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In the days of color film …
Oct 8, 2019 12:40:34 #
gvarner
Loc: Central Oregon Coast
In the days of color film and my first SLR, I intuitively shot in good front lighting, tried to expose for the highlights, and used flash when a scene was dark. Didn’t think about it much. Now with DSLR's it seems that the challenge is conquering high contrast or backlit scenes and shooting in the available dark. I think that I will try to go back to the less challenging days of yore. If I can conquer that (again) I will have the skill tools to address those more difficult lighting situations. End of rant.
Oct 8, 2019 12:46:14 #
Do you have a specific example you want help with? You're right, high contrast in low light is a challenge to both the DSLR and the digital photographer. But, millions of successful images are captured every single day, many with additional post processing to achieve a better result than the camera could do alone. I'd certainly have a less fulfilling interest in photography if I was limited to shooting only in the best light.
So, if your rant was a cry for (or recognition of the need for) help, we're here for you.
So, if your rant was a cry for (or recognition of the need for) help, we're here for you.
Oct 8, 2019 12:52:20 #
gvarner
Loc: Central Oregon Coast
CHG_CANON wrote:
Do you have a specific example you want help with?... (show quote)
Thanks for the offer. I’m thinking more about getting back to the basics with minimal help from the technology in the camera or in PP.
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Oct 8, 2019 12:54:57 #
gvarner wrote:
In the days of color film and my first SLR, I intu... (show quote)
Respectfully, instead of spending time worrying about technical details, you might better spend the time shooting as many photos as often as possible and adjusting settings as you go. That is a great way to learn and you are unlikely to run out of blue dot flashbulbs anytime soon.
Oct 8, 2019 13:00:31 #
Digital is much like color slide film (positive), expose for the highlights as opposed for film negative which was expose for the shadows.
Oct 8, 2019 13:29:54 #
gvarner
Loc: Central Oregon Coast
rebride wrote:
Digital is much like color slide film (positive), expose for the highlights as opposed for film negative which was expose for the shadows.
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Oct 8, 2019 13:55:11 #
gvarner wrote:
In the days of color film and my first SLR, I intu... (show quote)
I shot a lot of film back in the day, and it seemed to me high contrast, backlighting, and low light were just as challenging then. And digital is way better in low light than film was.
Oct 8, 2019 13:58:33 #
gvarner wrote:
In the days of color film and my first SLR, I intu... (show quote)
You shoot slides back then? With negative films I always expose for the shadow and not highlight. You shot only in good front lighting to reduce the dynamic range of the scene. You can go back with the digital camera and expose for the highlight and shoot in good front lighting condition and you find it's much less of a challenge than the old days.
For me I still use film and still love to shoot film but whenever the light goes down I don't use film. Digital is much better in low light.
Relying on PP? I remembered spending hours on processing my film and print.
Oct 8, 2019 17:52:07 #
Oct 8, 2019 21:21:49 #
Been shooting in dim dark high
contrast situations forever, like
since god was in diapers, and I
find digital makes everything
waaaaaay easier ... don't care
what the lab test numbers and
charts say, and I do know how
to use instruments and plot a
characteristic response curve.
When it comes to real world
conditions, digital imaging is a
major upgrade over chemistry.
contrast situations forever, like
since god was in diapers, and I
find digital makes everything
waaaaaay easier ... don't care
what the lab test numbers and
charts say, and I do know how
to use instruments and plot a
characteristic response curve.
When it comes to real world
conditions, digital imaging is a
major upgrade over chemistry.
Oct 9, 2019 02:08:36 #
gvarner wrote:
In the days of color film and my first SLR, I intu... (show quote)
Now that I'm shooting with DSLR's, my way of shooting has not changed from the "good old days", some things did, but I still do the basics the same way. Well, I still shoot with film almost as much as I do digital and besides a very few tiny details, there is not much difference between the two!
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Oct 9, 2019 05:20:23 #
gvarner wrote:
In the days of color film and my first SLR, I intu... (show quote)
Simplify, simplify! Ever hear of "Sunny 16?" These technical wonders can be as complicated OR as simple as we set them up to be.
When I'm feeling nostalgic, I set the Light Meter Pattern to Spot or Center-weighted and meter on a Mid-tone (Clear Northern sky/frontlit green grass). Then I set exposure manually. Turns my 2017 D850 into a 1977 FM.
Oct 9, 2019 07:23:25 #
gvarner wrote:
Thanks for the offer. I’m thinking more about getting back to the basics with minimal help from the technology in the camera or in PP.
Getting back to the basics is always good, but don't totally disregard technology. Backlighting is a problem with any type of camera.
Oct 9, 2019 07:28:15 #
billnikon
Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont
gvarner wrote:
In the days of color film and my first SLR, I intu... (show quote)
Can you show any examples to support your rant? Without a more detailed rant, we cannot comment.
Oct 9, 2019 08:12:41 #
gvarner wrote:
In the days of color film and my first SLR, I intuitively shot in good front lighting, tried to expose for the highlights, and used flash when a scene was dark.
If you were using negative film, exposing for the shadows generally would have been the proper approach. Slide film, for the highlights of course.
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