In portrait photography, which metering mode is often preferred to prevent the subject from being underexposed or blown out in a backlit scene?

• A. Evaluative metering
• B. Spot metering on the subject's face
• C. Center-weighted metering
• D. Partial metering

Answer: (B)

In backlit portraits, exposing for the subject’s face is crucial, and a spot reading from the face makes that precise. Spot metering measures brightness from a small area where the face sits, usually the skin tone, and uses that reading to set the overall exposure. This keeps the subject properly exposed with natural skin tones even when the background is much brighter, helping prevent the face from becoming too dark or the background from washing out. Other metering modes look at larger parts or the whole scene, which can be dominated by the bright background in a backlit shot and lead to underexposed faces or blown-out highlights. Spot metering on the subject’s face focuses the exposure where it matters most, making it the best choice here.