beverly_hall

<p>I have been using a Hasselblad 500CM for portrait work for 30 yrs. Am considering switching, finally, to digital to save costs, but am totally lost as to which digital camera ( nikon, leika, etc) and lens focal length will give me the same results I get from my 150mm zeiss lens. I would like to know of any other portrait photographers that have made this switch and what their choice was, and how it compared to the Hasselblad look. My camera repair expert ( Hasselblad and Leika specialist) has recommended Leika for best portraits. I would really appreciate some feedback before I spend money and am disappointed with the results not being what I'm accustomed to.<br>

I have a Nikon D80 with a 70-200 zoom lens now, but it doesn't seem to look the same as Hasselblad when I have experimented during photo sessions. I use a softarII filter with Hasselblad and don't know if there is an equivalent soft filter for digital. Any suggestions will be very much appreciated. thank you. Beverly</p>

<p>Okay, the verdict is.......shutter of 150mm lens is broken - am having to purchase another asap-<br>

will get used somewhere tho....I'm actually relieved it is that rather than the back or the out<br>

of date film.....I will be back in motion by end of week probably...thanks again for your input because<br>

it helped me calm down greatly after a sleepless night....camera repair said that my lens was<br>

probably 40 yrs. old....~beverly hall~ p.s. what does CLA stand for???? Clean, Lube, ? ????</p>

<p>I thank all of you guys immensely for the quick responses....I am sooooo relieved that the concensus seems to rule out I blundered in purchasing those 256 rolls of expired film! I had been so full of myself thinking what I had pulled off! one of the rare times I thought I had scored big time. So,I will take the camera body with 150mm lens (which has not been removed in many yrs.), both 120 & 220 backs, and my hysteria to camera repair as soon as I finish my cup of morning coffee. Wish one of you guys would make the call to my customer , who drove hr. & half to come to me( mother with 2 daughters ) to break the news that the 3 & half hrs. they were here and all the effort we expended during that shoot were all for naught. I have a feeling that 13 yr. old will refuse to go thru it all again....and worse part is that all the shots were gonna be great.<br>

Paul, what do you mean by "You can rule out the film backs<strong> because the problem arises with both of them." </strong> Was thrilled to read that Rashed has used expired film for up to 3 yrs....that's encouraging. Rashed, will you share with me where you get yours?? I went thru heck trying to locate any a mo. ago.<br>

And Bill, I spent a ridiculous amt. of time trying to figure out what the other P was! I'm drawing a complete blank, and knowing me, I will probably let this bother me for hrs. ha.<br>

Am very appreciative for the input from each of you....isn't this forum great !!!! Have a beautiful autumn day wherever you are.....Atlanta is awash in glorious color at the moment.. I have kept my NikonD80 on front seat of car for 2 wks., making U turns constantly to go back and get yet another great shot! Happy Th'giving to all. ~beverly hall~ www.beverlyhallphotography.com</p>

<p>I'm in Panic mode! Help! Have had several intermittant rolls of 220 and 120 film be completely blank. 7 out of 11 in one job, 1 out of 4 another job,. Am now holding off any bookings until I find out what is wrong. The shutter is opening/closing fine when I take off back and chk. No lens cap. No flash attachment ( camera set on X) I recently purchased a used 220 back and 220 film ( in 30 yrs, have never used 220 before and am still trying to figure out why now that I see how I love the reduced amt. of time spent loading.reloading film!)) and this is when problem began, but it is also doing it when I switch backs during my shoot and use 120. I am using 1 yr. expired Kodak film, but have done that for yrs. with no problem.When I first used the 220 back, I had a bit of a glitch in that the camera seemed to lock or not advance after just exposing about 12 shots and I tried to force ( I know,,,wrong! ) the crank and ripped the film into. But after I seemed to get the feel for the 220, that didn't happen again. But now worse problem....absolutely completely blank entire rolls! Horrors. Now must do shoot over and am afraid to book new jobs. I use a cable release with Blad on tripod always. 60spd/4 aperture all shots. I read a suggestion that film loaded backwards would come out blank, but that when you took it out of the back it would be <strong>black. </strong> That has not been the case...It is not the black side showing. What could possibly be wrong???? This is NOT the season to discontinue photo shoots of children for Christmas. I'm a wreck trying to figure it out. Pls. don't say it could possibly be because film is 1 yr. expired (10/08) as I purchased 256 rolls! Need help quick.... Beverly<br>

p.s. the rolls that <em>did</em> turn out were fine....all images perfect exposures, etc. no overlapping either. I did have one of the first rolls of 220 I tried, to have a few blank frames, scattered thruout. I attributed it to me using 220 for first time and thought perhaps I had advanced it wrong somehow ( altho I can't figure how) Took me by surprise that you have to roll it for a bit longer just to get to the 1st frame. ....moreso than 120.</p>

 

<p>I cannot get an 11x14 print from my Epson 3800 ( PS-CS3) that doesn't crop too much at top of print. (going<br>

into subject's head) I have tried printing in PS and also just in Windows....neither will print the full image.<br>

When I chk. 'Best Fit to Page' it looks right but it only prints 9.2" x 10.8" - not 11x14. If I chk. 'Stretch to<br>

Page' it fills up the 11x14 size but image is distorted ( face too wide). The other box I could chk. is<br>

'Original Size ' ( from image DPI ) ?????? I have been trying to print the 11x14s on 13x17 paper since that<br>

is all I have at the moment, and now I'm down to only 1 sheet left! and still don't have a correct 11x14.<br>

Help! How do you print 11x14 correctly and should I use PS or Windows or what? thank you.<br>

~beverly~</p>

<p>My Epson 3800 has begun to produce 4x6 color prints with a faded edge at the bottom...<br>

yellowish tint....help! how do I remedy this? am in the middle of a huge print job. Beverly</p>

Does anyone know a good inexpensive source for beveled edged masonite ( very thin - maybe 1/8 ") preferably with

edges painted gold. To use for mounting small photos. ALso, how do I make the mounted print have a 'linen'

look? I have an Epson 3800 printer.....is the trick to actually print picture on a certain type paper, if so,

what? thx. Beverly

Can someone out there pleeeeeze tell me, step by step, how to print a 5x5 on an Epson 3800? I have tried opening

photo in PSCS3 and following what appears to be obvious steps. Tried just opening picture not using PS at all,

going to File, Print,select 'custom' for print size, entering 5.00 -width-5.00-height, choose Portrait, not

landscape, select 5x7 paper,, think I chose User Defined, somewhere. nothing works. Help. Beverly

I have never used Photoshop...know absolutely nothing other than it's correct

spelling. Background: I have been portrait photographer for 25 yrs./home studio.

Presently, still shooting w/Hasselblad...film. Have now purchased NikonD80 to

gradually make conversion to digital. Am incurring many charges from the

custom lab I've used for yrs. for their expertise in digital retouching - mostly

to move one child' face, hand, etc. into/out of shots, or add/delete props

customer sees in one shot and wants in another one, etc. etc.

 

I recently purchased Photoshop CS3 along with an instruction book by Deke

McClelland. I have attempted to start the process of learning this program, but

everytime I begin, I feel like I'm reading something waaaaay beyond my

comprehension. I am totally lost. Have tried starting at beginning...then

jumping to another chapter, perhaps easier to comprehend...but nothing is

clicking. This understandably has me very, very worried that maybe I actually

will not be able to master this much needed tool. Am thinking at 64, maybe it

is just too difficult .... my 39 yr. old son, who isn't even a photographer,

persists in showing me how quickly He can read and decipher a page on the first

read. Can anyone out there relate to this and offer any suggestions? I only

want to learn how to make 4 or 5 changes to my photos and I cannot deal with

this 500 pg. book. ('Adobe Photoshop CS3 one-on-one' by Deke McClelland ) Are

there 'Cliff

Notes' to learn Photoshop CS3 or 'For Dummies' ? just to learn the bare minimum

but yet enough to master 'changing color'...'cropping'...'swapping faces, hands,

props', 'adding backgrounds'.....etc. from one pic. to another? Help !

~beverly hall~ www.beverlyhallphotography.com

Help! had 200 rolls Fugi Pro (400ASA) 120 film, expiration 5/08, stored in

freezer since Sept., that died about 2 days ago. Film remained in the 'thawed'

freezer for approx. 2-3 days. Pro-pack boxes ( 10 rolls ea) are wet - not

dripping - but wet/slightly mushy soft, and cellophane wrapping around boxes as

well as ea. individual film roll is damp. Have placed all at room temp. to dry

out, but is film usable? Next step? Put in frig till new freezer delivered?

Thank you for your suggestions. Beverly Hall

After reading many related Q&A in your forum pertaining to recommendations for

home photo printers - pros/cons - I am strongly considering the purchase of an

Epson 2400, but have question about how I will be able to print my 5x5 proofs

for customers. ( using medium format Hasselblad CM500) I am primarily getting

the printer to use for digital Nikon D80 ( 4x6s, etc) but want to be able to also

use it for my 5x5 proofs and save $$$ on lab charges....just let custom lab

print enlargements from now on. Is this possible? I see nowhere online any

mention of 5x5 paper size availability. Help ! thank you, Beverly

www.beverlyhallphotography.com p.s. I'm hoping there is definitely a monetary

savings in printing my own 4x6 pics. rather than constantly ordering from

Shutterfly.

Doing portrait ( girls only) photography for 25 yrs. using only two ( one left -

one right - side/front of subject) 250 watt photoflood bulbs (blue inside)

(4800K/5000lumens) in Smith Victor lamp stands with frosted diffuser clipped on

front to reduce glare & heat. These bulbs only last approx. 2-3 hrs. but I love

the lighting they give ( www.beverlyhallphotography.com) very natural. My

'backdrop' for almost all shots is big window behind subject showing outside.

I am now considering switching to CFLs. for longer life and cooler, but am not

sure which CFL is exactly equivalent to the photofloods I've been using. Seems

to be the 85 watt- 5500 lumen -5000K -EIKO bulb for about $20 ea. This one

states 'incandescent equal - 400 watts. Since I am using 250 watts

incandescent, is that anything to be concerned about? Will I need to use a

'straw gel filter' to give more warmth, or will the bare bulb be fine? Also,

other potential problem in switching....this CFL bulb is almost 12 inches long,

so will stick way out of my lamp holder, and I will not be able to clip on the

'diffuser.' Will this be a problem, other than looking weird? Will the bare

CFL be too piercingly bright in my subject's face? Even the 250 watt photoflood

I've been using frequently draws complaints from children, but they finally

adjust. I just say, "don't look into the lights..look at me." I am trying to

improve my set-up - cooler - longer life to bulbs, but not lose the lighting

effect I've always had. I have a home studio..not interested in buying new

'equipment' - reflectors, umbrellas, strobes, softboxes or any other 'stuff.'

Just want to improve the bulbs. suggestions?

thank you. Beverly Hall

Referencing response from Ronald, Zeiss Hasselblad Softar filters are as follows: #1 - least softness #2- middle softness - #3 - most softness. So to get "more magnification for smaller format," 35mm, would I get the #3 rather than #1 for same effect as #2 w/medium format? I do not want 'more' softness than I get now - it is enough.In your reply above, you imply that the #1 gives 'more' softness, but actually #3 is the most. I am saving your suggestion for ps in case I ever get it, but for now, just want to get filter..easier than learning ps. Am assuming "Imagon" is a Leica lens..not a filter...nothing I can adapt to my Nikon D80?

Need suggestions on which brand filter most duplicates the soft focus 'quality'

of a Zeiss softar II filter for women portraiture, or is there nothing

comparable? I have softar II on my hasselblad 500CM, but am trying to make the

transition to digital with a Nikon D80 - 72mm 18-200 VR lens and will need the

same look that my hasselblad w/softar II has always given, which women love!

I would prefer to not have to shell out $225 for another softar II 72mm for the

Nikon D80, if I can get the same quality with maybe one step down. I don't use

photoshop so am trying to get the correct results in the camera. All ideas will

be much appreciated. Beverly<div></div>