The obvious question, then, is with all this variation in exposure depending on the composition, how can you ever get a good exposure? In the digital realm, the answer is simple. If we were still shooting film, my answer would be completely different, but with the advent of immediate feedback on the LCD monitor on the back of the camera, you can see what your exposure is after each picture is taken. Therefore, note where you want the sun’s position in the frame, take a picture, and if you want the image lighter or darker, simply adjust the exposure compensation in 1/3 f/stop increments. All digital cameras have an exposure compensation feature, and if you don’t know where this is, read the manual and find out. It’s one of the most important functions on your camera because it allows you to tweak the exposure until it’s exactly what you want.
In this way, you can consistently take pictures with perfect exposures without knowing a lot about metering. Can you still use a hand held light meter to read the incident light? Sure. Can you use a spot meter once you’ve identified middle gray in the scene. Absolutely. But . . . the method I’m suggesting you use is much faster and there is no guesswork at all.§
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