, the chances are that it is more than three times brighter than midpoint and calls for % stop smaller diaphragm opening. With dark colored subjects the system is similar, except that one visualizes a black card rather than a white card. If the tone of the subject seems to be closer to black than it is to the midpoint tones of the gray card or green grass (judging the light reflectance, not the color), then it probably reflects less than 1/3 as much light as do midpoint objects. In which case the lens diaphragm is opened % stop wider. FLESH TONES ARE AVERAGE However, in determining to make one or the other of these exposure compensations for a light or dark scene, the cameraman should also bear in mind one unchanging exposure standard. Flesh tones (unless markedly light or dark) are always regarded as average in reflectance. And further, the incident light meter is at its very best in estimating correct exposure for these flesh tones. Thus, the ideal rendition of the face and hands will suffer under a Yo stop change in exposure for a light or dark scene. This, obviously, poses a pretty problem. For the majority of amateur movie scenes include people, and, estimated exposure-wise, people are average in subject brightness. Thus, filmed against a predominantly light background (a beach scene or snowscape, for example), flesh tones will be rendered darker than the average if the indicated 1/2 stop less exposure is used for the background. And exactly the opposite will be true in filming flesh tones against a darker setting. The best solution of this dilemma probably is offered by the following precept: where the human figure dominates a scene physically, or where it is of primary importance dramatically, exposure should be estimated for the flesh tones involved. Either or both of these circumstances will be likely to exist in scenes (measured in camera coverage) from the closeup to the medium shot. On the other hand, where the setting itself is of primary importance and the human figure is dwarfed, exposure should be estimated for the setting. The scenic long shot is the obvious example of this circumstance. VARIES WITH LIGHT SOURCE All that has been said thus far presumes that the dominant source of light falling on the subject will be behind or slightly to the side of the camera. Outdoors, this dominant light source is obviously the sun, and the lighting cited is generally called ''front" or "flat" lighting. Indoors, the same situation obtains under the so-called "triangle'r lighting setup, although only the two frontal units (the key and fill lights) have any bearing on the incident exposure. Under either of these circumstances, the incident meter reading for average subjects can be used directly. With other lighting setups, it becomes a question of just how the cameraman wants the subject to appear on the screen. For example, in a me [Continued on page 56] FIG. 5: On sunsets and silhouette shots, normal usage is reversed, and the meter is pointed directly toward light source.