Certified Professional Photographer (CPP) Practice Exam

An incident light meter is designed to measure the amount of light falling on what?

1. The camera sensor

2. The subject

3. The background

4. The objects in the scene

The correct answer is: The subject

An incident light meter is specifically designed to measure the amount of light that falls on a subject. This type of meter takes readings based on the light illuminating the scene rather than what is being captured by the camera sensor. By placing the sensor of the light meter at the location of the subject and facing it towards the camera, you can obtain an accurate measurement of the actual lighting conditions affecting your subject. This is particularly important in achieving proper exposure and ensuring that the light hitting your subject is correctly represented in the photograph. The other options are not accurate in this context. The camera sensor captures the reflected light from the subject, but it does not measure the light falling on it directly. The background, while potentially illuminated by light, is not the primary focus of an incident light meter’s measurement. Lastly, while the objects in the scene are relevant, the key aspect of the incident light meter is its function in relation to lighting conditions on the subject itself, not on all objects within the frame.