Question:
I’ve always liked the look of the lights at the Fair right after sunset and into the night…… A few weeks ago I took a few shots. I used a Canon Elan IIe with a 28-105 lens. Used Fuji 800 film just after sunset and Fuji 1600 after dark (both print film) Didn’t use a would have went 1 & 1/2 or 2 stops over. Film was scanned in a Nikon Coolscan IV. The prints look a lot better than the web pics. They became a bit washed out by the time they got to my ‘home-page’ http://www.geocities.com/anthony_proveaux/Lane_County_Fair.html I was fairly pleased with the results for a first attempt, but wish the exposures would have been a little better and the pics these kind of shots? Tone’
Response:
Tone’, My first thought was how much easier (and cheaper!) it is shooting subjects like this with a digital camera. While looking at the camera’s LCD screen, you can adjust brightness, composition, color balance, etc. with instant feedback as you shoot. Shooting 35mm film, I’d suggest you bracket each shot using 1/2 stop increments, starting at 2 – 3 stops over (5-6 exposures for each shot). After you see your film, you can sandwich several of the exposures as layers in Photoshop and blend the sections of each that you like for the ideal result. A monopod might be easy to carry in this circumstance and aid with long exposures. — Louis Shaffner Quick Digital Picture Books! www.pixelpizza.com
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’ve always liked the look of the lights at the Fair right after sunset and into the night…… A few weeks ago I took a few shots. I used a Canon Elan IIe with a 28-105 lens. Used Fuji 800 film just after sunset and Fuji 1600 after dark (both print film) Didn’t use a would have went 1 & 1/2 or 2 stops over. Film was scanned in a Nikon Coolscan IV. The prints look a lot better than the web pics. They became a bit washed out by the time they got to my ‘home-page’ http://www.geocities.com/anthony_proveaux/Lane_County_Fair.html I was fairly pleased with the results for a first attempt, but wish the exposures would have been a little better and the pics these kind of shots? Tone’
Response:
<< I was fairly pleased with the results for a first attempt, but wish the exposures would have been a little better and the pics these kind of shots? Use a tripod. A tripod is a very POWERFUL photographic tool. Instead of shooting at f2.8 at 1/15 and hoping for the best (I’m making up these numbers) you can shoot at f8 at 1/2 and get some really cool/rock solid stuff. Some people will be frozen, others will be blurred, conveying the mood of the hustle and bustle of the fair. At even slower speeds you can blur the lights on the rides for some neat light streak photos. You really MUST use a tripod in this situation.
Response:
<<My first thought was how much easier (and cheaper!) it is shooting subjects like this with a digital camera. While looking at the camera’s LCD screen, you can adjust brightness, composition, color balance, etc. with instant feedback as you shoot. Maybe true, but when I get shots I like, I blow them up to large poster sizes and hang them on the wall. Result would not be too good with a digital in this case. To reply via E-Mail, please remove the "nojunk" from my address
Response:
Use a tripod. A tripod is a very POWERFUL photographic tool. Instead of shooting at f2.8 at 1/15 and hoping for the best (I’m making up these numbers) you can shoot at f8 at 1/2 and get some really cool/rock solid stuff. Some people will be frozen, others will be blurred, conveying the mood of the hustle and bustle of the fair. At even slower speeds you can blur the lights on the rides for some neat light streak photos. You really MUST use a tripod in this situation.
Hi Bob, To me, it sounds like just the situation where a monopod would be ideal. <ducks and sprints to the Bunker — Best regards, Tony Polson
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