The very crude drawing representing the sunny 16 rule on the back of my Nikon F2. If you don’t have an exposure metre to hand either internal to the camera or an external one, this is a brilliant method which has consistent results. However, not recommended if you are a perfectionist or using slide film. Most B/W films are quite forgiving which helps! To use the sunny 16 rule, set your shutter speed to the ISO number of the film you’re using. Then depending on the weather adjust the aperture. If you can’t make out my drawings they’re listed below:
F16: Bright sunshine
F11: Sun with some cloud coverage
F8: Overcast
F5.6: Dark cloud coverage
F4: Dawn or Dusk (sun low in the sky)
F2.8: Sunrise/sunset
I combined using this method of exposure with my first experiment with double exposures, which removed all preciousness with the images as everything was left to chance. Part of me did think it was a miracle anything came out at all, but then at the same time why wouldn’t it? Trust the process and don’t worry about the end result. I always think if you get one good photo on a whole roll, you’re doing well.