New to photography, using film and older cameras

[pcom21]

Hi people,

I've just taken up photography as a hobby, and I'm using the older manual cameras (Vito II, Yashica MAT LM etc).

I've been reading up a lot, and also reading up forums to garner advice on shooting on film. I'm posting my first few night shots here, so please do comment. I do not mind harsh comments, as long it they are constructive and can help me.

Thanks!!!

Picture 1 - 6 were taken with a Voigtlander Vito II, on Fuji Superia 200. Pictures 7 and 8 were taken using a Yashica Mat LM, Fuji Acros NP400.

Picture 1, F8, 20 secs, Scanned with Epson V600

Picture 2, F8, 20 secs, Scanned with Epson V600

Picture 3, F8, 20 secs, Scanned with Epson V600

Picture 4, F8, 20 secs, Scanned with Epson V600

Picture 5, F8, 20 secs, Scanned with Epson V600

To be continued on next post.

 

[pcom21]

Picture 6, F8, 20 secs, Scanned with Epson V600

Picture 7, F8, 20 secs, Scanned with Epson V600

Picture 8, F8, 20 secs, Scanned with Epson V600

 

[pcom21]

I guess night photography in film has no place here.

Moderator please delete this thread. Thanks!!

 

[Xtol19]

I guess night photography in film has no place here.

Moderator please delete this thread. Thanks!!

You can delete thread yourself if want, just use thread tools.

Don't equate lack of interest to the medium used. If you don't advertise it, most people won't know whether a picture is film or digital. Comments will come if people are interested; if people aren't interested, why would they comment-- film or digital?

 

[cocoa]

I guess night photography in film has no place here.

Moderator please delete this thread. Thanks!!

Hey pcom21,

Don't get discouraged. Film is great for nite photography :angel:

I am not expert in nite photography but I would share with you my take on those shots u posted here.

I found them generally under-exposed and lack contrast. eg. picture 4. Too much empty space IMHO. I crop the pix and brighten it a bit just to offer an alternative view (hope you don't mind.)

Just go on experimenting... you will get better results for sure.

Cheers,

cocoa

 

[Mezzotint]

I guess night photography in film has no place here.

Moderator please delete this thread. Thanks!!

Hi pcom21,

Don't be despair. If you are a hardworking photographer, you will and have to persist in perfecting yr craft. Night photography covers a wide aspect. It's up to you, the photographer to express and convey yr artistic view thru yr lenses and images, be it in film or digital. If yr pictures don't work, then go back and remake them until u get the perfect results you wanted.

For me I do night photography on black & white film. I also do light-painting night photography as well, where I used to make night fotos on slide film and eventually I switched to digital since early 2009.

Since you have read so many informations on techniques, it's best to go out in the night and do it. Keep on making night fotos, as many as you can and learn from yr own mistakes. Read more books and study on night photographers' work, their philosophy statements on their own work. That way you would know and understand more on why they have made those night images that just cultivates you. In fact, there's a long list of night photography books in the Sticky thread of this sub-forum. Check them out if you haven't done so.

Well, I can recommend a book to you, written by Andrew Sanderson, titled Night Photography. You can borrow the book from the library.

Coming back to yr work you showcased here, I should say you did quite a good job as a beginner but there are rooms for great improvement. Work harder and hope we will be able to see great work from you in the near future.

Happy CNY to you!

 

[pcom21]

Thanks for all your advice and critiques.

 

[pcom21]

Hey pcom21,

Don't get discouraged. Film is great for nite photography :angel:

I am not expert in nite photography but I would share with you my take on those shots u posted here.

I found them generally under-exposed and lack contrast. eg. picture 4. Too much empty space IMHO. I crop the pix and brighten it a bit just to offer an alternative view (hope you don't mind.)

Just go on experimenting... you will get better results for sure.

Cheers,

cocoa

Thanks, and I do not mind that you have adjusted the image to show me what you mean. It was very informative. Though I wish to ask, if there is a way, whether by changing film or by use of filters, to actually increase the contrast without post-processing?

 

[pcom21]

Hi pcom21,

Don't be despair. If you are a hardworking photographer, you will and have to persist in perfecting yr craft. Night photography covers a wide aspect. It's up to you, the photographer to express and convey yr artistic view thru yr lenses and images, be it in film or digital. If yr pictures don't work, then go back and remake them until u get the perfect results you wanted.

For me I do night photography on black & white film. I also do light-painting night photography as well, where I used to make night fotos on slide film and eventually I switched to digital since early 2009.

Since you have read so many informations on techniques, it's best to go out in the night and do it. Keep on making night fotos, as many as you can and learn from yr own mistakes. Read more books and study on night photographers' work, their philosophy statements on their own work. That way you would know and understand more on why they have made those night images that just cultivates you. In fact, there's a long list of night photography books in the Sticky thread of this sub-forum. Check them out if you haven't done so.

Well, I can recommend a book to you, written by Andrew Sanderson, titled Night Photography. You can borrow the book from the library.

Coming back to yr work you showcased here, I should say you did quite a good job as a beginner but there are rooms for great improvement. Work harder and hope we will be able to see great work from you in the near future.

Happy CNY to you!

Thanks for the advice and recommendations on photography literature. I generally read whatever I can get my hands on, online and in bookstores. I'll go read up on what you have recommended. If you know of any books that covers photography in general, and not just Digital, please suggest as well.

And yes, I believe that I have a lot of space for improvement.

 

[cocoa]

Thanks, and I do not mind that you have adjusted the image to show me what you mean. It was very informative. Though I wish to ask, if there is a way, whether by changing film or by use of filters, to actually increase the contrast without post-processing?

Your images appear under-exposed/lack contrast and that could be due to:

1. Reciprocal failure of film - Most common films manufactured over the past several decades follow the reciprocity law over a range of exposure times from about 1/1000 second to about 1/10 second. When your exposure time is outside this range which is typical of night photography (ie. small aperture, long exposure (typically many minutes to even hours), the reciprocity law no longer holds. In short, you generally need to expose much longer than the light meter suggests. It is also film-type dependent so you just have to experiment with different exposure times and see if you get the desired result. In order to have less mistake you need to be experienced. But, in order to be experienced, you have to first make some mistakes.

2. Image from some scanners could appear to be flat/wash-out, it is almost a norm to have to sharpen it and boost the contrast a bit, esp. when ICE is used. It is not cheating nor sinful, but more like a necessity. In fact, some scanners have a curve adjustment before you even scan the image. Even if you let the lab develop and print the photo for you, they would also do some 'enhancements' to make your pix look good.

3. Some films are inherently more contrasty than the other. Those with lower contrast are meant for portraiture, natural skin tone, etc. They may not be very suitable for night shots. Having said that, most general purpose films are designed to be colorful and high contrast. I guess the lens that you use also plays an important part in the final image quality. A prime lens is usually sharper/more contrasty/less distortion than a zoom for example. For B&W, yes you can use color filters to increase the contrast. Yellow, orange, or even red are popular.

Just my 2 cents.

Cheers,

cocoa

 

[pcom21]

Your images appear under-exposed/lack contrast and that could be due to:

1. Reciprocal failure of film - Most common films manufactured over the past several decades follow the reciprocity law over a range of exposure times from about 1/1000 second to about 1/10 second. When your exposure time is outside this range which is typical of night photography (ie. small aperture, long exposure (typically many minutes to even hours), the reciprocity law no longer holds. In short, you generally need to expose much longer than the light meter suggests. It is also film-type dependent so you just have to experiment with different exposure times and see if you get the desired result. In order to have less mistake you need to be experienced. But, in order to be experienced, you have to first make some mistakes.

2. Image from some scanners could appear to be flat/wash-out, it is almost a norm to have to sharpen it and boost the contrast a bit, esp. when ICE is used. It is not cheating nor sinful, but more like a necessity. In fact, some scanners have a curve adjustment because you even scan the image. Even if you let the lab develop and print the photo for you, they would also do some 'enhancements' to make your pix look good.

3. Some films are inherently more contrasty than the other. Those with lower contrast are meant for portraiture, natural skin tone, etc. They may not be very suitable for night shots. Having said that, most general purpose films are designed to be colorful and high contrast. I guess the lens that you use also plays an important part in the final image quality. A prime lens is usually sharper/more contrasty/less distortion than a zoom for example. For B&W, yes you can use color filters to increase the contrast. Yellow, orange, or even red are popular.

Just my 2 cents.

Cheers,

cocoa

My scans were unaltered when I posted them. Maybe I should have worked on them a little. I guess I will have to go out and make more mistakes to learn. Thanks for the tips on reciprocal failure and film types.