Ok, barring the actual subject matter, this pic is typical of my efforts with a film camera.... grainy, lighting way out... I did well with this, the focus is actually close.... Anyways, it's about time I pulled up my britches and sorted my technique a bit - so, for this post I'm actually gonna try to stay serious, let you see my... erm.... efforts(!) and let you rip them to shreds by telling me where I'm going wrong. That's if you wanna. This pic - as scanned, just resized. Cheers!!!! (",) btw, this is classic of me - I wanted to catch the 2 stunt fliers just *after* they'd passed. Instead I get a shot I could sell to the National Enquirer. tch. Amazingly I did this not only on this pass but also about a minute later when ALL 3 planes did the stunt. I'll have to dig that one out.....

.....and what should have been a good shot. *sigh* (".)

Are they the Red Devils Mike? Is that a Wessex? You did well Boyo...reminding Me of Farnborough...the Stunt Shot is a Bottler!

Sorry Tedz, got no idea if this was the Devils or not - it was 2 years back and the sound system at the show is baaaad. I think it's a Wessex.... I'm afraid planes aren't one of my strong points!! The shots of the Red Arrows were worse again... and someone kept sticking his head up when I tried getting the Harrier... pah. (",)

I "had"...Photographs of the first seen Harriers...when they Debuted at Farnborough...perhaps 1973..I worked for The British Aeronautical Society...no..not as a Pilot...as a Clerk, organizing the Invites of Military Buyers to Farnbourgh. The Harriers were hidden among the Trees, then basically popped up out of the Forest....and strafed the Runway with Incendiary Bombs...very impressive..the highlight of the Show...My Photos have been Destroyed...I gotta say that.....and not mention what dosh I got from China :]

Do the prints look like what we see here on the screen? I had a go at the first image, because right away the exposure looks wrong and contrast is way off.... this could be the scan, your monitor calibration being off... etc. Screen capture of the histogram in PS.....

Of course if the prints are fine, then I'm way off base here. But in this histogram you have no highlights and no shadows.... So I played around with the curve adjustments a bit..... this is far from being perfect but looks a lot better on my monitor as far as contrast goes, but still other issues with it.....

'Chelle, the photo is very similar to my screen here, if anything it's slightly.... well, greyer/overcast. The scan does it too much justice. I haven't made alterations, no.
(",) weehee, cross-posting! Now, y'see, that's what I want it to look more like, obviously without the grain. The crux of the problem now is where can I be going wrong to not get that sort of shot OUT OF THE CAMERA. We both know I can post edit, but I want to be good without having to ;-)

Message edited on: 03/16/2005 17:19

sigh...I wish She would play around with My Curve Adjustment a bit...evil grin

Ohla!! The first one is....interesting!! LOL! Maybe u should have post this on the "shots we never show u" thread?? O_o ;P

Tibbs, stop being nasty. That was one of the good ones. This one with the helicopter half in/half out the shot would have been better for that.... or the (counts) erm... few... out of focus ones.... (",)

Ok so your timing is a little off, just by a split second. So what film/ISO and camera is it shot with? P&S/SLR? Looks awful grainy so assume a fast film? Exposure looks a bit off too. The thing that bothers me most is that you said you were gonna be serious, I hope this ailment doesnt last to long Lolouder.

A real One...I need Help.....

LP, technical stuff as follows: it was 35mm..... ;-) Damn, I knew my seriousness wouldn't last. Camera : Praktica SLR, your granny would recognise the model. 300mm lens. I think it was probably 400 film. So the exposure is off? What, I expose it before it's 'Use By' date or summik?!? ta. (",)

LMAO!! Oh well! At least, we're having fun! ;)

I have got an old Practica SLR from the 70's great old cam. I meant that it looked under exposed as in not enough light for the shutter speed/f stop. Incorrect light metering etc. I usually spot meter off a mid tone for film (probably not possible with an old Practica or in that scene) and set my shutter/f stop manually. A fraction of a second later and you would have got the compo. Being heavily overcast may have added to the general situation. Some 400 film can be grainy and some can be quite smooth (dont know why) Different cameras seem to affect it too. In the third pic (half Seaking helicopter)I have had shots that have had that magenta cast in the cloud, but I dont know what causes it. Maybe someone else can shed some light (excuse the pun) on it

What kind of a metering system does a Praktica have? I'm assuming it's centered weighted? Surely does not have matrix metering... hehehe.... still in looking at the histogram it's obvious that the image is all midtone....... no highlights and no blacks..... So your exposure was off. Here's what I think happened...... your meter (in fact all camera meters) are produced to find the normal exposure... normal being 18% grey..... now normal exposure is not necessarily the correct exposure..... So your meter read the sky.... ooopps too bright, it's not 18% grey.... and it gave you a reading that corresponded to what 18% is in essence a much faster shutter speed or aperture setting than what was really needed.... hence the dull underexposed sky.... This is also why so many snow pics look grey instead of white.... Doesn't matter if you're shooting digital, film, whatever.... meter off a grey card in the light that you are shooting in.... your meter will give you the correct exposure for 18% you can then be confident that all other tones from white to black will fall into place..... If you don't have a grey card...... meter off grey concrete, grass in open shade..... anything with in that tonal range and it will give you a proper reading....

What's a grey card Michelle! And how does it work??

This is a grey card......

What it does is help your camera meter obtain the proper exposure for 18% grey.....

Let's say you are shooting white snow..... if you metered off the snow, your snow would look grey, dull.... not white. This is because your camera meter is giving you the exposure settings that would produce 18% grey....

Pretend you are shooting a black dog..... you meter off the dog.... your dog is not going to appear black but a duller shade of grey.....

These example are far easier to see, if one is shooting BW film but it also applies to color film and digital...

To take it one step further, if you don't have a grey card and meter off the snow you should open up 1-2 stops more then what your meter says in order to obtain white.... in other words a longer shutter speed or bigger aperture opening. The meter will tell you it's going to be over-exposed but really it won't be.

Or if metering off the dog, and you want the black dog to look black, you should stop down 1-2 stops .... or a faster shutter speed or smaller aperture opening. In this case the meter will tell you you are underexposing, but you won't be.
Make any sense or totally confused now? :~)

Message edited on: 03/16/2005 18:57

Has any Body got a spare Green Card?

Pssstttt..... don't tell anyone you got it from me..... I just happen to find it laying around somewhere... that's the story and I'm stickin' to it!

Erm...I'm afraid, confused! :( Great PS on that green card!! ;)

so why didn't you submit that to the National Enquirer?? think about it! bet you can make some money!

I don't get it much either...flutter flutter....but, I know what a Green Card is.... salute

Wonderful, Michelle, now I'm totally confuddlified. I'll post tonight at home, there's something I want to try which may acutally be useful as the bones for a beginners tut.... (",)

Working on something right now, that will get the concept/idea across better! Be back in a little while!

oh, planes! red ones too now i understand why the tut 'chelle... runnin a bit late... hehe, gotta luv the green card! :]