Metering strobes - together or separately

[Ferrell]

Al - thank you, I guess it's proper to distinguish ratios of light from exposure. Certainly exposure needs to be determined with all lights on. But ratios can be done with one light on at a time or as you say, use a flag to kill the light from one side.

I guess we could also go back to the definition of fill as light that fills in the area that the main light doesn't reach. If the main light reaches an area via spill or intentional light then the "fill" light is not useful in that area. An example might be across the forehead. But, fill becomes useful on the shadow side of the nose or the side of the neck where the main doesn't reach.

[R_Fredrick_Smith]

Note: There is another important reason to meter with the lights all on. And that is that you may forget to turn them all back on when you start to actually shoot. I've seen photographers shoot a whole set and forgot to turn on the hairlight, etc. Even if you chimp with the LCD, you may miss something like a hair light if you are shooting quickly.
Cheers,
rfs

[RonC]

Originally Posted by Ferrell

Hi,
In the past I metered my strobes (fill light, main light, kicker etc) separately, meaning all lights were off except the one I was metering. This works pretty well for me in a three light setup. I'm starting to change things around and add a fourth light.

I'm getting some spill so I think I may need to change the way I meter. I use the Sekonic with the little white dome and even if I face it in the direction of the strobe the other strobes add to the light. For example a fill light is f8 alone but with the other lights on I get f11.

What is the proper method, all lights on or one light on at a time, when metering.

Thank you.

Doesn't the dome retract for metering seperate lights?

My Sekonic 358 does, as per the instructions.

[R_Fredrick_Smith]

Originally Posted by RonC

Doesn't the dome retract for metering seperate lights?

My Sekonic 358 does, as per the instructions.

What do you mean by retract. I have a Minolta IV meter, and it can use it with or without the dome. If I take the dome off, then it acts as a reflective meter. But I've rarely seen anyone take reflective readings when using flash.
Cheers,
rfs

[RonC]

Originally Posted by R_Fredrick_Smith

What do you mean by retract. I have a Minolta IV meter, and it can use it with or without the dome. If I take the dome off, then it acts as a reflective meter. But I've rarely seen anyone take reflective readings when using flash.
Cheers,
rfs

http://www.sekonic.com/images/files/QGL-358.pdf

Incident meter mode

Turn Lumisphere retracting ring counter-clockwise to set the
Lumisphere in the full UP right position. Select measuring
mode then press measure button.

Reflected meter mode

Mount the Lumigrid (54°) or optional NP (Spot) Finder 1°,
5°, or 10° to the meters receptor head. Select measuring
mode then press measure button.

Measure Brightness / Contrast Difference

Turn Lumisphere retracting ring clockwise to lower the
Lumisphere to the DOWN position. Select measuring mode
then press measure button.
I use this last mode to balance strobes.

[Jagdoc]

I use the Sekonic meter also.

I meter lights one at a time, backdrop, main, fill and hairlight with the dome retracted and pointing towards the light whereever I'm measuring light.

Then I screw the dome out and meter on the face, and then down the body if I'm shooting a full figure. Those last readings are where I set my camera to start with.

Maybe it's correct, maybe not, but hat works for me.

Vic

[RonC]

Originally Posted by Jagdoc

I use the Sekonic meter also.

I meter lights one at a time, backdrop, main, fill and hairlight with the dome retracted and pointing towards the light whereever I'm measuring light.

Then I screw the dome out and meter on the face, and then down the body if I'm shooting a full figure. Those last readings are where I set my camera to start with.

Maybe it's correct, maybe not, but hat works for me.

Vic

Same way here,..with all lights on, and I use my body sometimes to block unwanted light from hitting the meter,..right or wrong works for me.

Of course turning on one at a time would be the most accurate method, but that's not what the OP asked.

[kgphoto]

Guys Guys, there is no one size fits all. It depends on what you are shooting as to how you meter.

As to the Minolta, there is a hemispheric dome that comes with the meter. A flat disk, black with a square hole for metering reflective and a flat disk white with no hole for metering ratios. This is the withdrawing dome of the Sekonic.

I find I just shield my meter with my hands or body to individually measure each light.

Digital files are basically the same as transparencies so you want to make sure you don't overexpose them.

I set either the main or fill first. I like a 3:1 ratio, so I set either one, measuring individually until they are where where I want them. As an example: IF I had the fill at f:5.6 and the Main at f:8, then the camera setting would be f: 8 & 1/2.

Basically the fill light( in "normal" portraiture) should evenly illuminate both sides of the subject's(model) face without creating a shadow(as much as possible) then the main light is brought in to create shadows and modeling and lights one side and perhaps part of another.

The difference between the highlight and the shadows, created by the main light, is the lighting ratio. The fill light lightens the shadows to reduce the contrast to a manageable and aesthetically pleasing level. Since it also adds some exposure to the highlight side, you need to stop down to avoid overexposing those highlights. This is why you need to take a meter reading for the exposure setting on your camera with all lights on and the dome pointed at the camera.

Any light that hits the front of your subject or the back ground should be metered by pointing the light at the camera and any light that hits the back of your subject should be metered by pointing at the light WITH AN INCIDENT METER, or from the camera pointed at the are in question, WITH A REFLECTED SPOT METER.

For certain specular highlights and Rim lights you can 't accurately measure even with a spot meter, so you have to shot and test and determine what settings fit the way you normally shoot.

As an example I was taught to always shoot most portrait subjects at f:8.0. This was due to optimum f:stop for the various filters, vignettes and soft focus devices that were popular at the time. With print film you shoot for the shadows and print down for the highlights so the 1/2 stop extra didn't hurt anyone. Now with so many not using hand held meters and not knowing that an f:8 powered light pointed at the face, will deliver f:11-16 when used at the same power delivery when pointed at the side or from the rear, gives us a lot of hot rims and blown hair.

[R_Fredrick_Smith]

Yes, there are many different ways to work. For example, for lighting ratios, I generally just use the built in advantage of using a power pack system. I have a Novatron Powerpack and 4 heads. I bought these back in the 70's and they are still going strong. Two of the heads have a switch that will reduce them one stop. So I could put one light on one side, with the switch to full power, and the other on the other side and the same distance as the first and with the switch set to reduce 1 stop. So if the main light metered at f11, then the second light would meter at f8. If I didn't throw the switch on the one, then they'd both meter f8 or so. The power pack distributes the WS it has equally to all attached heads. So you have to set ratios by either using the reducing switch, or by distance of light from subject, or by light modifiers.
So there is no "one size fits all" method.

As to shooting portraits at f8, this is not always true. Every lens as a "sweet spot". It often is around f8, but it may be something else. So if you're looking for the best fstop for portraits, then you have to experiment to see what the sweet spot of your lens is. Also, the modifiers added to the front of the lens may change all this. You usually have to experiment to see which fstop works best.

Cheers,
rfs

[PhotosbyChuck]

Maybe I'm backwards, but I set the fill before setting the main. Of course, if you are not using a fill, then you'll fire the main to get a fill reading from a bounce, but that's the way I approach it. I set any rim/accents last based on the reading from the main.

Others find a different order working for them?