Expose for the face

[Stargazer77517]

Please excuse my novice question, but I am kinda unclear about this.I keep running across this statement. How do you expose for the face, Do you use spot metering, or just overexpose a bit overall?

[Tom]

Depends what you are shooting. But I always use spot metering and chimp to make sure my exposure is right. Great thing about a lot of sporting events is that the light won't change.

So if I expose correctly for the face, I may have complete black in the background because it is so underexposed:


Or I may have complete white in the background because it is so overexposed:


But I don't really care. I want that face exposed correctly. I don't want the background exposed correctly with a completely white or black face (unless shooting for a Silouette.)

[rab3rd]

and the face is the single most important thing in sports photography, show me the face or dont show me... Unless of course its car racing or something like that.

[Kalrog]

Thomas - those are 2 great examples.

[Stargazer77517]

Thanks guys, wasnt sure about the method to git-r-done.

[Tom]

Originally Posted by Kalrog

Thomas - those are 2 great examples.

And they were taken a couple minutes apart!

[Flores]

getting the eyes inside the helmet inside the car makes for great car racing pictures too... :)

[Stargazer77517]

Cool captures Paul.

[Stargazer77517]

Thomas, thanks for the examples and the info. Really do appreciate it.