Metering the sky

[Rolfe Klement]

I had a look through the search results and was wondering if anyone has advice on metering the sky.

 

I would use a spot meter then put it 3 or 4 stops over 5 on the grey scale once corrected for the sky colour.

 

Any advice

 

thanks

 

Rolfe Klement

www.creativesunshine.com

[Guest Andy Sparaco]

To determine the proper exposure for the sky you need to determne what is the exposure for the key mid exosure value (neutral gray) in the overall scene and then determine how many stops over that is the sky. You will find the sky can be very saturated (dark) and still very bright and hence over exposed. Two to three stops over the mid exposure value is about the max you can go before grads become necessary. More then that and it will be blown out. If you want a pale sky to be darker a PL or grads come into play. A spot meter or any meter will assume that what it sees is neutral gray. So you can make any sky read darker thru underexposure if you do not have to be concerned about foreground elements.

 

A big problem with the sky is over exposure and graininess which results. Especially in 16mm and with faster stocks in 35mm. Underexpose the sky and you will rarely have problems. ;)

[oscar jimenez]

I'd say that it depends on how you want the sky to look like. What's the main issue in the frame: People? a Product? or just is it landscaping?. I shoot a scene wich had to be at dawn, since the sun position was not helping at all (couldnt get it on frame) . I meter the sky and then lit talent ( group of 10 people ) according to that. Keeping in mind that blue will fall on 5 and some blue in 6 had people skins lit to a 6 and that came out like the las light beam from the sun falling onto them before going down the horizon. sky kept a dramatic look, under a little, clouds came out real good.