Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/07/01

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Subject: Re: M6 and rainbow
From: George Huczek <ghuczek@eagle.wbm.ca>
Date: Tue, 01 Jul 1997 16:05:58 -0600

At 02:39 PM 01/07/97 +0200, you wrote:
>Dear folks,
>
>I recently tried to photograph a rainbow after a rainstorm with my new
>M6 and Summicron 2/50. I used Royal Gold 25. Altough the rainbow was
>very clear and the color beautifully separated with a complete rainbow
>arc in the sky, the results were a bit disappointing. I took several
>pictures with different apertures.
>Any experience to share?  What have I missed?

You said you used different apertures ... did you bracket?
   The color in a rainbow appears more dramatic if you underexpose, about a
1/2 stop on slide film or 1/2 to 1 full stop at least on color negative
film.  This will saturate the colors in the rainbow and bring them out
more.  A polarizing filter helps too.
   I have had similar experiences.  Without underexposing, the rainbow
looks washed out.  
   A lot depends too on the color of the sky in the background.  If it is a
very dark sky, then the rainbow really stands out.  Against a lighter
background the colors are less intense.  
   As to why the rainbow appears brighter in your memory than on film --
this may possibly have something to do with your color perception and
short-term memory -- but this is getting out of the realm of photography
and more into psychology.  Nevertheless, these kinds of things are related
to photography.  Many times I have waited to see my slides or prints,
having felt that I really captured something beautiful on film, only to be
disappointed with the results.  Then something really strange happens.  I
get an occasional shot which I did not think much of at the time it was
taken, and when it shows up on the light box or in the developing tray,
then WOW!  Every photographer has had that experience.  If I understood
more about why this happens the way it does, then I could likely bring back
better pictures more consistently.



- -GH