There are very few photographers who use a light meter these days. Your camera device takes care of measuring and determining optimal exposure if you’re shooting in Auto Exposure or a Profile mode.
For the most part, once you aim your device at something, it looks at the scene and tries to determine an appropriate exposure. However, what you get may not always be exactly what you want. For the above, not only did we have to adjust the White Balance a bit since it was shot indoors, but we had to brighten and lighten the file using photo software on a laptop.
Not Pleased with Exposure? Try a Quick Fix (or Two):
- Dial through your device’s various scene modes (Party, Outdoor, Landscape, Sunset, Backlight, etc.) and experiment.
- Adjust Exposure Compensation. Most cameras have a physical button for Exposure Compensation, identified by a +/- symbol. Most smartphones have something called Exposure in the Settings area.
- Kick on the Flash or Auto Flash—even if you are in a bright setting. Flash can help fill in shadowy areas.