GH2 Exposure meter with sky as background

[SuperSet]

Hey guys - I'd like to get some input on how you guys properly expose using the meter when shooting a high angle shot with the sky as the background? I've found the meter to be very accurate in all other conditions but obviously, the meter shows the image as overexposed when the camera is pointed high. Do you like to bring the camera back down and expose for a level shot and then use that exposure?
Many thanks.

 

[j1clark@ucsd.edu]

Hey guys - I'd like to get some input on how you guys properly expose using the meter when shooting a high angle shot with the sky as the background? I've found the meter to be very accurate in all other conditions but obviously, the meter shows the image as overexposed when the camera is pointed high. Do you like to bring the camera back down and expose for a level shot and then use that exposure?
Many thanks.

The 'sky' is very bright... and not just directly, or in the direction of The Sun...

On a 'clear' day, I tend to place the Blue Sky at about one stop over 'middle grey' on the horizon, and about middle grey at the 'deepest' blue of the north. Water vapor tends to mitigate that towards 'the higher value'.

In B&W photography, to get a deeper grey, one would use a 'red' filter to remove more blue, thus getting a deeper value. Cloudy days lent themselves to 'dramatic representation' with the use of such a filter.

For color photography, a polarizing filter would 'darken' the sky a bit to give it a deeper blue, but to maintain color correctness, only the very lightest of color filters could be used to deepen the blue. There are also gradient style ND filters that can be positioned to give the 'sky' a deeper value, while not affecting the terrestrial scenery.

So, I would meter the 'sky' and depending close down on stop from the indicated 'average'. I usually use a spot meter, rather than the in-camera meter... but that may cause 'shadow' detail to fall in to 'black/darkergrey' than I'd like.

 

[mondayc]

The sky will show overexposed pretty easily on GH2 and most DSLRs. Using a polarizer as mentioned is a great way to cut down some of the highlights. A bounce card or piece of white foamcore shining back at the actors/subject/focal point will help compensate for the sky's brightness as well.