Frustrated

Soul Rebel · Feb 10, 2006

I am so frustrated right now. I spent all day walking around and this is what I have to show for ut. And this is the day that I decided that I want to change direction in college, after finishing 65% of the course requirements, to persue some kind of career in graphic design, photography, or wherever it leads. If ever I have felt this dejected I cant remember it being as bad as this.

I dont know what the problem is. The light looked good, it was all in focus, and since they dont look motion blurred I cant say that shaking was my problem. I did not use the flash for these and since the other ones that turned out even worse look unnatural I am glad that I didnt.

This was shot using a Canon T50, cheap film from Wal-Mart and a lens that I cant remember right now. I know it wasnt the telefoto lens though.

FuryofNature · Feb 11, 2006

Maybe it was bad film? I don't use film so...I don't know much about it.

Soul Rebel · Feb 11, 2006

After a deep breath......

I do think it was bad film quality and the fact that I used the 1 hour photo. I am going to do 2 more tests. The first I am going to use the roll I have, which is some standard, cheap film I picked up at Wal-Mart. I am going to use the 3 day development instead of the 1 hour photo.

If that doesnt turn out well I am going to try and get some better film and then get it developed.

I am sure there are some things that I could have done better and I will use this experience to learn, but I also think that I should have had 1-2 turn out. I think that the camera is of decent quality though.

markc · Feb 11, 2006

What are the issues that you are seeing that bother you? The first image looks like it has different contrast than the rest. Did you do any work on them before posting? How did you have them scanned? Do these look similar to the prints?

Soul Rebel · Feb 11, 2006

I didnt do any work to either photo. They were all scanned at the store using the negatives I guess.

The first two I find very fuzzy and the last 2 look too bright. They look exactly like the photos I have sitting in front of me.

None of them are very sharp. It doesnt seem like its picking up the detail that I want it to.

terri · Feb 11, 2006

Try not to beat yourself up here.

I am assuming these images are scanned prints, not scanned negatives. The print quality you're going to get from a 1-hour photo place is not going to be ideal. Remember these were quickly run through a machine with standard settings - no one was trying to give you a custom print job.

You should make the small investment of a light table (usually under thirty bucks) and learn to read your negatives. That will give you a much better idea of your results.

You might also want to try color slide film - Fuji makes lovely stuff - as it's easier to inspect a slide on a light table than a color negative. Keep an exposure log while you're out shooting, then line up those slides on the light table and review them with your notes - instant classroom session!

You get to make all kinds of mistakes and enjoy the adventure! You're just starting out, so try to keep it all in perspective and think about how much you're learning as you go. That said, I do know that these are the two most frustrating words on the planet: "learning curve".

Soul Rebel · Feb 11, 2006

Thank you.

They were all scanned at Wal-Mart so I am guessing they were scanned from the negatives. They look exactly like the photos I have sitting in front of me.

I really do need to keep a log. Ive known that from the start but I guess ive just gotten to lazy. I want good photos and I want them know. In a way I want some sort of proof that I am right in dropping my major in Network Administration and heading down this different path. At some point I am going to have to realize its not going to come overnight since, like you said, there is a learning curve.

Last night was just a bad night. I was feeling pretty letdown after getting these. Its a new day, the sun is shining, and I have 2 rolls to use up. I might just get out there and try it again. With the log

LaFoto · Feb 11, 2006

If you look at panzershrek's post here on his Wal-Mart test (http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=41253) you will see how different the outcome of ONE AND THE SAME photo can be with different processings. It is frustrating in itself, I would say.

Don't let the outcome of your photography excursion let you down.
They COULD have looked all differently, if they hadn't run through a one-hour-machine, and if maybe the film you used hadn't been a bargain-price-film. To have the big labs make your prints, or the one-hour-labs, is like gambling. The outcome CAN be good and likewise it can be highly frustrating.

I remember a batch of enlargements I had ordered two years ago, all of which came back with a clear red tint! All of them. While the original photos were absolutely normal in colour. Or one was very pale and the colours that I liked so hardly came out. I gave them back and told them to make me new ones for no extra money. For enlargements are an individual work, with them this needs not happen.

But with the large quantities of prints made by a one-hour-lab machine you cannot expect much.

Have you tried playing with your scanned prints in your post-processing software in your computer a bit? For I think that if you can boost contrasts and saturation in the computer, then the machine WOULD have been able to do the same. It is there! And if it is there but only wasn't worked out well enough, then why be all this frustrated?

Soul Rebel · Feb 11, 2006

Interesting. So that test was run using the 1 hour photo? Thats a bit scary.

Ive already decided that I will not take film to a 1 hour photo. From this point on I will send them out. Although, I will likely do that through walmart. Hopefully sending them out for 3 days from Wal-Mart will produce better results than the 1 hour photo.

markc · Feb 11, 2006

Sending it out won't necessarily be better, unfortunately. It can take a bit of time to find a good lab.

This might help with the kinds of things to look for: http://www.vividlight.com/articles/1113.htm

Once you find a place, getting to know your lab tech, and more importantly, letting them get to know you can go a long way. Ask for them when you drop off your film.

Soul Rebel · Feb 11, 2006

I just called the one store in town that is specifically a camera store. They charge 34 cents per photo that turns out and have a tech. sitting there so that they can manually make sure things turn out alright. Is 34 cents expensive?

My plan right now is to take a roll down there and see how it turns out. In the long run I plan on taking my photos there, if they turn out alright, and when I get some negatives built up that I would like put on a CD I will take those to Wal-Mart to be scanned.

One question I do have that I have been wondering for awhile is whether I can cut the negatives, so that I have individual photos, and if they will be able to scan those? That would be easier than marking which ones I want on the CD....