Have you ever spoiled an otherwise great shot by clipping highlights on a sunlit wildlife subject? Maybe a bright white bird is blown out and totally devoid of detail, or perhaps it’s just the wings that are grossly overexposed.

Today’s eye-opening video below from Backcountry Gallery comes to the rescue by demonstrating a hidden “metering superpower” that solves the aforementioned challenges and others. The topic at hand is known as Highlight-Weighted Metering (HWM) and this mode is specifically biased toward protecting against overblown highlights, and it takes barely eight minutes to explain.

Steve Perry’s instructional videos have garnered over 26.5 million views, thanks to his ambitious goal of providing “the best wildlife photography tips and techniques on YouTube.” This episode is presented in the context of Nikon and Sony cameras, but the technique can be employed (with a slight difference in terminology) using modern models from other manufacturers except Canon.

Perry begins with a brief overview of this oft-ignored mode, and he insists that when used properly “it’s almost impossible to clip highlights.” He also explains why HWM can make it much faster to get the light right under various conditions.

You’ll learn how HWM differs from so-called “normal” metering, i.e. Nikon’s Matrix and Sony’s Multi metering. Perry provides real-world examples of birds in sunlight, backlit subjects, and other scenes with complicated mixed lighting. You’ll also learn when HWM works beautifully, as opposed to other situations in which a different metering mode may be preferable.

Perry also provides practical tips for employing HWM in tandem with Manual and Auto ISO. Other tricks incude exposure compensation tweaks, and Lightroom strategies for rescuing shadows. Be sure to visit the Backcountry Gallery YouTube channel and explore the many how-to videos available for shooters of all skill levels.

We also recommend watching a tutorial we featured earlier with an internationally acclaimed German photographer who demonstrates how to accentuate nature and wildlife subjects by using Linear Gradients to create eye-catching emphasis.