From the Arch Club Journal

How to nail exposure on film, with or without a meter

Film forgives a lot, but not everything. How to get it right, frame after frame.

Written by Arch Club, which shoots only on film.

The one rule to remember

With colour and black and white negative film, too much light is far safer than too little. Overexposed negatives still print well. Underexposed shadows are simply empty.

With a meter

I
Know what your meter wants.Every meter aims to make what it sees a middle grey. A bright beach fools it into underexposing; a dark room into overexposing.
II
Meter the shadows that matter.Point the meter at the darkest area where you still want detail and give about two stops less than it suggests.
III
Use an incident meter for people.A handheld meter held at the subject reads the light itself, not the surface, and is hard to fool.
IV
When unsure, give more.An extra stop on colour negative film costs almost nothing.

Without a meter: Sunny 16

In bright sun, set the aperture to f/16 and the shutter speed to one over the film speed. Then open up as the light softens.

LightApertureISO 100ISO 400
Bright sunf/161/1251/500
Slight hazef/111/1251/500
Overcastf/81/1251/500
Heavy cloudf/5.61/1251/500
Open shadef/41/1251/500

A free phone light meter app is a good middle ground, usually close enough for negative film.

Expose for the shadows. The highlights will look after themselves.
White marble stilettos with red marble straps on a black marble plinth
Shot on film at Arch Club

ARCH CLUB

A members' club for foot photography, shot only on film.

Every Arch Club photograph is made on a Canon EOS-1V, a Mamiya 7 or a Fuji GW690II, with real models in New York and never AI. Members receive new film photographs every month, and collectors can own the original negative, sealed in display resin with a print of their choice.

Membership$49.99/mo
Polaroid$111
4×6 print$200
Negatives$1,100 to $2,000
Cameras35mm, 6×7, 6×9
Become a MemberBecome a Model

Anyone can find a picture. Few will ever hold a photograph.

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Published by Arch Club, Brooklyn, New York.