Meter their skin. If you want it to look "normal," place it in (open up 1 stop from the meter reading).
Find the area where you want to keep subtle detail and point your meter there. The Practical Zone System: For Film and Digital...
The "Highlight Detail" zone. Light skin tones or textured snow. Meter their skin
In film photography, your goal is to ensure the darkest parts of your image have enough information. The "Highlight Detail" zone
If your highlights are too bright (e.g., Zone VIII or IX), you can "pull" the development (shorten the time) to bring them back into a printable range without losing the shadows you already set. 3. The Digital Workflow: "Expose for the Highlights"
Middle Gray (18% reflectance). This is what your camera’s light meter thinks it’s looking at, regardless of the actual color.
Adjust your settings until your "important" subjects are placed exactly where you want them on the scale. Summary Table Adjustment from Meter Deep Shadow with Texture Dark Foliage / Stone V 0 Stops (Meter Reading) Caucasian Skin / Light Sand Bright Snow / Highlights