Learn how to use a light meter with studio flash in this quick-fire tutorial
Using a light meter might sound like an outdated technique, but in fact it can make a dramatic difference to your pictures. We used a Sekonic model in this tutorial, but a similar method applies to most models.
You need to specify how the flash will be triggered. Here, the flash has been set to trigger via a cord, as indicated by a “c” next to the flash symbol.
Reflected metering is the light reflected off the subject, but this mode can be slightly innacurate. Incident metering is light that falls on the subject.
In order to achieve an accurate meter reading, you will need to tell the meter what ISO you will be shooting with, such as ISo 100.
Before taking a meter reading, specify the shutter speed. It’s best to set this to the maximum flash sync speed that your camera is capable of.
For portrait photography, you need to rotate the lumisphere retractor ring on the top of the meter to ensure that the dome is raised.
The reading must be taken with all flash units firing, as light is additive. The dome should point back towards the camera from the subject position.
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