Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2005/12/01

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Subject: [Leica] OT: Shooting Xmas trees at night - ?
From: tedgrant at shaw.ca (Ted Grant)
Date: Thu Dec 1 16:03:52 2005
References: <438F7895.6080601@adrenaline.com>

Scott McLoughlin asked:
Subject: [Leica] OT: Shooting Xmas trees at night - ?<<<<<

>>>I'm interested in shooting some xmas trees at night (outdoors). I plan to
use a tripod, I suppose.  But how should I meter the trees? They will be
all lit up. Will I run into reciprocity failure issues?  What might be some
good films to use, color and B&W?<<<


Hi Scott,
I suppose I'm the least technical person to answer your question. :-) 
However, if you'd like simple voice of experience answering your question 
this is how I've done it for years and exactly the way I do it with digital.

I look through the view finder camera in hand until I feel comfortable with 
what I'm looking at. Camera goes on tripod, I set everything for the same 
composition.

Then I look through the viewfinder squeeze down gently on the shutter 
release to activate the meter and if it looks OK, click! :-) That's it. Then 
shoot some bracketing by either an exposure time or aperture setting. I've 
shot Kodachrome 25 & 64 & 100 in this fashion, other slide films to ASA 400. 
I prefer daylight balance film, generally ASA 100.

I suppose that technical reciprocity stuff might come into play on long 
exposures, but you are going to bracket a half dozen frames either side of 
the meter read setting anyway, so you eliminate it. ;-)

Keep it simple, don't get all hung up on the technical stuff as it'll only 
drive you crazy and you'll probably screw-up more film than not. Worse comes 
to worse, shoot a roll as early as you can when the lights come up on the 
trees, get in right away to the lab and have  a look. If you screwed-up 
you've got time to go back and re-shoot better and more houses.

If it's digital shoot tons of frames as it doesn't cost a dime and sooner or 
later you'll have some that work. I'd use ASA 100 or 200 and in my case... 
I'll be shooting everything on automatic and looking at what the exposure 
is. Then I go manual and bracket by my gut feeling. Like a half stop over 
and under, a full stop over and under and that's about it.

The chances are with the 20D Leicanon, I'll shoot a number on auto, then 
move on without any changing or fiddling. This is from experience of 
shooting at night on the streets of Lisbon in September. Completely a no 
brainer set at ASA 100 and shoot while the camera sorts out the exposure. I 
used ASA 100 and shot most of the night stuff on auto stopped down to f22 
for longer exposures to capture the traffic light patterns.

I trust this helps, but like I said, it's not too bright from a techies 
point of view. But from a, do it, done it, point of experience, it works. 
:-)

Oh, on B&W film choice? Forget it! Christmas tree lights are all about 
"coloured lights" therefore a colour subject. Scan your colour slides into 
Photoshop, switch to B&W and you'll be only too pleased you didn't waste 
money on B&W film and processing. ;-)

ted

Ted Grant Photography Limited
1817 Feltham Road
Victoria BC  V8N 2A4
250-477-2156 



Replies: Reply from scott at adrenaline.com (Scott McLoughlin) ([Leica] OT: Shooting Xmas trees at night - ?)
In reply to: Message from scott at adrenaline.com (Scott McLoughlin) ([Leica] OT: Shooting Xmas trees at night - ?)