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Anyone interested in joining other large format photographers in the San Francisco area once a month on a regular basis, such as first Sunday of every month, at various locations ? Attempting to start such a group that would each month meet at a different location, such as Muir Woods, Point Reyes, Mt. Tam.,Marin headlands, etc. Maybe ocassional longer trips to Yosemite or Shasta. The idea being a workshop type learning enviornment for everyone of different skill levels, beginners to experts. Only thing I respectfully request is if you say you are going to join us, out of respect for the others, please show up :-). Other than just want to learn and make some nice images. Please e-mail me if this sparks your interest, and I'll get back to you with details as I have them.

IF you are not a zone system shooter the simplest way to get a proper exposure is incident metering. It nails it, and doesn't require much thought. Just need to rember to take a shadow or sunlight reading...depending on what is important.. General rule is if both are important, with print film shoot for shadow reading, for slides shoot for highlight reading. Now some people will say "oh but you have to be able to measure the sunlight falling on the subject". Well unless the planet has changed, the sun standing where you are is the same as the sun 5 feet, 50 feet, or 5 miles away from where you are, except if there is a cloud on one spot and not another or something like a bright white wall reflecting or a shadow on the subject... duh :-) 95% of the time it isn't an issue.

Anyhow they a really a simple joy to use. Take your reading and shoot away. Just watch for changing light such as the sun going down lower or clouds/haze built up, etc. I jsut take one reading. Shoot. Double check every ten minutes. Keep shooting. I get much more consistent results like this.