Sunny 16 Rule -- Light Readings Without a Light Meter

Translating ...

Ever get caught without a light meter? Stuck on an important expedition photoghrapic without exposure modes? So I, and it worked out ok, thanks Sunny 16 Rule and careful consideration of years of experience. Here's a story about this event and how it worked out.

...

For more than 12 months I'd planned and prepared for this wilderness landscape photography trip to the interior of South Australia. I'd gone about a third of the way across the continent to come to my home base at Roxby Downs, a mining town in the arid desert. I'd gone on a pastoral station road for 82 miles to Bosworth Station Homestead where I left the car and trailer. I would ride on my ATV (which has four-wheel motorcycle) for two hours over the roughest terrain and rockiest you could imagine and set a base camp on the island of Andamooka.

Spot Lost

I camped the first night and went shooting only in daylight. At the beginning of my photo session this afternoon meter my light is gone. She must have fallen out of my coat pocket while I was riding. If you could see a million, one billion rocks strewn across the desert and where I was on a bike, you'd realize that it just is not worth looking for a meter. Five days of shooting in front of me and no way to obtain accurate light readings.

Applying Sunny 16 Rule

Sunny 16 rule says that on a sunny day exposure is the reciprocal of film speed F16. It is 1/ISO @ F16 Here is how I apply the rule, making notes and exposure to a table in my notebook:

First of all, please understand that there are a few things in life where too much is better than not enough. Among them were his breakfast, his salary and film exposure. I was using ISO 160 film and the closest shutter speed is 1 / 125 so I added 1 / 3 stop to line up with the available shutter speeds. It gave me a 1 / 125 @ F16.

Then, it was winter, so I added one more stop. It is 1 / 60 @ F16. This is fine for mid-day.

Since it is winter, the angle of the sun is low all day, so I was shooting for most of the time, except for the time around noon, when I went back to my camp for the feed.

above the film exposure would not be in the early and late images as the light level is reduced. For the first and last half hour on the day I added two more stops making the exposure 1 / 15 @ F16. Then for two hours at noon to the page, I added a stop to the middle of the day reading, the exposure of 1 / 30 @ F16 for that time period.

Of course, when I was a polarizing filter I added two more stops. When using the ISO 400 black and white film I made a new set of figures adding three stops for a red filter.

In order to manipulate the depth of field I changed about exposure, 1 / 8 @ F16 becomes 1 / 4 @ F22, using a polarizing filter in the early morning hours.

Check the pictures

Well, a fair bit of looking at the light and checking of data has gone on for the next five days. When I got back to the Roxby Downs I was still a meter to check my exposure calculations at various times of day and began to feel more at ease.

Large negative

When I got home and processed black and white film, and the Corsa's got a color negatives and CD back from the lab, I was relieved and delighted to discover that my exposures are pretty close to correct with good detail krozpuni tonal range from shadows to news.

Remember Sunny 16 Rule

When I get a new meter I'll keep it on a cord around his neck in such situations. I'll also keep Sunny 16 Rule in the back of my head in case I need it again one day. Remember: F16 @ 1/ISO

.