Taking pictures during different weather types?

Hi everyone! I'm a beginning film photographer and I've recently tried taking pictures during different weather types and during different times of the day. Several of the ones I've taken have turned out too blurry or they just don't have the correct exposure. Do you have any tips for taking pictures in situations similar to these? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

Here's a great guide, called the Jiffy Exposure Calculator, based on the sunny 16 rule...print it out, assemble it, and you're ready to go. You can buy a plasticized one on the big auction site for about $19, instead of the free version in the below link. I always keep a copy in my car just in case.

http://www.cppdh.org/download/jiffy-calculator-for-night-light-exposures.pdf

For darker conditions use higher ISOs, whether film or sensor. You need to use some way of adjusting for the changing light (the "link Sunny-16" sort of thing).

 

You also need to know how aperture and shutter speed are related. Any fundamental introductory film or digital how-to book will reveal this.

The two sages above speak good things ! Now my "bit". Learn to use 400asa materials to their maximum thru correct exposure & development. 400asa & Pyro developers give me great results but you choose & use what you want. It will take a bit of time, but it's fun getting there ! The enclosed photo is with a 35mm (Fed-2/Jupiter) developed in Obsidian Aqua Pyro, Ultrafine Xtreme 400 film @ 250asa. Epson V600 scan.

Best $25 (or less) you will ever spend in this "hobby" is a for MONOPOD. Great device for 1/25 sec or slower hand held exposures, and when you get "older" like me, works as a walking stick. Aloha, Bill

Get a camera that communicates it's exposure metering to you or use a handheld meter.

Without knowing details it is hard to tell why a picture is blurry. - Not hand holdable shutter speed? - That is likely to happen with a zoom lens and slower film like ISO100 in bad weather. Another issue could be focusing acuracy. I am not optimistic about the rangefinders of My Retina or Soviet made LTM stuff at f2 and with any manual focusing SLR / TLR I rather keep the lens 2 stops from wide open (or what I am using to predict my DOF on the ground glas) to make sure I 'll really hit.

ISO 400 is nice to have but not a cure all.

As they say, experience is the best teacher. Don't expect to get great photographs right away. Do you have a tripod? If not, get one. Film speed? It all depends. Me, the slower, the better. The only time I shoot the fast films (400+) is when I'm indoors sans flash or using a long lens (300mm or longer). For outdoor work, I'd go with film in the 100 ASA (oops ISO) range. But that's just me. Normal out door exposures with ISO 100 films will range from 1/125 at f11 (or maybe f16) to 1/60 at f5.6 depending on the time of day and weather conditions. Near sunrise or sunset might require more. That's when the tripod will really come in handy. Some of us can hand hold a 50mm lens at a 1/30th of a second, some can't. Longer lenses will require faster shutter speeds.

 

As for "correct" exposure, there is no such thing. If you see something that demands to be photographed, take several photographs with different exposures. If the light meter "recommends" 1/125 and f8, take one at f5.6 and f11 at least.

 

Back in the old days when cameras did not have built in meters, rolls of film came with exposure guides. You can still find them on the web. Google "TriX Exposure Guide" and you'll see one.

Here's an example for PlusX film.

 

http://www.carlmcmillan.com/Pdf/FilmData/Kodak%20PlusX_Pan.pdf

Thank you everyone! I really appreciate the feedback!

1. Learn to use an exposure meter or learn how the meter in your camera works.
   
2. Take notes on the light readings you made, and the shutter speed and f/stop settings you used.
   
3. Weather has NOTHING to do with blurry images or correct exposure - both are controlled by the photographer.
   
4. When you ask questions, include some information. If you're expecting help on technical issues it's up to you to provide enough information to get help without people having to use psychic abilities in an attempt to divine the problems.
   

Do you use a Tripod or monopod?

 

Do you brace the camera against something so it won't move?

 

Do you have and use a cable release to trip the shutter? If not, do you gently squeeze the shutter release or jerk it?

 

Most likely blurred images are your fault.