Models/Photos

[thepheebster]

Hi. What's that thing for that they hold in front of a person before they take a picture...it looks like a little mobile phone but its not...anyone know what it is?

[doorknob]

light meter so they can get the right exposure

[florawales]

Its a light meter which measures the light level of the scene and calculates the exposure.

[thepheebster]

Thanks...it's been on my mind for about 5 years!! :)

[andy hughes]

If you are a fan of televised cricket, you'll see the umpires and captains confering at the end of the day, and using a similar device to ascertain if there is sufficient light for play to continue. The camera shots we see are deceptive - it looks like they are in brilliant sunshine because modern cameras compensate for light loss in the pictures they transmit. So although it looks perfectly bright, it may in fact be gloomy enough to call of the day's play, but the light meter will confirm one way or the other.

[brachiopod]

In addition to the above correct answers;

 

Even your average point-and-shoot camera will have a light meter built-in. Most of these are "average meters" that take an average reading of the light that reaches the lens, or possibly "centre-spot meters" which measures the light from a subject at the centre of the 'frame'. It is these light values that are used to calculate the exposure time or lens aperture.

A professional photographer will need a more accurate measurement of the light levels from his subject - including highlights and lowlights. He may want to capture a certain quality, or deliberately want shadowed areas to appear very dark. His hand-held light-meter allows him to accurately expose for the desired effect.