Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/12/16

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Night photography of illuminated buildings...
From: "Dan Post" <dpost@triad.rr.com>
Date: Sun, 16 Dec 2001 15:14:17 -0500
References: <NEBBKFCFLIEFKBGODCIGAEBEDLAA.jason@futurafish.com>

Jason-
There are a myriad of factors here!
One of them is 'how bright are the lights on the building'?
Second- 'are you shooting at dusk or dead of night' that is, is there any
other ambient light?

First of all, I'd get close to the building and read the light there with
the camera meter. If you still get a low reading, and the speed is longer
than one second- you can change the ISO on the camera back- say you were
shooting iso 400 film- set the meter for 1600 iso, then if you get a reading
of say, 1/2 second, you know that the adjustment for the actual exposure is
two stops, or in terms of speed, four time the exposure of 1/2 second is-
two seconds. Then go back to the original POV, set up your camera- AND
BRACKET!!!
Seriously, depending on the film, sometimes speeds lower than 1/10 of a
second can cause either errors in exposure due to the non-linear exposure
characteristics of the film- usually not too much at speeds like 2 seconds,
but very much a factor with thirty or forty minute exposures! Also- even if
the actual density of the negative might not be noticiably off, the
difference responses curves or the three emulsions of color film- and I am
assuming you are shooting holiday lights, then there can be a noticeable
color shift with 'long' exposures.
So, I would bracket, especially on the long side- say a three, four, and six
second exposure. This would insure that the least sensitive emulsion layer
would get adequate exposure- and so then if the printer (or if you scan your
negatives) attempts to make a correction, the least exposed color would have
some density in that layer--- remember, if it ain't there, you can't add it
later! If it is there, you can diminish it with filtration. A point to
remember when shooting, say under flourescents; they lack red light, so
prints tend to be greenish. You either add magenta when you shoot, or
overexpose so the red layer gets adequate exposure, and filter out the
overexposure of the other layers!
If there is ambient light- such as shooting near dusk with a modicum of
daylight, you might find that the shot is a little better- you can get some
definition of the building in the photo, rather than just points of light-
you will find that your eyes and what you see is not what is recorded on the
film at these low levels.
Good Luck-!!
Dan
- ----- Original Message -----
From: "Jason Vicinanza" <jason@futurafish.com>
To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Sent: Sunday, December 16, 2001 2:14 PM
Subject: [Leica] Night photography of illuminated buildings...


> I hope this isn't a stupid question.
>
> I would like to take some photographs at night of buildings which are
> illuminated. Im looking to use the summicron f2/M6 mounted on a tripod.
>
> The M6 has a slowest shutter speed of 1 second, the question is how do I
> determine the required exposure time using the 'B' setting when one second
> is not slow enough.
>
> Any tips relating to this will be greatly appreciated. Id also be
interested
> to learn what type of film (colour) would be best for such photography.
>
> Sorry if ive missed the point here... im a newbie.. please dont flame me
:)!
>
> Cheers
>
> Jason
>
>
>
> Jason Vicinanza
> jason@futurafish.com
> http://www.futurafish.com
>
> --
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In reply to: Message from "Jason Vicinanza" <jason@futurafish.com> ([Leica] Night photography of illuminated buildings...)