We came across this recent blog post by Richard Bui, of Richard Bui Photography. This extremely well-written post goes into detail on the importance of shooting with a light meter in hand. Richard explains why a light meter is important and how it will ultimately save photographers time and money by avoiding unnecessary and potentially dangerous work in Photoshop which could destroy images no properly photographed to begin with. He recommends the Sekonic L-358 and RT-32 remote trigger module, which syncs perfectly with his existing Pocket Wizard system.
We’re excited by our discovery of his blog, and look forward to more engaging and enlightened articles from Richard.
We came across this recent blog post by Richard Bui, of Richard Bui Photography. This extremely well-written post goes into detail on the importance of shooting with a light meter in hand. Richard explains why a light meter is important and how it will ultimately save photographers time and money by avoiding unnecessary and potentially dangerous work in Photoshop which could destroy images no properly photographed to begin with. He recommends the Sekonic L-358 and RT-32 remote trigger module, which syncs perfectly with his existing PocketWizard system.
We’re excited by our discovery of his blog, and look forward to more engaging and enlightened articles from Richard.
We’re very fortunate to get Gary Land on the telephone to interview him on how and why he uses Sekonic light meters. Check out this video by a modern master who hails out of Boston, MA.
Our first submission is from photographer and cinematographer Rene Gaston (ReneGaston.com), who sent us these glowing accolades (blush):
My most dearest & trustworthy SEKONIC:
My introduction to SEKONIC came via a[n] 8mm SEKONIC camera which used 16mm Film in an enclosure that allowed to be turned and exposed (2) two 8mm strips on 16mm Film… Wonderful machine with exposure meter and a Beautiful Zoom!!!
Many, many years later… I moved to Cancun, Mexico. By then I had established myself as a respected Cinematographer & Commercial Still Photographer… Humidity in Cancun wrecked my Digilite F; service & repair facilities were non-existent at that time… With a BIG job in my hands (both for film & still photography) I was in deep trouble with no functioning meter at hand… So, very carefully and with a little WD-40 I manged to clean and restore a FULL & ACCURATE life to my trustworthy Digilite… I still OWN IT!! and use IT!! Along with an older 79 (Very Very GOOD & ACCURATE) After all these years (Well, over 20) ALL my SEKONIC [METERS] (newer & older) are my most treasured Instruments. Ahhh!?! as for the camera? I regret to say… it was long lost many years ago in a dreadful “garage sale”
Dearest friends at SEKONIC. Just a last note to PRAISE Sekonic´s technology, accuracy, ease of use & design that have made your name present in the hands of the most prestigious directors of photography WORLDWIDE!!!
Very, very best regards,
RENE GASTON A.M.C.
Rene – thank you. We’re feeling a bit humble right now.
Understanding how histograms relate to images was a complicated, and often misunderstood, topic. We’ve posted an in-depth review, covering the following topics:
Think you can judge a picture solely by its histogram?
Judging an image based solely the information of its histogram is like trying to understand what someone looks like based solely upon their fingerprint. Understanding and controlling exposure is critical to achieving full tonality and proper color saturation. It requires more that just moving the histogram to the left or right. A light meter is the key to gaining the valuable information about a scene’s tonal values before it is captured and thus getting the picture you want.
Match up the images on the left with the histograms on the right. Correct answers will be entered into a drawing each month and a random entry be chosen to receive the prize package, worth $750.
London-based photographer Gordon Fraser wisely choose to take courses giving him the information for which he was searching. Alas, what’s a blog writer to do? One said a meter was a necessity and one said the histogram was enough. Regular readers know this is nein gut, no es bueno, n’est pas bon, absolutely no good. There, we said it! See this page in our classroom for a beautiful understanding of how you, your meter and your histogram can all work together in harmony.
So many wayward photographers, so little time. Seriously, those of us who think we can get by without a separate meter are kidding themselves. Just ask Kirk Tuck. His recent column in ProPhotoResource.com very methodically, thoroughly and understandably explains why the “no meter” concept is a myth. He goes on and tells you how to profile your camera’s light transmission and dynamic range. Want to lift your quality up to a new level? Read on.
Well…. not so live, but Mark Wallace just posted videos from the show floor. Jump to 2:54 to see Sekonic
Mark and Phil talk about the best light meter for the beginning studio photographer plus radio triggering frequencies in the USA and Europe, and how to identify what you need.
Bill Crawford and Ed Hidden of StudioLighting.net interviewed Phil Bradon, Product Marketing Manager for Sekonic on their popular and informative podcast LightSource. Skip to about halfway through the podcast to learn more about:
History of Sekonic
Balancing ambient and artificial light
Using meters to create lighting ratios
How to use the lumisphere
Why you need a flash meter
Why your camera’s meter does not work for strobes
Sekonic L308 entry level flash meter
Sekonic L358 flash meter
Sekonic L758 features
Advantages of spot meters Sekonic Digital Transfer Software
Why you need a light meter in the digital age
Calibrating your Sekonic light meter
When you use the lumisphere Sekonic Blog and educational content
Color meters from Sekonic
Accurate balancing color with a meter
Mr. D. Rodgers from Ontario, Canada has the right idea. In four simple steps he proved the concept that Sekonic meters can be more accurate than the behind-the-lens meter. No more bracketing! Spouse grateful he didn’t buy a Maserati! Simple, yet works beautifully. Check it out and shout “woo hoo” after you read it!
We seldom think about the still photographer on a movie set. That’s the shooter responsible for images that can be used in advertising, public relations and marketing. They’re critical to the successful campaign promoting a film. Alas, but the role of the still photographer is a tough one. Michael Seto, NY-based photographer, has spent a lot of time on sets and knows whereof he speaks. His second blog on set photography explains how the 358 is an important part of his arsenal. Action!
