Be careful not to rely blindly on auto exposure or evaluative metering. In portraits, cameras can underexpose darker skin, so it often helps to add positive exposure compensation—roughly +0.5 to +1.5 EV depending on the scene. Review your results and adjust as needed.

For the most consistent exposure, meter from a gray card if possible. This is especially useful for headshots or controlled setups, where accurate skin rendering matters most.

In mixed-skin-tone shots, expose conservatively for the scene but make sure darker skin isn’t pushed too far into the shadows, where noise becomes more visible. If shooting RAW, it’s usually safer to preserve enough exposure for darker skin and fine-tune the lighter tones later in post, as long as highlights aren’t badly blown.

Also check color and tone in post-processing to ensure skin looks natural. Clothing and overall scene brightness can affect metering just as much as skin tone, especially in full-body photos.