[Leica] The Like at the viper room

[mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner)]

On 6/17/04 11:02 PM, "Henning Wulff" <henningw@archiphoto.com> wrote:

> At 10:44 PM -0700 6/17/04, Brian Reid wrote:
>>> They could have been shot with an 8x10 view camera!
>> 
>> May I borrow your f/1.4 lens for my 8x10 view camera?
> 
> 
> So which part of the drumstick do you want in focus with your 480/1.4 shot?

I'd want the thigh and drumstick both in focus.
And I don't mind some subject blur which indicates motion.

The typical rock and roll or whatever performer shot singing into a
microphone with guitar is way over exposed.
Why?
There is usually a tremendous about of light concentrated on them from a
spot. More so than you'd think. It's hard to trust your regular meter.
Unless you had a spot meter (designed for measuring light from spot lights)
or a really smart matrix you'd probably way over expose it you can be easily
shooting at 125th stopped down one or two.
A center weighted reading if taken straight would lead to such an over
exposure as they are not center weighted enough.
You'd need to stop down from such a reading as they are reading to much of
the dark background.
And people don?t believe how much light is really on their subjects.
They'll open up instead of close down.

Here are some shots of mine most have already seen, shots were taken wide
open with my Cambo 4x5 in a not real bright lobby of a ballroom. In a dark
corner or not real bright corner.
http://rabinergroup.com/Catagorypages/Halloween2001.html

They were taken wide open at 5.6, a 210 Fujinon, the widest opening you
typically get with view camera lenses and at I think an 8th of a second.
Tmax 400 in Xtol.

If there was a typical spot on these people like in a performance I'd be
able to go up a few clicks on the shutter speeds and go down a few clicks on
the f stops.  But I have no experience in 8x10 really. I'd think you'd get a
tad less depth of fields but the monitor at the back is much easier to see.
Especially if they are Sony Trinitron.

So I'm not convinced performances can't be photographed with an 8x10.
A dark dance concert you could maybe run into some trouble.

A wedding can.
:)




Mark Rabiner
Photography
Portland Oregon
http://rabinergroup.com/