sploppert Loc: Rochester, NY

A standard 3 frame bracket 1 metered, 1 over, 1 under and choose the best of the 3

Ysarex Loc: St. Louis

That's right. Which is different than, "...with slide film it was best to under expose up to a stop."
And also different than, "Not table top where you set it up and just bracket until you get what you like..."

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

Look, your making this very complicated. Get a digital camera, set up your studio as you like it. Get a Model, shoot her, look at the back of the camera and see what you have to do with your lights and exposure.
Nothing could be easier.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

sploppert Loc: Rochester, NY

I suppose you would rather scrap a job rather than use a graduated ND filter. A graduated neutral-density filter, also known as a graduated ND filter, split neutral-density filter, or just a graduated filter, is an optical filter that has a variable light transmission. Typically half of the filter is of neutral density which transitions, either abruptly or gradually, into the other half which is clear. It is used to bring an overly-bright part of a scene into the dynamic range of film or sensor. For example, it can be used to darken a bright sky so that both the sky and subject can be properly exposed. ND filters can come in a variety of shapes and sizes and densities and can be used in all types of photographic applications from still photography, motion photography and scientific applications.

sploppert Loc: Rochester, NY

you know this is the problem with this site. People only read what they want to see and spout off about what they want to talk about even if it has nothing to do with the original question. I asked jf Digital should be shot like negative or slide film. I was not looking for a lecture on how I shot slide film wrong 35 years ago which was the last time I used slide film back in the 70's. I asked about Digital imaging.

bleirer

I think you got correct answers within the first 5 posts.

Ysarex Loc: St. Louis

Right, like in this post: https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-669666-4.html#11659795 that brings up graduated ND filters out of the blue in a bizarre attempt to criticize another poster even though graduated ND filters were never a topic in the thread.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

Discussing Techniques for shooting "chromes" is kinda moot nowadays, since not too many folks are still doing that, especially in the professional and commercial sectors of the industry- it's just about all digital.

The 6 large file cabinet file drawers, packed with large format transparencies and colour negatives attest to the fact that at one time, for about 25 years, I shot 8x10 and 4x5 transparencies just about every day. A lot of the technical details of producing high-quality transparencies relate well to current digital methods but REALLY- chromes posed more difficulties and challenges. There was no such ONE rule of thumb such as "always underexpose" etc., you had to know your films, their charities, and factor in the final usage of the transparencies. Most of these images were for lithographic reproduction and you need to the factor in what would be best for colour separations and the final print process.

An exposure meter or even a camera's internal metering system are just tools, and like any other tool you need to learn exactly how to use it- where to sample light and haw to interpret the meter readings.

In large format transparency work, there were many variables. The film was packaged with basic filter pack instructions (as a starting point) because each emulsion batch was not uniform in colour rendition. Some close-up work requires bellows extension. Filter packs and bellows extensions "eat light" and require more or extended exposure. Sometimes extended exposure introduced reciprocity law failure that might require even more filtration and extended exposure. Sometimes with all of this factored in I was working with an ISO 100 film at an effective exposure index of ISO 6 or 10. To attain enough depth of field for certain shots (smaller apertures) we had to open the shutter in a darkened room and do 10 pops with a 2400-watt.secondflash system. To bracket, I had to shot 5, 10 and 20 pops.

Meters get us in the ballpark but there were still fine adjustments. and Polaroid tests. The Polaroid film did not necessarily track with the transparency film and even if the density was correct, we had to wait for the process to verify the colour.

Bracketing was always applied. Sometimes it only took a few minutes to actually SHOOT the job but it took all day to set up the product, style the food, prep the models, build a set- whatever- and you'd have to be nuts not to bracket and shoot a few extra sheets before breaking down the set. What if there was a lab accident? Sometimes we would duplicate all the shots and do 2 separate processing batches. Sounds crazy but it's less costly than rebuilding the set, re-hiring the models and/or the food stylist, dragging the art director back, and heaven forbid, missing a deadline!

If colour prints or Duratrans display transparencies were called for, we also shot the colour negative film on the same job. Negatives made for better prints and Duratrans without the need for internegatives or kinda "too contrasty" Ciba prints.

There was NO post-processing to correct major mistakes. We didn't have green-screen, front projection or dropping in backgrounds, so more-or-less it had to be straight out of the camera. There was transparency retouching, stripping and some computerized effects available at the lithographic stage but they were costly and kinda frowned upon budget-wise. If you wanted a product to float in mid-air- you had to find a way to do that right on the set.

We were not wasting time or film- all these costs were factored into the charges and fees.

Nowadays, most of this aggravation has been precluded. If you shoot tethered, you can see the finished product on the screen right there and then- you can make whatever adjustments are required and go on to the next shoot.

This does not mean that in digital, you can or should shoot "sloppy". If you know your camera operation and fully understand the workings of you metering system or you handheld meter, know hao to stay within the dynamic range of your camera system and do a bit of bracketing when possible, you will have cleaner, better files with maximized potential without radical corrective measure in post-processing.

Portraiture- Well, for me that was/is a different kinda cat. I used mostly colo
r negative film and I knew my lighting and ratio control both in the studio and on location with flash and/or natural light. If transparency required, I would do a bit of bracketing but mostly I could shoot quickly and concentrate on aesthetics, pose and expression.

Nowadays, it's so much easier. I shot a few preliminary test shots, varify (chimp once or twnice, and just shoot for pose and expression.

sploppert Loc: Rochester, NY

ND filters were brought up because of previous comments about how to handle over and under exposure without blowing the highlights. read all the posts before making stupid comments

JD750 Loc: SoCal

That is almost always the case.

sploppert Loc: Rochester, NY

thank you you are correct sir

Ysarex Loc: St. Louis

There was no previous mention of graduated ND filters by anyone. I never said anything about graduated ND filters nor did you, but you directed your comment to me saying you supposed I would rather scrap a job rather than use a graduated ND filter -- as if you knew anything about me. Pathetically petty and juvenile.

sploppert Loc: Rochester, NY

I just want to say thank you to those who actually read a post and reply to the subject. Now this is my opinion and does not apply to everyone just those that like to hear themselves talk and they know who they are.
I like to compare product photographers to classical musicians. a classical musician can't play a note unless they have sheet music in front of them and a conductor to tell the what to do. They don't know how to improvise.
A product photographer can't take a photograph without an art director telling them what to do and then they have to bracket their shots and use a polaroid to get the shot and have the art director approve it and send it off to the air brusher to be fixed. In other words
they are both good at what they do but only know of one way to do things and anyone who does it differently than they do is wrong and don't know what they are doing.

Spirit Vision Photography Loc: Behind a Camera.

I shoot digitally just as I did when I burned slide film. I’m always careful not to blow-out the highlights.