Weekly challenge - strategies for “harsh” light

[Tropicalmemories]

Took this tonight in some seriously strong light. Had to try several spots and various metering modes and settings before I got something usable. Also used a polarizing filter.

I can't see an image?

 

[waday]

Took this tonight in some seriously strong light. Had to try several spots and various metering modes and settings before I got something usable. Also used a polarizing filter.

I can't see an image?

I bet she’s tricking us!

 

[SquarePeg]

Took this tonight in some seriously strong light. Had to try several spots and various metering modes and settings before I got something usable. Also used a polarizing filter.

I can't see an image?

I bet she’s tricking us!

Nope just couldn’t get that image to upload! Meant to delete my post but forgot.

 

[jcdeboever]

Nikon F, 50mm f/2 Ais, Tmax 100, Tmax developer. It was a bright day, high sun, street shooting, forgot my flash. So I decided to rate the Tmax at 50 ISO and underdevelop 15% in order to have a little detail in the shadows and not blow the highlights. I haven't shot much of this film. I don't have a metered prism so I sunny 16 it. It was bright most of the day but if you look at this image, you see the shadows of the people are soft. I surmised if f/16 and 1/60s, this scene is stop less so I dropped it a stop to f/11. Developed for 6:00 min as opposed to 7.5. Seemed pretty good by the scan. I bumped the curves in post. I could have left the scan as it was. In other words, no highlights were blown in scan of negative. For the challenge, I shot the entire roll in this fashion. Worked out well, I used about half the roll the day before at a golf outing. P.S. this one is for @Derrel , I learned this technique out of a Hedgecoe book from the 70's.

 

[johngpt]

View attachment 174726

I wish I could see it without scrolling to better appreciate your framing of all these angles JC.

 

[johngpt]

Aha! I can!
By replying to your post JC, I can alt+ctrl click on your attachment and it opens up in its own window, fitting my screen!
Very nicely caught image.

 

[johngpt]

Shooting in New Mexico, we have harsh light and sharply defined shadows due to our elevation.
The location I'd hoped to be at today was not open to the public so instead I headed to Albuquerque's Old Town.
When faced with 'hard' light, I hunt for those well defined shadows looking for interesting patterns.
The greatest challenge is to avoid blowing out the highlights, so under exposure is often indicated.
This was caught with the mobile phone as I couldn't back off far enough for either of my Fujis.
This was in a narrow alleyway.


Old Town window

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[zulu42]

Aha! I can!
By replying to your post JC, I can alt+ctrl click on your attachment and it opens up in its own window, fitting my screen!
Very nicely caught image.

John, you can also (on PC) right click the image in the thread and select "view image" it will fit on screen.

 

[otherprof]

June 11, 2019 12:45 pm, L.A., Sun overhead, Jacaranda petals and Jacaranda shadows on the ground. Sony a6000 16-50mm

 

[johngpt]

From the moment I got to Albuquerque's Old Town, I was seeing patterns of light and dark.
Repetitive patterns and bold shapes are often for what we have to look in New Mexico's hard light.
Our shadows are often fascinating with their sharp edges due to our elevation.


stripes at mid day

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[johngpt]

And this technique is sort of a cop-out, but none the less a technique for mid day.
Drag your subject into the shade!
My understanding is that portrait photographers who have the poor luck to be shooting at mid day will have their subjects move into shade. It might be under a tree. It might be in into the shade of a building.
Not having a human subject I lucked out at the Albuquerque Museum's sculpture garden with this figure in the shade.


in the shade

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[otherprof]

My luckiest shot of the year, i think. I looked up from the crossword on my favorite bench and saw what I thought had possibilities. As usual I had my iPhone with me (to listen to old time radio while doing the puzzle. I took the shot, and then played around editing on the phone, using Photos and my "let's see what happens if I do this" approach. I'm including the original image after the black and white. BTW, I covered so much in the original because I just recently learned that the image quality on the phone is much better if you crop rather than zoom.
1. Photo of the Light

2. original

 

[SquarePeg]

View attachment 174726

I wish I could see it without scrolling to better appreciate your framing of all these angles JC.

You need a bigger phone! It fits my iPhone 6s perfectly.

June 11, 2019 12:45 pm, L.A., Sun overhead, Jacaranda petals and Jacaranda shadows on the ground. Sony a6000 16-50mm

View attachment 174743

I see a face in the petal pattern. Smiling half profile angle looking camera right.

My luckiest shot of the year, i think. I looked up from the crossword on my favorite bench and saw what I thought had possibilities. As usual I had my iPhone with me (to listen to old time radio while doing the puzzle. I took the shot, and then played around editing on the phone, using Photos and my "let's see what happens if I do this" approach. I'm including the original image after the black and white. BTW, I covered so much in the original because I just recently learned that the image quality on the phone is much better if you crop rather than zoom.
1. Photo of the Light
View attachment 174764
2. original
View attachment 174765

Oh that’s nice.

 

[johngpt]

1. Photo of the Light
View attachment 174764

Outstanding catch and rendering 'otherprof.'

.

 

[johngpt]

Another one from yesterday's hunt for interesting shapes and shadows in ABQ's Old Town.


old town wall shadows 12Jun19

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