Susan Sontag “On Photography”

The aim of this book, for me is to discuss multiple issues that people have with photography e.g. is photography an art?

It is subdivided into seven chapters, including an amusing set of quotes from different people, and a number of adverts from companies such as Polaroid and Minolta.

Like the majority of books of this kind, I find myself constantly reaching for my dictionary. Academic language, especially when dealing with Art/Photography, is not the easiest to understand for me.

Below is my summarised synopsis of the book ; –

• The history of photography is discussed at length with criticism and praise being heaped upon different artists and it discusses the camera as a potential “predatory weapon”.
• America is then the focus of the next chapter where such notable artists as Diane Arbus and there work are discussed. This chapter is what it says it is “America, Seen through photographs, darkly”. Freaks are discussed, which at first sits uncomfortably with me, but then when continuing to read th chapter, there is less offence from the language, but be prepared to be taken aback at points. It challenges your thought process and emotions, so it does what it should do and it makes you think and feel photography, rather than just living life as a snapshotter.
• The book then moves on and talks about how photography is a mimic of real life. Surrealism is also a main topic in the next chapter. August Sander’s work is also discussed and again becomes thought-provoking.
• Next, the book discusses the beautification of photography and invokes some powerful emotions again, in this chapter, where Weston’s photography is given a number of pages and it talks about the beauty of his cabbage leaf/ folder cloth image, which invokes a range of emotions.
• There is an interesting argument and discussion, regarding the merits of colour photography, when compared to the more truthful black and white images. It also discusses photography as being the “mortal enemy” to paintings.
• The final full chapter concentrates on, is photography real and what impact censorship, for example in China, has on the art? Does this then mean photography in China  tells the truth, due to the censorship of the art and there is a good discussion around this? Photography is also talked about from a realism point of view.
• The ultimate chapter is simply a collection of quotes, some of which I really enjoy, for example “Photography is a tool for dealing with things that everybody knows about, but isn’t attending to” (- Emmet Gowin), and some that I could be happy never seeing again, such as “it is no accident that the photographer becomes a photographer…” (- Dorothea Lange).

Overall the book is very thought-provoking and has made me think and re-evaluate how I think about making images and what other photographers have gone through, from its inception backing the 1800’s and how this has changed.

For me I will need to read this again, to get the best out of the book. due to the language used within it. It will be interesting to see if my view will change once I have re-read this, in a few months time. Such books make me reflect on my practice and that can only be a positive point for me.

I would recommend this to other students and would be interested in their view-point.

Reflection prior to starting on Part five

What have I learned so far and my own personal thoughts on reflection on the course

• There is much more reading expected with this course, than I was expecting. I spend 80% of my time reading and researching. At first this did not seem the best way to be progressing with a photography course. However, in saying that I have now learned so much and feel my tutor’s influence in this has been without question.
• I started the course photographing literally what was asked (with out invention and soul) and I felt almost as though I were studying for a GCSE. I now think about my images and think;
  • what do I want my image to say
  • who is going to view this
  • what external influences will act on my final image
  • how does the location affect me and the viewer
  • does the image need a title/caption
  • should it be in colour or black and white, not simply black and white for its’ perceived qualities of art and truth.
  • what is my audience
  • how has such a subject been shot by other artists
  • what are my basic in camera requirements
  • how does the light influence my thoughts
  • how long have I got for the shot etc
• I feel that when I make a photograph, I am not simply copying what is framed, but I am capturing the essence of the subject, from the reflected light of the subject and in essence I am capturing part of the soul of the subject.
• Importantly from my research and reading I am feeling inspired by the wonderful and yet challenging images taken by Sally Mann and plan to develop this further.
• I still need to be more critical of other artists and add book reviews to my blog, and this is (in respect of the book reviews) something I will do prior to completing Part five. Critical reviews will be an ongoing process for me,  as I am not used to academic language or style and this needs to be developed further.
• I was originally overawed by the exercises and thinking them through too deeply and perhaps to literally, not putting my personal stamp on the images and projects I have made.
• I have also been involved in setting up a photography gallery, where I was able to spend three days with Les Monaghan, gaining invaluable insight not only into galleries, but life as an artist and what is expected from students, along with multiple  hints and tips along the way.
• Don’t be afraid to make images of total strangers and be confident in doing so.
• I feel am beginning to develop my own personal voice.

Have my images changed in any way? That is the question I have posed myself. Here are two images from the start, and up to and including the present.

I guess I have chosen 2 images that are impossible to compare fully, yet for me the second image has more “soul” and meaning. Image 2 is a portrait, and you may be left thinking, who is the lady, how old is she, where was this shot as the background is missing and is that a sincere smile. For me, the eyes in the image say I am not quite comfortable with this. The first image does not really say anything to me on reflection, which was not how I originally intended the image to be read. If I were to complete the square mile assignment again, I would choose a different subject matter and more than  likely include people, who were missing from my original  piece.

The fields and houses will go. Only pylons left.

5

Would I ever have experimented with self portraits as in the image below? No is the answer, so I have progressed and now give greater thought both inside and outside the box when making images. Studium and punctum play roles in my thought processes!

Reference list for Part Four

Adorama Learning Centre (2016) FAQ: What is Ambient Light, Available at: http://www.adorama.com/alc/0012936/article/FAQ-What-is-Ambient-Light (Accessed: 08/12/2016).

American Suburb X (2011) Tony Ray- Jones Interview Brassai pt. 1 (1970) | #ASX, Available at: http://www.adorama.com/alc/0012936/article/FAQ-What-is-Ambient-Light (Accessed: 08/12/2016).

ASX Team (2013) INTERVIEW: Sally Mann – “the Touch of an Angel” (2010) – ASX | Photography, Available at: http://www.americansuburbx.com/2013/01/interview-sally-mann-the-touch-of-an-angel-2010.html (Accessed: 07/12/2016).

Earnest, A (Not Known) Incident and Reflected Light, Available at: http://www.sekonic.com/united-kingdom/whatisyourspecialty/photographer/articles/incident-and-reflected-light.aspx (Accessed: 27/11/2016).

Heinzelmann, M (2016) Michael Schmidt | Prix Pictet | The global award in photography and sustainability, Available at: http://www.prixpictet.com/portfolios/consumption-shortlist/michael-schmidt/statement/ (Accessed: 07/12/2016).

Heinzelmann, M (2016) Michael Schmidt | Prix Pictet | The global award in photography and sustainability, Available at: http://www.prixpictet.com/portfolios/consumption-shortlist/michael-schmidt/statement/ (Accessed: 07/12/2016).

National Gallery of Art (2002) Art of Old Paris, Available at: https://www.nga.gov/feature/atget/works_art.shtm (Accessed: 08/12/2016).

National Gallery of Art (2002) Parc de Sceaux, Available at: https://images.nga.gov/en/search/do_quick_search.html?q=%222002.73.27%22 (Accessed: 08/12/2016).

National Gallery of Art (2016) Atget: The Art of Documentary Photography, Available at: https://www.nga.gov/feature/atget/work.shtm (Accessed: 08/12/2016).

Henry Ransom Centre (Not Known) Jospeh Nicephore Niece : The First Photograph, Available at: http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/exhibitions/permanent/firstphotograph/niepce/#top (Accessed: 02/12/2016).

Hoffman, R (2015) A Basic Look at the Basics Exposure from Nikon, Available at: http://www.nikonusa.com/en/learn-and-explore/article/fue0dnl6/a-basic-look-at-the-basics-of-exposure.html (Accessed: 02/12/2016).

Kertesz, A (Not Known) Photohelios: Memoire on the Heliograph, Available at: http://photohelios-team.blogspot.co.uk/2009/02/memoire-on-theheliograph.html (Accessed: 02/12/2016).

Mann, S (2016) Sally Mann, Available at: http://sallymann.com/about (Accessed: 07/12/2016).

Mann, S (2016) Sallymann.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/2016_PressPacket.pdf, Available at: http://sallymann.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/2016_PressPacket.pdf (Accessed: 07/12/2016).

Parker, F (2013) Ultimate Exposure Computer, Available at: http://www.fredparker.com/ultexp1.htm (Accessed: 05/12/2016).

Peterson, D (2016) Incident vs Reflected light and which type gives you better photos, Available at: http://www.digital-photo-secrets.com/tip/3369/incident-vs-reflected-light-and-which-type-gives-you-better-photos/ (Accessed: 27/11/2016).

Petplan Ltd (Not known) Golden Retriever Facts | Dog Breeds | Petplan, Available at: https://www.petplan.co.uk/my-petplan/golden-retriever.asp (Accessed: 11/01/2017).

Richards, D (2013) 10 Lighting Facts That Will Improve Your Photography | Popular Photography, Available at: http://www.popphoto.com/gallery/top-10-photography-lighting-facts-you-should-know (Accessed: 02/12/2016).

Sekonic (2016) What is the difference between incident and reflected light, Available at: http://www.sekonic.com/l-478/incident-vs-reflected.html (Accessed: 27/11/2016).

Tales by Light 1 to 5, Short Films by Netflix (viewed 02/12/2016).

The Estate of Yousef Karsh (Not known) Yousuf Karsh / Photographer / the work / portraits / pablo picasso, Available at: http://www.karsh.org/#/the_work/portraits/pablo_picasso (Accessed: 19/01/2017).

Wikipedia (2016) Ezra Pound – Wikipedia, Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ezra_Pound (Accessed: 07/12/2016).

Assignment four

Welcome to Thornberry Animal Sanctuary and 9 of their soulful dogs

 

Lighting set up

Contact sheets

The chosen ten (part one)

1

4

3

6

9

1

 

The chosen ten (part two)

10

7

3

2

 

For this Assignment, I have decided to return to Exercise 4.3 and look at the beauty of artificial light. Please note that this assignment does not ask for prints, but I have these on order and will send them to my tutor when they arrive, along with the necessary write ups.

From April or May 2017, I plan to set up my own photography business and one the specialised areas I want to focus on is pets/animals. I have therefore approached a local animal sanctuary to discuss what photography needs they have.  Thornberry Animal Sanctuary, has a range of animals from rabbits, to cats, dogs and some farm-yard stock. They have recently appointed a new fund-raising manager and she is being very proactive. After weeks of discussion around what their needs were, we decided that Thursday 19^th January would be an ideal day for the photography. I drew up a simple contract stating I would work for free, retain copyright and could display the images for my own benefit. I also declared the photographs could be used for promotional purposes. This was signed by both parties.

I arrived at Thornberry and was told I would be asked to photograph the range of dogs they currently have up for adoption. I was asked to work in a large kennel area, where the dogs would be presented at one end on a settee and I would be expected to shoot away.

With me I had a couple of studio lights, flashes and a variety of lenses/cameras .  I moved the room around to suit my purpose better, taking into account where I wanted the natural light, in comparison to the artificial light. I was conscious that I did not want too much equipment around the dogs and too much light as I did not want to upset the dogs.

Straight away I moved the settee to one end of the room (See my sketch above) and placed my studio light (with a white umbrella as a diffuser) opposite the window. My plan was to use the flash incorporated in the light, as I had used this many times on my own dog, which had no adverse reaction.

A light meter readings taken at an approximate distance to where the dogs would sit and arrived at an f-stop of f7.1. My maximum shutter speed would be 160, to avoid banding on the images. I would normally like to shoot dogs at 500 shutter speed so I would have to be creative with my images. My ISO was 400, which should give little if no noise.  I used a Nikon D750 and my Nikon 70-200 f2.8 lens for all shots. White balance was set manually to k5950 after originally using my flash setting. My tests shots were downloaded to my laptop and checked for accuracy. Metering was set to Matrix (pattern)

I have submitted a printed series of 10 final images for this assignment, and the linking theme is “adopt me” and dogs, as that is the purpose behind the shoot. The series is spilt into 2 parts, those being portrait and landscape images. The different poses lent themselves better to different formats.

Approximately 200 images were shot and these can be seen on my contact sheets (above). It has been impossible to annotate the sheets directly, due to the size of the images and the number of images taken, hence my write-up will act as my annotation. The final ten images (which are number 1-10 on my blog) were chosen for the following reasons

1. The sad nature of the posture of the dog and the leading line of his body, drawing you to look at his face and ponder his situation. He has a sad and peaceful quality to me and I can hear him ask for help.
2. The facial expression of the dog combined with the words on the collar, portrays a form of melancholy acceptance of his current state, but there is a clear quality in the eyes, that say they want to be loved.
3. This image says I am well-behaved, despite what has happened to me. I will serve you faithfully give you lots of love, but please give me some nice treats from time to time. This image also shows what the kennels are like and how they survive financially. They do their best on the handouts they are given, but dogs should be in a loving home and not a kennel.
4. This image tells me, I love to play, and this is what dogs do. Don’t expect my toys to last long, but I will reward you with years of love and happiness. It also shows how good Thornberry care for their animals even on limited resources as the dog is very well-groomed and clean.
5. The dog and the collar are both screaming out for adoption. The friendly nature of the dog comes through via its’ eyes and general behaviour. This also gives you an idea of the kennels and what they are made of, which is juxtaposed to the dog’s demeanour.
6. This dog says, I have a lot of love to give, nice teeth and I will behave even though I am the biggest dog here. You will also need a big home to keep me in. Again the background places the dog well in his currently predicament.
7. This subject says, I am a lap dog. I need love and will give it back but remember even the small ones can also give you a nip with crooked teeth.
8. The background and the collar work well together. The dog appears to be starting to bark his approval of the treats he is going to be given. It also gives you an idea of the size of the dog, with the thickness of his neck and head.
9. The sadness of the eyes cry out for love and show the pain of his past life. The pink of the dogs left eye (right as you view it) also works well with the pink of the blanket. Again, you can see the walls and the settee which set the scene. The image speaks to me every time I see it, like no other one does. I have a lot of empathy for this dog.
10. This dog appears to have accepted their fate and appears to be downcast, giving off an air of acceptance melancholy, despite been offset against the light pink background of an old flannelette sheet.

During this exercise, I have become somewhat obsessed by the work of Sally Mann, from a lighting aspect and how she portrays her subjects and their surroundings. There is a complete mystery about her work and beauty that I have not come across before. There is a beauty/essence in the light she works with, especially in the series that concentrate on her family. In saying that, this piece of work has not had any singular influence from Sally Mann apart from the concept of getting faces and bodies to convey some soulful meaning. I have tried to convey some of this in the eyes of each dog (even though they are animals and in colour). The main influence for this work, comes from the lighting I have seen in Yousef Karsh’s work, although I have only seen portraits of famous people. It is the lighting and the eyes from his work that have also influenced this shoot. He uses lighting from the side, creating some shadow, but giving great emphasis to the eyes and how they interrelate to the subject and the background.  I shall develop my Sally Mann interest further as I progress. I don’t want to copy her work, but want to be able to generate the feeling of beauty, simplicity, love, energy, passion, quality and her deep feeling for the subject she photographs.

Imagination

I have developed this shoot from scratch, imagining how I feel, an image for an animal sanctuary should look and what it should portray. I have also thought about what it would be that will make me successful as an artist, and also what the sanctuary and for the wider public will feel when they see these images. I hope in some way the images will assist people in making their choice and het more visitors to the sanctuary and tempt someone to adopt the dogs. Both Sally Mann and Kuresh’s work has had a direct on what and how I have shot, not from a subject point of view, but how I feel I want to portray each subject.

Experimentation

My blog demonstrates how I have played with light and how I have used the to benefit me in this final shoot. This was not simply a one-off but having played with light I knew what I wanted to achieve.

Invention

This is demonstrated by approaching the sanctuary for work and being able to respond to their demands and the surroundings I have worked in for this shoot. I have also been able to work out what would be classed as an acceptable image, given the restraints of working with an unusually slow shutter speed for the subject chosen. I have arranged the room to best suit my purpose and practiced in situ before going live. I have also chosen a subject which is notoriously hard to work with and managed to conjure up some thought-provoking images.

Development of a personal voice

Yes, I have been influenced as mentioned above, but I have not tried to copy any work at all. My photographic voice is now developing, into something that is soft, sympathetic and one, which can use light to benefit the subject on show, rather than just point and click.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exercise 4.5

Man’s best friend.Image taken from https://www.petplan.co.uk/my-petplan/golden-retriever.asp accessed 11/01/2017.

This is a nice image taken from the above website. The image does what it says on the tin. It is pleasing to look at but bland with everything in focus. I want to look at it for a second and then forget it. It is what I would describe as unremarkable and very two-dimensional.

The majority of the images of dogs are taken from the dogs’ eye height and are there to make the dogs look cute and appealing. Little thought is usually given to the dogs’ form or the context into which they are placed. The majority of the images are flat  and do not show any depth to the dogs or their coats. There is very little time given to the eyes, nose, paws and fur. Teeth are only usually depicted to show anger. The lighting of the images appears flat and eliminates shadows. Yes, most are cute but there is very little personality  showing. There is an element of a punctum (as Barthes would say) but no studium. in the majority  of the images.

Therefore that is my challenge is to change that and add an element of creativity by not shooting a full shot  of the dog’s body and to use my lens wide open. I also plan to use a  macro lens  to add to the creativity as  I have not found  many shots of  dogs that are  taken with such a lens.

I have also taken my shots from the dog’s eye height as the results gained from a vantage point above would not be aesthetically pleasing. There is no obvious setting for the shots, actually they were taken in my living room whilst Boris was in his basket. There may be the odd dog cliché shot in there but I have tried to give the viewer something to think about.

• What is the dog doing?
• Where is it?
• Why is he doing that?
• I can see why a dog’s nose is so sensitive.
• What sort of dog is it?
• How big is it?
• What sex is it?
•  What is its’ age?
• What is is called?
• How old is it?
• Does it enjoying having its’phototaken?
• How long did it take to complete the shoot?
• Why does it only have two front teeth?
• What are the surroundings, etc etc?
• What is its’ backgound.

 

• 

Exercise 4.4

I have completed this exercise with one studio light, one reflector, a simple black background and I have used the light on different output settings. Looking at my contact sheets (below), leaves me thinking I may crop some of the images, but there will be no other editing. I have chosen black and white rather than colour, almost in homage to Sally Mann, whom has given me a new lease of life in photography, whilst not trying to recreate here own artistry.

Here are my contact sheets for this exercise, unedited, with the exception of the conversion to black and white. As I add these to my blog I have not yet made my final selection and I am unsure as to how many images I will use.

Below are my final 10 images with a small amount of cropping, compared to the contact sheets above. I have numbered them 1 – 10 and will add the lighting sketches below these 10 images. The catchlights do away give this in most of the images though.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

 

Photoshop lighting sketches as for the above 10 images.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7 & 8

9

10

When looking at the above 10 artificially lit facial images, are the any similarities to the image in Exercises 4.2 and 4.3? I will briefly explore below.

Exercise 4.3 is simply a shoot with ambient light within an art gallery. The lighting there was  very much uniform, aiming to remove shadows to give an even view to the exhibition. You do not get any feeling of depth from the light and in my opinion is flat. Intentional to assist the viewer.  In this current exercise the lighting has created an opposite style of lighting. In my final 10 images above there is a feeling of reality and/or depth which is different to exercise 4.3. The photographs below show this.

5

Exercise 4.2 was dealing with natural light, rather than the ambient light in the gallery, as in 4.3. In this exercise (4.4) an artificial source was introduced. With exercise 4.2 you have to work with what is there and you cannot move the light source (in this case the sun). With exercise 4.4 the light source could be moved to suit my purpose. Both types of lighting created a shadowing effect and depth, but with the natural light shots the shadows were dependent on the time of day. With this exercise it was up to me where to move the light source to create depth, shadow and feeling. The following 2 images show the differences. I also had the ability to control the harshness of the light in this image and was able to manipulate this to suit my purpose, which was not possible with the natural light shots. Yes I could have used reflectors for the natural light shots but i did not want to do that at that stage. Natural light does hold an element of beauty when compared to artificial light and at certain times of day the lighting is softly poetic.  I love being able to have the ability to manipulate light when I want with studio lights, but there is something  romantic about using  what nature has provided for us.

7

Exercise 4.3

Contact sheet

The above images were taken at Stockport Art Gallery and War Memorial, where Les Monaghan (OCA tutor) was setting up his “Aspirations” exhibition. I was lucky enough to spend 3 days with Les,  assisting him, in setting up his very thought-provoking work. This is be a great collection for anyone to see. The images are not what I would describe as magazine quality  images and as Les will agree, not perfect from an aesthetic point of view, but they are amazingly provocative, real life and capture the aspirations of not just the people of Doncaster, but will also fit as an “Everytown” study. The images are seen in such numbers (600 smaller images as seen in the image below) and size they take on their own life. If these images were perfect portraits, this would detract from the work and diminish the meaning. This is not a criticism of the work, but my feelings towards how enlightening this work is.

The difference between ambient and natural light.

 

The above 2 images show the juxtaposition between artificial light and natural light.

The artificial light in the gallery was aimed at being as  uniform as possible across the display surface, with points of light added as highlights. Shadows were kept to a minimum and the colour given off was predominately white and even, on the areas where the exhibitions are mounted, to give an optimum view. There is not much point displaying thought-provoking art work partially in the shade, (unless this is the point of the work). The light remained constant and was not affected by the time of day, the weather, or what the building was made of. In saying that, he white surfaces of the wall gave the impression of calm uniformity and assisted the lighting and its’ purpose.

Natural light, cannot be controlled by us at its’ basic level. What you can control is how you use it. Positioning your subject, using such items as reflectors, and most important  is the time of the day and the weather and how this will affect what and how you shoot. You can use natural light and the time of day to achieve the result what you want, yes this may be replicated in a studio but the beauty of nature is amazing and better for our planet. With natural light you may need to plan your photography well in advance (i.e. shooting with a full moon), but as I found out in the previous exercise plans have to be adaptable, when using natural light. Nature is something we should not aim to control but to work with it and let it enhance our lives.

 

Exercise 4.2

Enlightenment

Contact sheet with time stamp

10^th January 2017.

The weather was cold overcast and mainly raining on and off all day. My intention for this assignment was to shoot a local landscape and I had prepared my gear for an early morning start as I wanted to capture the sun rise. However, the best laid plans get changed. I have therefore completely changed my subject and how this has been shot.

Location

South facing conservatory, with an opaque roof and glass on all sides expect the North, meaning as I have shot the sun will travel from left to right. My choice of subjects was 2 Buddhas that are in the process of going to our local charity shop as we no longer use them. My thoughts for using these were that they had very different textures and very different sizes.

 The light

My first shot was at 0714. The light was so weak as to make focusing very awkward.  ISO was increased to 16000 and colours were very muted and not noticeable. Not only was the light weak the cloud cover was adding to this but diffusing the light further. The light was still able to create a sheen on the right-hand cheek of the larger of the two Buddhas. I would not normally shoot in such conditions but the light has created what is a dream like image, with great contrast to the black background.  It reminds me of waking from a dream.

My next shot was at 0802. There is now a marked difference in the power of the light. The dream like quality is still there but less pronounced. Shade is beginning to be more visible. Sheen was more apparent on the white Buddha. And I was able to focus more accurately and easier. Diffusion was still there and was helpful due to the reflected surfaces of the Buddhas. ISO down from 16000 to 6400, with a similar exposure.

Moving on to the 1025 shot, the power of the light has dramatically increased, more illumination and less power. Much less dream like quality than the 0714 and the 0802 shots.

The shots made between 1100 and 1513 were all; very similar in light output according to my eye. Images were easier to record nut lost some of the dream like quality. Shadows were shorter but still noticeable. The light was harsher even though still diffused due to the clear cover. From the 1533 shot ISO was increased and the dream like quality began to appear again.

Conclusion

Light is to photography what flour is to bread. Essential. Different flour, different taste, different light different mood. The colour change between sunrise and sunset images on this occasion was negligible due to the clouds diffusing the light. What it has taught me is that natural light can be used to suit your own purpose. Use it well and it can create different qualities. In addition, the use of my light meter proved invaluable. I have gained an amazing amount of enthusiasm and inspiration from Sally Mann, whilst studying this part of the course and her work was mainly naturally lit. Please check this out and see where it takes you. http://sallymann.com/selected-works (accessed 11/01/2017)

Exercise 4.1

 

Reflected and incident light and in camera sensors.

The difference between the two is very simple, yet the results will vary wildly depending on what settings you use in camera and whether you opt for a light meter.

Your camera will measure reflected light and its’ censor can be easily fooled. The following three shots are of black, white and mid grey surfaces using full auto mode and are without subject focus. I have also added some Photoshop sketches to show how the histograms looked in camera.

As you can see from the above images and histograms there is very little difference. The difference in the histograms has occurred due to the tonal difference as a result of the subjects’ surface coating and the materials they were made of. The conclusion is that your camera’s censor cannot be relied upon at all times and to achieve your desired exposure your will need to adopt different techniques. May be using a handheld metering or gaining multiple readings of the scene, to achieve what you want. There is no such thing as one correct exposure and this will also depend upon your personal photographic voice and what you are wanting the photograph to say.

Manual adjustments were made to the following images to place the tone at the correct point on the histogram. This needed the sensor to be fooled, by either under exposing (black) or over exposing (white) the shots to gain correct placement.

 

 

Ambient light