Can the exposure of certain areas of the shot include both incident and reflective light exposures?

• A. Yes
• B. No
• C. Only in daylight
• D. Only with spot readings

Answer: (A)

Light in a scene comes from more than one source, and an area can receive both light that falls directly on it (incident light) and light that bounces off nearby surfaces (reflective light). In practice, a subject is often lit by a direct key or fill (incident) while surrounding surfaces—walls, floors, or objects—bounce additional light back, creating a reflective component. The camera records the total luminance from that area, which may be a blend of both incident and reflected light. That’s why an area’s exposure can include contributions from either or both types of lighting, not limited to daylight or tied to a specific metering method.