Hi ,

Exposure has always been a hugely important aspect of photography. Back in the days of slide film, when we had very little room for error, your exposure chops were pretty much the main benchmark that determined your technical ability as a photographer.

Throw in some fast moving subjects, and things became even more chaotic. Imagine trying to figure out how to meter on a scene with very tricky lighting, while trying to capture the peak of the action. If you could nail it, you might have gotten lucky. If you could do it again and again, then you had mad camera skills.

Over the years, people have asked me how I meter, and I've always been happy to share my knowledge and methods with people. 

However, if you ask me today how I meter, the answer would be very different than it would have been twenty years ago. 

In the old days, much of that discussion would be centered (no pun intended) around which metering pattern I found most useful for any given scene. A complex scene with a mixture of brights and darks might require a matrix, or multi-segment meter, which analyzes the scene and then uses algorithms to come up with the right look. 

A portrait would often be shot with a center weighted meter, which bases a significant amount of that exposure data on the middle of the frame. 

Finally, if you have a relatively small subject that's placed against a large shadowed background, or if the rest of the scene is very bright, then that's when a spot meter would come in handy. 

Many cameras still offer all of these three metering patterns. Knowing which pattern to use, and then quickly being able to switch between the patterns is still the preferred method of shooting for many photographers. 

However, that's how how I shoot anymore. 

With today's mirrorless camera technology, that method is simply too slow, and unless you have super-human exposure and camera chops, then you'll probably struggle with many scenes, especially if things are moving. 

So, what method do I use?

When you're shooting with a mirrorless camera, the view you see in the EVF or the LCD screen is a direct feed from the sensor. In simple terms, the whole system is basically what you see is what you get. 

This means that the photo you just shot will look EXACTLY like what you saw in the viewfinder right before you pressed the shutter button. 

This takes away all of the mystery in the process. 

Knowing this, I shoot in Aperture Priority mode, and then use the EV +/- control to refine my exposure. If what I'm looking at in the viewfinder is too dark, I make a + adjustment on the EV dial, and if it's too bright, I go - on the dial. 

When I like what I see, then I press the shutter button and take the picture. It's as simple as that.

WHEN I LIKE WHAT I SEE, I PRESS THE BUTTON.

If I ever made a Dan Bailey Photo T-shirt, like that guy who shoots RAW, that's what it would say.

I actually made a video that explains this is more detail and shows you exactly what I'm talking about. I encourage you to watch, or rewatch the video, because I think if you adopt this method into your own shooting, it will help you become a MUCH more efficient photographer. 

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That's all for now. Thanks so much for reading and for all of your support!! Happy shooting and take care!