3200 speed TMAX shot at 800

Standing on a picnic table - I shot this with a 70-200 2.8 Tamron lens

using all natural light. This was my first attempt at something like

this 17 years ago. Light is a little blown out bottom left in the

scan for some reason My print actually shows lots of detail in this

scan on bottom left. Still trying to figure out my new scanner.

Forgot to mention - Standing on a picnic table outside the building shooting in through a window.

Mary, last year, on a whim, I brought my little-used F100 to a wedding and at the very end of the evening shot one roll with it. After I developed it I was flabbergasted. The pictures were WAY better than anything else I had shot that evening.

 

I realized how dependent I had become on chimping which kept trying to chimp the F100. And yet the exposures all came out good.

 

I hadn't shot film in years, although not as long as you. I made the decision right there that when I wasn't working I would shoot only film, and only manual focus.

 

If nothing else, it keeps your chops up. I've stopped chiming, even with digital. And I've gotten to the point that I can manual focus as well as the auto. VERY handy.

 

And film is simply better. Plain and simple.

 

Since then I've started incorporating manual lenses into my work. I shot one brides' prep all manual and never missed a shot. For the price of a mediocre AF lens you can buy a manual prime that will blow away any AF prime.

 

And that's a gorgeous picture. At 800 your need to really abuse 3200 TMAX to blow your highlights. Although, TMAX and tabular grain films in general don't have as much latitude as the old emulsions.

 

When I want to shoot at high speeds I shoot Tri-X at 1250 and develop it in Diafine, which is actually a speed enhancer, not pusher. And it's the singe easiest developer to use since it works at any temperature and any time as long as it's over 3 minutes.

 

Good luck. This is a great start. Get the scanning part down and you will find a lot of personal development happening as you shoot film.

 

PS: I switched from my flat-bed to a Nikon Coolscan V ED. Night and day.

 

I suspect that the blow-out comes from the scanner.

What I mean by the comment about abusing your exposure is that you probably got it right, but the scanner is screwing things up.

Oh, and I hate to tell you this, but the scanner I moved up from was the Epson V500. Rotten scanner. If you can return it now and get the Nikon.

Shoot - Oh well...

 

Edward... I shot this many many moons ago... Shot film for 17 years. This was my "first" attempt at playing around with 3200 speed film. And - you are so right - the photo is just perfect.. The scan does not do it justice. I've had this and another of the series hanging in my home (even those this is not my daughter but a friend's daughter) for years because I just love the grain and the gracefulness of Kristin.

 

Thanks for your comments!!

 

PS - I'm retired now - never did go to digital... Too much of a learning curve and expense

when weddings are going for way less these days to newbies with their new digital gear.

Just couldn't justify it.

... very good work ...

Thanks Ahmet

For medium format like the V500 should be fine. The problem is it's true dpi is way below the advertised one. Real dpi is 2900, which doesn't quite cut it with 35mm.

 

For exposure issues you might want to get vuescan. http://www.hamrick.com

 

It has an option to do a multi-exposure mode. It does two scans at different exposures and combines the two. You'll need to have your scanner on firm ground so it doesn't shake or you'll get some fuzz. Again, not so important with MF.

 

You might also want to look here:

 

http://www.scantips.com/

Thanks Edward!!