Mr. Mussari
Photography One
Understanding Your Light Meter
What is a LIGHT METER?
A LIGHT METER is a device in your camera which is used to measure the amount of light.
This helps aid in obtaining a good exposure for your photographs. Light meters can be
built into your camera or can be hand held. For our purposes, our light meters in our SLR
cameras are BUILT INTO our cameras.
All cameras display light meters differently. It is usually a bar that you see on the side of
the window in which you frame your picture in when taking a photograph.
Look in your camera and find your light meter. Draw what you see in the box below.
A light meter is used to tell you if the settings on your camera will work for the photo you
are taking. It tells you how to adjust your shutter speed and/or aperture to create
the best lighting situation for your photograph.
***When taking a picture, adjust your shutter speed and aperture
according to your light meter reading.
There is not ONE combination of readings that is the ONLY one that will work.
For example…..the following readings will give the SAME results:
Aperture reading- f/8 & Shutter speed-1/125
is the SAME as
Aperture reading- f/4 & Shutter speed- 1/500
(If the aperture is adjusted 2 sizes bigger, than the shutter speed is 2 sizes faster.)
Directions: Answer the following. Given the first set of aperture and
light meter readings, identify the matching reading in the second line.
1) Aperture reading- 22
Aperture reading- 16
Shutter Speed- 250
Shutter Speed- ______
2) Aperture reading- 4
Shutter Speed- 500
Aperture reading- ______ Shutter Speed- 125
3) Aperture reading- 8
Aperture reading- 2.8
Shutter Speed- 125
Shutter Speed- ______
4) Aperture reading- 11
Shutter Speed- 60
Aperture reading- ______ Shutter Speed- 1000
Aperture Diagram
Shutter Speed Diagram
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Settings on your camera:
***M- Manual- YOU set the aperture AND shutter speed (WE USE THIS SETTING!)
A- YOU set the aperture and the CAMERA automatically sets the matching shutter speed
S- YOU set the shutter speed and the CAMERA automatically sets the matching aperture