First time Night shots help please

medwaygreen

medwaygreen

Suspended / Banned
Messages
4,425
Name
Richard
Edit My Images
No
I am tonight for the first time trying some night shoots of a flood lite building, the shoot will be taken across about 100 yards of water, the building is of light coloured stone and well flood lite by up lighters. There is not much other light pollution, my problem is that I do not think that my exposure kit is man enough to give me accurate settings.

I will be using 120 ISO 100 film in both B&W and colour T-Max and Ektar, can you give me your recommendations as to speed settings with an f16 or maybe f11 aperture setting. Thank you for your help.

Richard.
 
I don't know if it is much help, but this is the chart I use for reciprocity failure with Ektar 100 (not 120 film but should be the same).

aob79Iv5MjRk4u0zj3WxTWddO_WOaRZ3lbXy8Z4OjbE.jpg


I can't remember where I stumbled across the values online, but I made the chart and it has served me well. The correct metered time is on the left and the actual time for Ektar is on the right. I normally make exposures between 30 seconds and 2 minutes so I am confident of those corrections for reciprocity failure.
 
Thank you Rod, very helpful.
 
Thanks John, that looks a good reference document.
 
Personally, I would take a "modern" SLR, probably a digital and use its spot meter to get a reading off the building then either bracket the exposure at 1 stop intervals for neg and 1/2 stop for slides. If using a digital for its meter, cheat! Take a few test shots on the digital camera and see how the exposure's worked then apply that reciprocity chart (and again bracket if you feel the need!)

OR, if it's a relatively local setting, don't bracket, just note the exposure settings and be prepared to reshoot if necessary! I know MF film and D&P isn't cheap, so a reshoot could be the budget option...
 
Hope your night time shoot went well Richard.

Looking forward to seeing the results.
 
I was going to take the digital for that very purpose, but as I was taking my Bronica and Hasselblad kits with two tripods and the walk is a long one it did not appeal to me and as you say it is for my purpose to much of a cheat.

Steve, I am sending to AG tomorrow so fingers crossed.
 
Do me a favour, before you fanny about with metering for night and assuming you aren't using LFormat or anything expensive, the Ultimate exposure meter say's --

Flood lit buildings = EV 4
ISO 100 @ EV 4 = f/5.6 - 2sec f/8 - 4sec f/11 - 15sec f/16 - 30sec

:D
 
John,

I did see that and have tried some frames at that, 2,4,8 and 15 seconds EV4 level with the reciprocity failure additions built in, only time will tell.:)
Thanks.
 
Looking forward to your results Richard.

At some point I may well come back into fillum - in MF rather than 35mm - my current digi can beat 35mm in virtually every way (D800) and I still have a couple of AF SLR Nikons on the shelf anyway! Half tempted by a TLR but not too keen on the sharp bends they tend to introduce to the films - I'll be scanning the results myself and using a fairly basic flatbed to do so so a flat film surface (or at least only gently curved!) will be a help. D&P will be farmed out - house is too small for soupy stinks!!!
 
^^^^^^

Do not think about point, just go for it, life is so short.:)
 
Tell me about it! Might have to visit Mifsuds and see what they've got on their shelves. Have to admit that I do like SLRs and AF these days - my eyes aren't as good as they were back when I was first into photography but I'm not sure there's such a thing as an AF TLR! Maybe one of the Pentaxes (? Pentaces?!) would fit the bill? Have to see who does MF D&P in town too - I've always been a bit impatient so like the idea of 1 hour D&P (even if I don't like the extra costs!). We have a Snappy Snaps which is staffed by enthusiasts and I think they do in house 120/220 - we're in town tomorrow (holiday tickets and car part collection) so might pop in and see what they do there - it's been a while since I've needed D&P!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top