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Figure 4-20.–4x5 Graphic View II camera.
your image, the light meter may indicate a different
setting. Be sure to leave your camera set at the indicated
midtone setting. Normally, light meters that take
integrated or averaged readings of the field of view
cannot be fooled in this instance. But remember, even
integrated systems cannot cope with extremely bright
areas that take up a significant portion of the frame.
Bright Background, Dark Subject
When you are taking photographs that are
back-lighted or against a light background, there is
always the danger of underexposing the main subject
(unless you use special techniques to fill in shadows,
such as using a reflector or a flash unit). Be careful to
take a reading from only the shadow side of the subject
in these situations.
Too Little Light
The most frequent cause of underexposure is trying
to take pictures when there is not enough light. Light
meter readings are not very accurate at these low-light
levels. When you want to make photographs under these
conditions, be sure to use a tripod and bracket to provide
more exposure than indicated by the light meter. You
also can switch to a higher IS0 film. Some of the high-
speed films marketed today can provide remarkable
results.
There are several other causes that may cause your
images to be exposed incorrectly. Some of the most
common causes are listed as follows:
Wrong camera settings are set when transferring
information from a hand-held light meter to the
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