Metering means measuring the light. Many cameras give you a choice of matrix metering (the camera measures all the light in the frame and does a sort of average), center weighted metering (the camera uses the light in the middle of the frame when deciding how to expose the photo) or spot metering (the camera pays attention only to the light on the thing in the spot (an indicator on your viewfinder lcd). I actually use spot metering a lot when I'm shooting people. I put the spot on their face and it will be exposed properly. The background may be completely blown out, but what I care about is my subject's face.
Anyway, it sounds like wind was the culprit in your case. Although... if your background was more flowers or leaves, they would be moving too and also out of focus... ?
Courtney
Anyway, it sounds like wind was the culprit in your case. Although... if your background was more flowers or leaves, they would be moving too and also out of focus... ?
Courtney