When using spot metering on a subject, what is commonly done to ensure proper exposure?

• A. Apply exposure compensation
• B. Increase ISO to maximum
• C. Switch to evaluative metering
• D. Use automatic white balance

Answer: (A)

Spot metering reads brightness from a tiny area of the frame, usually the subject, and it treats that spot as if it should be mid-gray. That can make the overall exposure off for the rest of the scene. To bring the exposure in line with your intent, you typically use exposure compensation to bias the final image based on what that metered spot represents. If the spot is brighter than average, you’d often dial in a slight reduction in exposure, and if it’s darker, you’d bias toward brighter exposure to reveal detail. In practice, exposure compensation lets you correct for the meter’s tendency to neutralize that small area, giving you control over the final brightness. Increasing ISO, switching to evaluative metering, or adjusting white balance won’t directly fix this exposure mismatch the way compensation does.