[unfocussed_mike]

If you have never done this before, I absolutely recommend -- while it is still possible to do this in a practical way -- getting a cheap film camera, getting hold of a proper incident light meter (like a Sekonic L-208 or L-308), and shooting some Fuji Velvia 50 or Provia 100F. Or if you can find it, some modern Ektachrome.

For example you might want to go to a beach or a park and shoot throughout the day on a bright day. Put people or objects in the foreground and then shoot them with either the light behind you or in front. Use the incident metering dome to meter the light

(you'll need to look this up, but the broad point of it is you stand in the same light as your subject and point the meter into the light, rather than at your subject)

Once you see what transparency film does in high-contrast situations I think you'll better understand what I'm trying to get across.