benjamin_cromwell

Flash Meter

What do you mean 2 stops over exposed? The the shutter was 1/60 in the second shot thus the same exposure, just more flash to compensate.

Here is #2

 

Shot at 1/60 f8 flash as full power . .. Oh yeah my scanner is dirty too.<div></div>

Ok I am posting a few results of my own expermentation in reguards to all of the bickering that is going on in this thred. The Ambient Reading in this church at F8 is 1/8. Here they are.

 

This first one was shot at 1/15 F8 50ws flash at 1/4 power.

 

PLEASE keep in mind I did not compose this photo, I was shooting only to test different exposures.<div></div>

I went back to re-read all of this and My head exploded. I should have known better. :(

Thanks, you have been Indemnified. And yes I have found your advice helpful.

Elliot, as you can see many people have different ways to do things and they don't always agree. Do they get the job done? Porbably, photography is a an art, a style. Because I have not shot a million weddings I am seeking to develop my own style of getting the job done. I ask questions to discover different ways to deal with a situation. While I may not carry the Golden Camera like YOU, it seems that when ever it comes to being helpful and encouraging to someone who is tring to presue an art that you self-proclaim to have been so seccussful you are clueless.

 

I asked some pretty basic questions in order to have extra ammo in my bag, yet I got one person that was helpful, there are some that seem to be at war, and then one that insults me.

 

Are these forum not for learning? Just because I ask elementary questions and I am trying to become more skilled does that make me clueless??

Let's take a hypothical shot here and see what you have.

 

Church with no Windows, Shooting tmax 400 and portra 400, Group shot is being set up say a dozen people including the bride and groom. What would you do in the following situations. (all readings are ambiant, no flash added . . . yet?!?)

 

 

1)Meter reads 1/15th @ f8

 

 

2)Meter reads 1/15th @ F2.8

 

 

3)Meter reads 1/60th @ f8

 

4)What is your overall opinion for Rating these 2 films??

OK Lets see now If I can sum up everyone's comments, Drag the shutter, Don't, Flash everyone I can but keep them in the dark while overexposing myself while flashing in the fill of the shade cast directly by the sun only while using ambient light. Oh yeah and Meter the hell out of everything.

 

Look out birde here I come, I have 45 rolls, and I have already cashed your check!!!! AHHHH HAHAHA

Shooting in a Church, Portra 400, (maybe shot at 320 or even 200) 70-200 2.8

OK So I have an bag of tips to filter through from all of the

questions that I have been posting, I hope that I am not annoying

anyone. I really appreciate your comments.

 

If I am shooting a set up group photo at a wedding and I have

metered the shot correctly with my hand held meter and then set my

camera according to my meter; Maybe I even bracketed the shot +-1.

Is there any reason what so ever to use a flash, fill flash or

otherwise?

Why would one use that feature on a meter to give the flash's percentage of the composition?

Kevin - I am looking right now at the Auto meter VF and the Flash meter VI. The Auto meter says it will measure Flash as well as ambient and it is 1/2 the cost of the VI. So what is the difference???

 

Sorry Timber Time is an issue I cannot wait on an e-bay purchase.

Does anyone worry about using a fill flash or does metering like this eleminate the need to?

How about the L358?

OK e-bay is great and looks like the Minolta flashmeter iii would do the job for me, however there is no way I am going to get something off of e-bay and have it by this weekend and have been able to shoot a test roll with it. Can you suggest an alternative, such as something I can order from B&H and have shipped overnight?

Ok Friends, If you have seen any of my other posts you may know my

issues. In Short I am shooting some wedding photos and I underexposed

the film. Yes Yes Shame on me I used my camera's meter and I have

been punished / scolded for this several times so please help me

don�t send me to bed without supper, from here on out I am shooting

completely on M. (I posted the pad photos under my folio if you want

to see and comment)

 

I have since seen the �light� and I am shopping for a hand held meter

and I must order TODAY. Can someone tell me what the difference is in

the Minolta �Auto Meter� and a Minolta �Flash Meter� of course

Minolta�s website does not help much.

 

At the risk of opening up a Ford vs Chevy type debate does anyone

have real suggestions for a hand held meter. I have seen a lot of

posts about this but no one says why they like their Minolta or Why

they like Glosson better.

 

I am working on a budget but will buy what I need to do this right.

 

A g thank you to everyone for your help and comments.

Wow Timber, Thanks for your honesty. I like how you made assumptions about the photos, the fact that it show and you identified helps. My tip to you is Leave that last line out next time that would help even more. The Bride in this picture had this great idea, and yes you guessed it sit on the nasty dirty concrete in her $1000 dress, I would have never asked her to do this. So I did get something right. Sarcasim aside, Thanks

Here is another from the same roll, different location. Seems much better.

Here is a Picture

I have not been actively taking photos for a year or so now and I

have reciently found a new spark and passion, so you can understand

why I am disappointed when I show you some bridal shots I have

taken. I have 2 photos posted in my folio online. My camera seemed

to meter off the white dress, and with the sun light I got some

seriously underexposed prints; then the lab printed them brighter in

order to compensate which gave many of them a HAZY look. The one of

the woman sitting was one of the worst and the standing shot was

better probably due to the shade. I understand that a hand held

meter would have helped or even a gray card.

 

MY QUESTION: Does anyone that has experiance with problem know if

this happened due to the combination of Light and white dress ( and

of course my camera;s meter) I guess another way to ask this

question is Will have have this problem in doors? Say in a church or

will I have this problem every time my camera meters off of the

white dress.

 

I am a little frantic because I talked my friend here into letting

my shoot her wedding for experiance and I don't want to let her

down. There will be about 200 of her friends there that will be

getting hitched soon and I am looking to get my wedding business

started. I have the ability to travel once to the church and test

some shots. I was shooting those pics with Kodak portra 160Vc and I

will probably shoot with 400VC the day of the wedding.

 

I have had many many suggestions and I am so confused. How do I lick

this problem? Meter everything with a hand meter? Shoot 400 ISO at

320? Gray Card? I am frustrated because who has time to Meter

everything when shooting candid. AHHHHHHHHHHHHH HELP

Ok I uploaded 2 photos from the same roll of film. Just click my name. The one where she is standing is better that the other. Let me know what you think about my obervations.

Hey Steve thanks for your comments, I think I have narrowed it down. My friend that I was shooting was wearing a white dress. If I am correct, I think my camera was metering off of the white dress thus underexposing the face and everything else. Once printed I believe my lab tried to compensate by lightening the prints up A LOT. I scanned the negative and noticed that they were really Dark. This "haze" as I call it seems to be a result of underexposed shot, overexposed print. My only issue now is trying to figure out how I as a photographer can compose a shot in a situation such as this. How do I know how to set my camera if my camera won't operate right.

 

Yes, I will post a photo.

I am calling it grain but prehaps that I am saying it wrong. there seems to be almost a "haze" over that entire prints. But there will be a few that are not as bad. Could this be metering issues? The prints are not at all "crisp". I had shot a roll of this film a few weeks ago and the prints were awesome. Same camera, same film, same location, different time of day, and different lens.

I just shot some photos of a friend outside, with Kodak Portra

160VC. I was shooting with a sigma 70-200 2.8 HSM EX. One thing I

cannot figure out is that the 4x6 prints have an unusual amount of

grain. I have been tring to improve my siklls now for a few years

and I have never seen this. Could the Grain result from my Lens? The

film I shot was from several different sources all of which has not

expired. The environmant was outside, nice, not too much direct sun.

Some shots were slow shutter some were fast all were the same

quality. Any ideas??