Looking for Opportunities

View out of my hotel window

My job takes me to the Detroit, Mi area quite a bit.  Most of the time I travel in the morning and begin working as soon as I get there.  Sometimes I can quit at 5pm but most times it's later - a lot later.  Now that Spring/Summer is approaching maybe there'll still be light out when I quit for the day.

Matrix metering

In any case, I take a camera when I travel for work.  A lot of times I don't get to take any pictures at all but I still take it because you just never know what might happen or what opportunities might arise - or what I might find interesting 'just because'.  Take the photo of the parking lot above, for example.  It was getting dark and the lights in the lot came on so I snapped the scene.  But I did so because I wanted to compare Matrix metering with Spot metering --- just because.

Spot metering

As you can see, there's quite a difference in the two photo's taken just seconds apart.  You see, matrix metering takes the whole scene into account and exposes accordingly.  Spot metering on the other hand, does just that - it meters for exposure off a spot of your choosing.  In the bottom photo I set the camera to spot meter and put the active sensor on the bright lights in the foreground and tripped the shutter.  This time the camera exposed for those lights and the result is a dark surrounding area but the lights themselves are properly exposed and not blown out.

Coffee mug handle

It all depends on what you want to show and how you want to show it.  Even coffee mugs are subject to the lens when I'm on the road.  Why not?  I'm in a hotel room.  It's too early for bed and I don't usually watch TV.  So, I'm either reading or finding things to take pictures of and trying to make it somewhat interesting and not just look like a product shot.

Anyway, I was able to leave for home during the morning hours this time and took a scenic drive along part of Lake Erie.  As you can see from the white caps, it was quite windy which also made for some chilly temps.  But it was nice to break the monotony of simply driving the boring toll road back and forth.  I passed a State Park on the way to the lake and stopped for walk along the trail.  It was nice to get out and stretch and see something different for a change.