Mastering Light Metering: How I finally understood its importance

Even though I consider myself a hobby photographer for more than two decades, it has taken me until the last year to finally look into proper light metering. Perhaps this is the downside of being a self-taught photographer, but while I learned quickly enough how to play with shutter times, aperture and ISO, I always kept the metering on auto on the many cameras I shot with. Until last year that is.

Deliberate shadows (Sony RX1RM3)

I actually don't know what got me looking deeper at my light metering settings. Occasionally shooting film probably has something to do with it. The absence of the 'what you see is what you get' perspective from modern EVF cameras forces you to look elsewhere to understand whether you are capturing the light as you see it in front of you. I have had to discard many photos on film that got the metering all wrong.

Placing the focus on the main subject (Sony RX1RM3)

This led me to go back to the settings and understand the light metering options on my cameras. I even read the manual. My take away is that there is no 'correct exposure'. It all depends on the scene and what you as the photographer want to create. But your camera does not look at it that way. It is programmed to look for the average. That is, if you leave your camera on the standard metering setting. Nikon calls this 'matrix metering' and Leica does too. Sony and Fujifilm use the term 'multi metering' but it is essentially the same.

Finding the right balance in exposure (Sony A7CR, Sony 24-50mm F2.8)

Matrix or multi metering measures light across the entire frame, splits the scene into multiple zones, and then compares those brightness patterns against built-in reference scenes to arrive at an exposure it considers reasonable. It prioritizes balance over precision, often protecting highlights and giving extra weight to faces or dominant subjects if the camera detects them. The result is usually a usable exposure without intervention, especially in mixed or changing light. The tradeoff is that you rarely know which part of the frame the camera decided mattered most, which is why matrix metering can feel reliable until it suddenly is not.

Self-portrait on a bike ride (Nikon Z30, Nikon 26mm F2.8)

Especially when you have big contrasts in lighting, the result from matrix or multi metering can be a washed out compromise. In most situations, the default metering mode on your camera is fine. But there are many more situations when taking control of your metering mode means taking more control of the photograph you intend to create. This is the world I stepped into the last year and it opened up new possibilities for me. It helped me create photos that somehow felt more my own.

A messy scene in terms of lighting (Sony RX1RM3)

I guess that makes sense. Cameras today are so capable that sometimes just holding up the camera to a scene and clicking the shutter makes the resulting photos somehow feel less valuable. Don't get me wrong, I don't go out all the time and just focus manually while interpreting the light without any help from my camera. But there are moments when doing exactly that is fun and results in an image that is closer to how I interpret a scene.

Metering matters when panning (OM System OM-5, Leica 12-60mm F2.8-4)

What surprised me most is how quickly metering became a default creative choice in how I approach a scene. Switching away from matrix or multi metering did not suddenly make my photos better, but it made them more intentional. I usually use spot metering when I want to be more deliberate in how I expose what in the frame I think needs priority. Just point the spot to the light source you want to meter for and that is all there is too it. You can play with the nuance by shifting ever so slightly.

An obvious scene to take control over metering (Leica Q3)

Whenever you take a step forward in photography, you realize that many of your earlier photos could have been better. It's no difference with my journey in learning to embrace light metering. I feel my earlier work is not always exposed poorly, but some were exposed vaguely. Those earlier photos still work, but some could stand out more. That is okay. This belongs to the process and acceptance of becoming better at something.

Rays of light (OM System OM-5, Leica 12-60mm F2.8-4)

I also noticed that learning to meter manually slowed me down in a good way. It introduced a short pause between seeing and shooting. In that pause, I have to make another deliberate choice on top of aperture and shutter (I rarely play with ISO) and decide what metering will help me expose proper. But it is starting to feel more and more natural. In all my cameras I have used the last year, I assigned metering mode to an available custom button to have quick access. I found that being able to switch and see the difference was a great learning experience.

Even an easy scene like this benefits from a clear choice of metering (Sony RX1RM3)

Mastering photography is an endless journey, which is one of the reasons I find it so enjoyable. Despite having pursued it as a hobby for quite some time, there remains a wealth of aspects within the craft yet to be discovered. I am looking forward to it.