Right settings for studio lights

So I'm using a Canon DSLR Rebel T1i and I'm trying to get shots in a TV studio. basically, the studio is pretty dark except for on the lights on the talent. So when I take pictures, the persons body is real light....especially the face. I've played with the ISO, tried it on automatic and the face always has too much light. I'm very new to this so any help or suggestions would be great.

i'd think about using spot metering for the face. put it in AV mode and set to appropriate aperture you want/need/lens is able to give you and then adjust iso to give an acceptable shutter speed.

deadendstreet wrote in post #15095057
So I'm using a Canon DSLR Rebel T1i and I'm trying to get shots in a TV studio. basically, the studio is pretty dark except for on the lights on the talent. So when I take pictures, the persons body is real light....especially the face. I've played with the ISO, tried it on automatic and the face always has too much light. I'm very new to this so any help or suggestions would be great.

I shot inside a TV studio once, the overhead lights are strong like softbox lights, Try shooting at f4, ISO 1600 in Av mode with metering on the face

spot meter on the face or move in real close and fill your frame with the face, take a picture. If that looks good, remember that setting and move your mode wheel to M for manual. Put that setting exactly into the settings in Manual. ISO, shutter, aperture, nothing should be automatic. Take pictures as needed, knowing that the lighting will not change, it's a TV studio and they probably have not changed anything in years.
If an area is not lit it will be dark, TV studios want nice even light on the talent and everything that should be seen on TV, including chairs, desk, etc.

You are probably encountering the problem that the light is localized and illuminating only the talent. So the meter sees the dark surroundings and thinks that the overall exposure needs a larger f/stop than is suitable for the illuminated talent. You can experimentally try to
1) dial in some minus EC to compensate the meter for the darkness of the surrounding scene, or
2) use a spotmeter aimed at 18% grey card (NOT the face, which is brighter than a grey card!), or
3) use an incident light meter held at the subject faces.

You have a few options here.

Wilt is exactly right about what is going on here.

I however would keep the camera in Manual though. After you have metered the scene it is not going to change. If you leave the camera in TV or AV it will change as what you have in your scene changes. After the shot is metered you are not going to need to change your settings.