Is this metered correctly?

[Farkle-Mpls]

Folks,

 

Some lively debate about whether or not this photo was metered correctly:

 

http://web.me.com/follstad/Thailand_2008/Riding_elephants%21.html#16

 

The white of the paper on the easel is bright and the back of the elephant is almost black. I understand peoples' comments about being

overall too dark, but when I see the bright paper, I have to wonder. It looks like both extremes of light and dark are represented here. If I

had brighten it up, the paper would've washed out ... (true?)

 

What are your opinions?

 

The film was Provia 100F shot with a Canon F1N. Just a haze filter was used.

 

(... and yes, the elephant is actually painting.)

 

Thanks!

[Farkle-Mpls]

OK. It says to post in HTML if a web link is used but it destroyed my formatting.

 

Here is the link again:

 

http://web.me.com/follstad/Thailand_2008/Riding_elephants%21.html#16

 

Thanks.

[User_502260]

I think you did a good job with the exposure on these shots. When the light is that conrasty the only way you will smooth things out with color film is to use fill flash. Slide film is even more difficult to use in these situations. Color print film will capture a greater range of tones and will allow you to make more adjustments when you scan it. In 1973 I was traveling with my parents and we went to Olympic National Park. I shot mostly Agfa slide film. The sky was very bright but the lighting near the ground was pretty dim. Everything I shot came out green. If I went back today I would use print film. In 1973 color print film wasn't nearly as good as it is today and it was a lot slower.

[James G. Dainis]

The paper is already Zone 10 (or more) so increasing exposure couldn't wash it out any more; there is no such

thing as whiter than white. I'm a bit surprised that highlights on the man's helmet are not pure white also.

The range of slide film is about Zone 2.5 to Zone 7.5. Perhaps the range of light ran from Zone 12 to Zone 1.

It looks like the camera meter compensated to bring the Zone 12 down to Zone 9 and closed everything down about

two or three stops.

 

What camera and lens were you using?

[Farkle-Mpls]

James,

 

I was shooting Provia 100F in a Canon F1N with the default/average metering (AE focusing screen). Lens was a Canon

135mm nFD. I didn't record shutter and aperture settings.

 

Your comments regarding the zone system are interesting and well-timed. Based on some other posts to photo.net, I

recently started reading Adams' book, "The Negative" to learn more. Thanks for the practical application and your

comments.

[randrew1]

Without knowing how you scanned the image it is hard to know exactly what the exposure was. The histogram does indeed run from level 0 to 255. I tried using curves to lighten the shadows, but there is very little detail there. If I had to make a choice, I'd rather blow out the highlights and see some detail in the elephant skin. The attached image is the best I could do with the information that was there.<div></div>

[ivo_b]

What Ron says. Maybe adjusting the scanning parameters would help. Maybe something not related to processing and exposure directly: if you'd shoot this scene from the other side, you'd probably reduce the contrast a bit. As Jeff has already pointed out: Fill flash helps.