Photography: The Art of Recording Light
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(TJ Waller).
Recording Light
Take note of my definition above. I came up with it one morning a while back while photographing a tin can floating by in a lake. The light literally bounced off that can! I no longer have that photo, but if you can remember my definition, then you are on your way to a relatively easier path to learning how to take amazing photographs!
Why Understanding Light Changes Everything
Most people don’t realize that the camera is actually quite "blind" — it doesn't see a sunset, a bird, an athlete, or a rocket; it just sees values of luminosity.
When you stop looking at "things" and start looking at how light hits those things, your entire perspective shifts. It doesn’t matter what brand of camera you carry or how much your lens cost; the physics of light remain the same for all of us.
Instead of chasing the "perfect setting," try chasing the way a highlight hits an edge or how a shadow defines a shape. Because once the light changes - and sometimes it changes fast — then you can throw that "perfect setting" out the window!
The most "elite" skill a photographer can learn isn't found in a manual — it's found in their eyes. If you can learn to see the light before it enters your lens, you have simplified the entire process. This is the core of what I do at TJ Waller Photography, and it’s the first thing I try to instill in anyone looking to improve their craft.
Light Metering Modes
In your camera is a setting that many photographers completely forget about changing as the light changes. It's the Light Metering Modes.
Different cameras have different names and icons for their specific Meter modes, but they all do the same thing. When I take my students to an area that has wide open spaces and also wooded areas, then I teach them how and when to change the Light Meter mode.
For instance, in the sunrise photo at the beginning of this article, I was in what Nikon calls "Matrix Metering". Canon calls theirs "Evaluative." Other cameras call theirs "Multi" or "Multiple." It's imperative that you find yours in your manual or even YouTube so that you can easily find it and change it quickly in the field!
Quick Change Artists
My students' laugh when I'm teaching them about Light Metering and I tell them they need to become "quick change artists"! Why is this important?
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I shot the Great Horned Owl above as the sun was setting behind it. Had I stayed in Matrix metering, then the owl would have been nothing but a dark shadow because my camera would be trying to meter the whole scene, not just my subject. So, I quickly switch my Light Meter to "Spot" metering, my Autofocus point to "Single" and voila! My camera now meters the light just on whatever my Autofocus Point is on.
How Cameras "Read" the Scene (Metering Modes)
Since light hits different parts of the frame differently, cameras offer different "modes" to tell the computer in your camera which part of the light recording matters most!
| Mode | How it Works | Best Used For |
| Matrix / Evaluative | The camera looks at the entire scene, breaks it into a grid, and tries to find a balanced average for everything. | Landscapes or scenes where the light is even across the whole frame. |
| Center-Weighted | The camera looks at the whole frame but gives about 60-80% of the priority to the center. It ignores the corners. | Portraits or subjects that take up the middle of the frame. |
| Spot Metering | The camera only reads a tiny circle (usually 1-3% of the frame). It ignores everything else. | High-contrast scenes—like a performer under a spotlight or a backlit bird. |
| Highlight-Weighted | (Available on some modern bodies) It specifically looks for the brightest spots and ensures they don't "clip" or lose detail. | Concerts, sunsets, or scenes with intense highlights you want to save. |
While the above chart is good for reference and getting a good idea of what each of the modes do, who is going to remember all that? Certainly not me! So, what I did in order to help myself understand is simply go outside and take the same picture of the same subject; each in the different Metering Modes. Then I just compared the photos and came to the simplest conclusion I could remember:
- Matrix/Evaluative meters the whole scene you see in your viewfinder.
- Center-Weighted meters a little less than the whole scene and a mode I don't use much at all.
- Spot Metering basically meters the subject you have your Autofocus point on. I use it a lot when it's bright outside, but my subject is in a shadowy area. It works great as shown in the Owl shot above.
- Highlight-Weighted (if your camera has it) helps you meter the subject like Spot Metering does, only this tries to keep the bright spots like sun coming through the tree leaves from being blown out.
You are going to want to research your own camera's Light Metering modes. There are always YouTube tutorials that can walk you through them. But the best way to learn them and how they affect your photos is to just get out there and test them all. Do this before you go out into the field and need them though!
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Understanding light is one thing; capturing it consistently in the heat of the moment is another. Whether you are struggling to get your camera to "see" what you see, or you want to move beyond the "perfect settings" and start anticipating the moment, I’m here to help.
I offer personalized photography lessons designed to get you out of the manual and into the field. We’ll cover everything from my TGIF philosophy to becoming a "quick change artist" with your own gear.
If you found these tips helpful, you'll never miss another post and make sure you SUBSCRIBE TO MY BLOG for more 'Technique, Gear, Invisibility, and Focus' deep dives.
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