Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2009/06/16

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Subject: [Leica] Desert sand - sunny 16?
From: wildlightphoto at earthlink.net (Doug Herr)
Date: Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:10:55 -0400 (EDT)

Dante A Stella wrote:

>Ok - hit a rough patch in Egypt today: at Saqqara hit subjects that were 
>low contrast and high brightness (hazy blue sky against sand and limestone 
>pyramids).  
>
>Shooting Tri-X and a yellow cut filter, should I trust the meter (which is 
>reading for what looks a stop underexposed - 1/700 and f/16) and N+1 it to 
>enhance the highlight contrast - or believe that the sand is so bright?  
>Under normal conditions with a clear blue sky and grey subjects, I have not 
>needed to apply a filter factor given my developing time (on the heavy side 
>of N development).
>
>But here, I don't have the film to bracket very much, and I am a little 
>worried about shouldering.  Best guess, Mr. Spock?  Hopefully Luxor will 
>have clearer skies...

I'd trust the meter.  I had a similar situation @ Beartooth Pass on the 
wyoming/montana border - 11,000' elevation - there was light cloud cover but 
the meter said it was brighter than full sunlight.  The meter was right.

Doug Herr
Birdman of Sacramento
http://www.wildlightphoto.com