A comment at a gallery opening made me rethink my whole metering approach

Last weekend I had a print hanging in a small show downtown and an older photographer pointed out my shadows were all underexposed by about a stop. He was right - I was so focused on holding highlights that every negative came out thin in the darkroom. Has anyone else had someone call out something obvious you'd been missing for years?

2 comments

2 Comments

felix_black2d ago

We all get stuck looking at one side of things until someone points out the blind spot.

the_sam2d ago

That blind spot thing plays out everywhere, not just in photography. You see it with people who cook the same meals for years until a friend shows them how to hit the salt at the right time. Or folks who drive the same route to work every day and miss a faster way someone else finds on a map. @felix_black nailed it when they said we get stuck looking at one side. Sometimes you need an outside set of eyes to break the pattern, whether it's shadows in a print or a shortcut across town.