A camera is simply a closed box with an opening on one side & a piece of film inside the box directly opposite the opening, with a mechanism to permit a controlled duration of light to enter through the opening & strike the film to obtain a photograph. Today's sophisticated cameras permit the photographer to manipulate the duration of that light, & with settings for varying apertures, to determine the degree of sharpmess throughout the photograph. The systems for metering the light entering the camera vary, including the following possibilities: 1) a large complex evaluative or matrix grid, each segment of which registers light & shadows falling on that sector & turning this into specific data, which the camera's on-board computer evaluates to give the photographer settings for appropriate exposure over the entire area of the photograph; 2) a center-weighted region that does this same metering & manipulation but with a smaller & simpler grid; & 3) spot-metering which utilizes a very small spot area within the photographer's view, to establish similarly appropriate exposure settings.

The class will focus on a simple understanding of how the camera's on-board computer works as it meters light, & how to utilize the various tools provided by the camera for metering exposure & making adjustments to account for ambient as well as problematic lighting. Participants will leave with a grasp of their own camera's basic functions, which will enable them to at least feel comfortable with their cameras with general photography. Those interested in furthering their skills, will then be prepared to explore the more complex & technical aspects of the metering of light as presented in the class, Metering Light: The Third Eye in Photography...

Instruction: Through lecture & hands-on work with participant's cameras, the instructor will outline basic camera principles, including symbols & icons contained in the viewfinder, use of the exposure metering scale, understanding of specific exposure metering systems of various cameras, determining shutter speed & aperture (f/stop) settings for appropriate exposure in manual mode, use of auto-exposure metering systems, & understanding exposure compensation.