edsel_adams

<p>I recently bought an old camera off of Ebay. And the box was split, and the items inside which were wrapped in p-nuts and bubble wrap, were cracked and bent. This came via the USPS but they claim they aren't responsible for damage, and the seller won't help. it looks like the box got crushed under a truck!</p>

<p>What to do? It is obvious that the damage occurred in transit, and that the goods were fine when they were shipped . Is this just a case of caveat emptor ( the buyer beware)?</p>

It does look like a focal plane shutter failure.(I realize that the 'Blad's use leaf shutters).

Try here:

 

 

http://jzportraits.home.att.net/

Montreal, like other great cities. Has many different neighborhoods. My favorite is the area around St. Viateur St. There is an amazing Greek restaurant(Arrohova) and of course St. Viateur Bagels.

 

Also the waterfront area (along the river) is very old world-like.

I would call the night before, and demand cash or certified check as payment. And tell them you want the full amount when you walk through the door in the A.M.

This might be better asked in a forum for lawyers?

Someone metered white clothing, and a bright background, instead of the subject's faces.

There are many levels of proficiency at this Kevin. If you study portraiture, you can learn the tricks of the trade. Suggesting that "wedding photojournalism" doesn't have such rules, is rather naive. The top PJ shooters understand camera angles, flattering angles to shoot, and persepctive, a lot more than many would believe.

 

The cake cutting shot in question:

Take a ruler (measuring stick) to your monitor, and measure the bride's width across the frame in inches or centimeters. Now measure the groom's width. She is 3:1 in frame area. Now place her behind him, but don't block her body in any manner ( you are only placing her farther away). Now he is 3:1, and she looks small. This is using 2 dimensional perspective, to your advantage. Not knowing this, and making brides look fatter will not make you popular. So "this" is the answer to your question.

This all depends on "who" you apprentice with. IMHO, it takes an entire season or two of tagging along to learn the ropes. And this is assuming the teacher is a PPA master type shooter.

I should mention that I have done a few weddings myself. Between 400 and 500 at last count.

 

 

At the very least, you could destroy your friendship. And we will leave it at that.

If you don't know how to, or don't want to flatter your subjects? Why bother being in this line of work? Putting even a thin bride behind the groom is both common sense, and photography 101. Placing her nearer the lens, will make her appear wider than he.

 

Maybe you have found a sub-species of homo sapien females, that want to look fatter in photos? Or wider than their new husbands?

I have one word of advice regarding this. Don't.

Kevin, I don't care how comfortable with her size she is. Your picture makes her 3X's wider than the groom, and that's bad photography.

In my experience, none of the inexpensive devices are very high optical quality.

Check out some of the 35mm Minox cameras.

The world gets it's images instantly via satelite TV. In order to compete, still images must be delivered to "market" instantaneously too. Years ago it took weeks, then days, then minutes, and now seconds. To deliver a photo from a remote battlefield, to the picture editor.

 

With feature news stories, and National Geographic type shots. I'm sure one could still shoot Kodachrome.

(Whispering in kevin's ear) Kevin: At future cake cuttings, or whenever you have a "big" bride. You might want to place her behind the groom, rather than in front of. Both perspective and distance will make her appear smaller. You made her look like the QE2 steaming out of Liverpool.

Being that you took the time to learn, this makes you the smartest guy here.

I would suggest you have a 2nd entire set up, as a minimum for back up. What will you do when the "error" icon blinks as the bride is coming down the aisle? I find it's best to always have a 2nd complete camera/lens/flash ready to fire. This is always kept a few steps away too. When my primary gear goes down. I can seamlessly continue shooting.

You went to a wedding with a camera, and this is the results. You don't seem to understand the language of photography, so how would you expect to speak it at a fluent level?

 

 

 

The "first" and most important thing that needs learning by anyone shooting pictures with any camera. Is that the eye, and the capture medium, see things very differently. You have to learn to control the contrast of your scenes with either flash, reflectors or by shooting in the shade and adding fill. Otherwise the contrast will eat you alive.

 

Have you looked at wedding pictures taken by other "professionals"? There is a polish and

smoothness. And a sense of visual balance that must be learned before you start shooting for money.

Try here:

 

 

http://jzportraits.home.att.net/

Color negative films can handle brightness ranges of several hundred to one. Color printing papers (and color slides) can only handle brightness ranges of 40:1.

 

 

This means that color negatives have a lot of exposure latitude. However, latitude aside there is a correct exposure for every scene too. You shouldn't intentionally over or under expose films , unless for a specific effect. When you expose for the shadows, the film's latitude will assure detail in all but the brightest highlights too.

Incorrect exposure will place either the shadows or the highlights off of the "straightline" portion of the film's curve. Shadows in the "toe" area, or highlights on the "shoulder" will appear grainy and lack detail.

Better to take a $100 and throw it out the window. You'll get what everyone gets. Twenty blank frames, 3 pictures of drunk guests, and a joke shot of someone's hairy buttocks.

You are suggesting that someone here knows better than FUJI what their film's speed is. Expose for the shadows at box speed, and forget urban legends and internet myths.

 

 

 

There is a way to hone in on the correct speed for your individual meter/shutter combo. This is best done with slide film. Conduct a "ringaround" test where you shoot at the meter's suggested exposure. And add a series of over and under exposures at 1/3 stop increments. The results may indicate a slight high or low change in exposure index, or it might land dead on at box speed.

For serious backpacking use, you have to spend the money on a carbon fiber tripod. The difference between a 5 lbs tripod and one that weighs 2.5 lbs is amazing when you carry it all day.