How do you set an exposure for a scene?

[jasondhsd]

I know total noob question but that's what I am.  Where in a scene should I set my exposure too & what method is best to use. For example lets I'm shooting in a room, light is coming in from a window on one side if I set my exposure aperture/shutter speed/iso so my meter is in the center while pointed facing the window when I pan around the side away from the window might be too dark but if I set the exposure to the dark (not really dark just not as bright as near the window) the area near the window will be blown out.  Do I try to find a mid-point and set my exposure there? If I understand correctly the exposure is suppose to stay the same through a scene but I can't get the exposure meter to stay more or less in the center.  

 

tl/dr: What's the proper way to set exposure in a scene, what metering mode and where to measure.

[fuzzynormal]

I do a lot of documentary stuff wherein I don't control room lighting.

 

Manual exposure, no exceptions there.  I almost always expose for my subject, a few exceptions here.  I "eyeball" the exposure on the LCD.  If it looks good I roll with it, lots of exceptions here.

 

Of course, you have to understand what "looks good" and why, but that's the shortest/simplest answer I can give.  Wisdom eventually will help dial you in to get shots that aren't over or underexposed. 

[richg101]

In my opinion the key is to expose for the most important element in your scene, for example the faces of your cast.  if a window is peaking either leave it that way, use nd sheet on the window to bring it down, bring lighting up on your subjects to meet the window exposure, or try to keep it out of shot all together.  if there is an area that is underexposed use fill to bring it up. 

 

use a point meter on the faces of your cast.

 

As fuzzynormal suggested, if it looks good on the lcd, roll with it.  

[dhessel]

It also depends on what format you are recording in. If you are using compressed 8bit then you will probably want to expose for your subject since there is little room for post correction. If you happen to be shooting raw then you may be able expose so that highs are about to clip and bring up the darks in post. The downside will be excessive noise if there is too much range between the too.