For my novel, another question

[limr]

How about:


“Nicely framed,” ––––– said. “But a little soft, I think. I wonder why he didn’t stop down and shoot a bit faster.” She leaned in and examined the picture closely. “Tricky light. Maybe he could have bumped up the ASA. Although he might have been concerned about noise. As it is, it’s pretty clean.”

"I wonder why he didn't stop down or shoot with a faster lens." (you don't really 'shoot fast')

Also, you wouldn't have just "bumped ASA" with film. He could have "switched to a faster film" (some people did switch mid-roll but it was time consuming) or "changed backs with the faster film." (assuming he had a camera with a changeable back, so this would only work if he were shooting with a camera that did. At that time, I think it was only medium-formats, maybe some of the Nikon 35mm bodies.)

And film has grain, not noise.

 

[RachelRose53]

“Nicely framed,” ________ said. “But a bit soft around the edges, I think. I wonder why he didn’t stop down a little more.” She leaned in and examined the picture closely. “Tricky light. Maybe a faster film.”

 

[limr]

There you go.

 

[RachelRose53]

Yes, this is what I was after. Something my protagonist will not understand, and feel she is being purposely made to seem stupid because of it. Thank you, all!

 

[vintagesnaps]

I'm not sure that this seems all that plausible. If the woman is the studio manager for her husband, wouldn't she be handling scheduling, and hiring, and paperwork, etc.? or is she a photographer too? But then, would she be just managing her husband's work?? so why is she critiquing a photo? Something's not quiet ringing true for me.

The gallery openings I've been to have been at a local art center or artist coop etc. not a large pricey gallery... but it mostly involves walking around with a plastic cup of wine and cubes of cheese and things on little sticks. Much of the conversation can be about other things, depending on the number of little cups of wine imbibed, and how well everybody knows everybody else, etc. lol

Seriously usually the comments are more about how interesting the work is, related more to the subject or composition, or maybe technique used if it's something different or unusual, etc. But not really critiquing the work because if it's good enough to be hanging on the wall, then it wouldn't warrant that much critique; what you described to me would not have even been hanging, wouldn't have even been accepted. (Unless the woman is a pretentious beeotch and trying to show off when she doesn't even know what she's talking about! lol)

And this thread reminded me that in your last post, I don't know if I ever commented, but something you mentioned seemed to be from a current day frame of reference. I think it was related to a look book, and I didn't think that term would have been in use then. (Or maybe it was, I don't know for sure, it just sounded more contemporary to me.)

Maybe look up well known photographers from that era and see if you can find descriptions or commentary (reviews or articles in art magazines etc.) to give you a frame of reference from that time, how people would have discussed it then.

 

[RachelRose53]

No, it's plausible. My protagonist is an editor, her husband is a photographer. His studio manager is a woman who also is a photographer (amateur) and she started out as his studio assistant. They are all at a gallery opening in a small NYC gallery. The studio manager and my protagonist are looking at the photos together. The studio manager says what she says, and my protagonist does then wonder why this woman always has to say something that she knows the protagonist won't understand. That's part of the dynamic between the two of them, and that dynamic figures into the story further forward.

I know I have a lot more research to do regarding terminology for the period, such as "look book". I wish I knew someone who was in commercial and fashion photography in NYC in the 1980s who would consult with me (I would pay that person, gladly) but I have not found anyone yet.

Sometimes you just have to do the best you can with what you know when you write a first draft, knowing it can be fixed in the next draft. Or the next. Or the next...

 

[KenC]

The first thing that occurred to me for this kind of photography, where the lighting is not always what you want, is the use of fill flash. I've found that non-photographers almost universally don't know what this is by name and need a long explanation to understand (if they ever do). Something like: "nice use of fill flash to decrease the contrast and reveal more detail."

 

[robbins.photo]

I'm not sure that this seems all that plausible. If the woman is the studio manager for her husband, wouldn't she be handling scheduling, and hiring, and paperwork, etc.? or is she a photographer too? But then, would she be just managing her husband's work?? so why is she critiquing a photo? Something's not quiet ringing true for me.

Have to go with VS on this one, seems like your working a little too hard to throw in a technical reference where it really doesn't fit. Since your protagonist is not a photographer, why not take this a slightly different direction.

Protagonist to photographer, "Wow, that's a great shot. Say, don't you own that exact same dress? He actually looks better in it than you do.."

 

[RachelRose53]

No, it has to be a casual comment that is over the head of the protagonist. If what I have is not actually wrong in any way, I'll stick with it for now and I can always rethink it later. Within the narrative, it doesn't really stick out as trying too hard. It sounds calculated, meant to intimidate a bit, and it is meant to.