So very very new to all this ........

[MANDS]

Last Christmas my boyfriend bought me a CANON EOS 30. I love photography and want to become an excellent photographer but learning is painfully slow.....
I'm trying to work out my apetures and how to use filters, metering basically everything...
My problem is this: when I take a picture, how do I know what it should come out like compared to what I actually see on the photograph developed by the shop I take my negatives to? I have handed my roll of film in and got prints with a certain exposure and then when I go to get reprints the exposure has changed (the sky is a different shade etc etc)
I think I'm not using the right developers but who then should I go to to get the correct exposures on my photographs so that I can see if I'm getting it right or not?
Can I develop my own prints? Or is that far too technical for me right now?

 

[Artemis]

I know im not saying much, but developing your own black and white prints is easy, but doing the negs is a bit of a bugger

 

[mygrain]

Wait...I'm confused...Your reprints are coming back different than the original prints? How are you storing your negatives? One option is to get a CD made when you get the film developed or buy a negative film scanner (flatbeds are pretty cheap) and print them yourself off of your CPU. Another is to try a different lab and see what happens. If you can find a pro lab tell the techs there your situation and they can usually push photos a step in either direction.

http://www.aandi.com/

These guys are one of the top labs. Prices are steep but yer getting HIGH quality.


I've never done darkroom work myself but have seen it done several times and it's not too complicated for B&W...I think color is a different story altogether. But yes you will have complete control of your prints WITH experience in the darkroom.

Oh! welcome to TPF!!

 

[ksmattfish]

My problem is this: when I take a picture, how do I know what it should come out like compared to what I actually see on the photograph developed by the shop I take my negatives to? I have handed my roll of film in and got prints with a certain exposure and then when I go to get reprints the exposure has changed (the sky is a different shade etc etc)

This would be one of the primary reasons to use slides instead of negatives. With a slide the person at the printing machine has an example to try to match. With a neg they have nothing but their own opinion on how the print should look.

If you want them to try and color match to previous prints then you'll need to provide them with a guide print. Even with a guide print there is no guarantee they will be able to exactly match a previous print. Minor changes in emulsion batches (on the paper), chemistry, or even atmospheric changes such as humidity and temperature can affect printing.

 

[MANDS]

Wait...I'm confused...Your reprints are coming back different than the original prints? How are you storing your negatives? One option is to get a CD made when you get the film developed or buy a negative film scanner (flatbeds are pretty cheap) and print them yourself off of your CPU. Another is to try a different lab and see what happens. If you can find a pro lab tell the techs there your situation and they can usually push photos a step in either direction.

http://www.aandi.com/

These guys are one of the top labs. Prices are steep but yer getting HIGH quality.


I've never done darkroom work myself but have seen it done several times and it's not too complicated for B&W...I think color is a different story altogether. But yes you will have complete control of your prints WITH experience in the darkroom.

Oh! welcome to TPF!!

Thanx for the welcome...

Um, I'm not really storing my negs in any particular way. Here's the 'duh!' question: how exactly should I be storing them other than referenced in boxes in my cupboard?

 

[MANDS]

This would be one of the primary reasons to use slides instead of negatives. With a slide the person at the printing machine has an example to try to match. With a neg they have nothing but their own opinion on how the print should look.

If you want them to try and color match to previous prints then you'll need to provide them with a guide print. Even with a guide print there is no guarantee they will be able to exactly match a previous print. Minor changes in emulsion batches (on the paper), chemistry, or even atmospheric changes such as humidity and temperature can affect printing.

Thanx - that helps a lot. I've thought about using slide before but didn't know how much of a difference it would make. Guess I need to reaserch the section on using slides vs negs & get out there & shoot some more. At least you've given me something to go on.

 

[mygrain]

Thanx for the welcome...

Um, I'm not really storing my negs in any particular way. Here's the 'duh!' question: how exactly should I be storing them other than referenced in boxes in my cupboard?

I store mine in plastic page sleeves and in binders for easy reference. The pages keep'em dust free, straight, and clean. They came in all sizes to fit all film sizes. You can get'em online at most pro camera shops or office supply house.

 

[ksmattfish]

I've thought about using slide before but didn't know how much of a difference it would make. Guess I need to reaserch the section on using slides vs negs & get out there & shoot some more.

For me, the advantages of print film (negs) usually outweigh slide film: increased exposure latitude, increased dynamic range, cheap prints, etc... But I also usually don't mind if a later reprint doesn't exactly match a previous reprint, and if I need a close match I give the lab a guide print. And probably most important, I don't really shoot a lot of color. When I print my own BW photos, they are rarely identical; I like that aspect of the chemical process.

Finding a good lab is important. I can see a huge difference between what I get from the local pro labs vs. the econo labs.

 

[MANDS]

Finding a good lab is important. I can see a huge difference between what I get from the local pro labs vs. the econo labs.

OK, so I'm in the hunt for a good lab and will have a bash with slide.
I guess I need to start practising with the manual gadgets - I'm still on the automatic bit on my camera and really need to weed myself off it. Not good! Haven't even looked at using b/w yet.

Ta very much for the help.

 

[Hertz van Rental]

There are so many variables at work when printing colour (and quite a few for B&W) that getting two identical prints from the same neg is virtually impossible. You have to work within acceptable tollerances - and most people won't notice unless you point it out to them.
The best advice I can give is find a film you like and stick with it - don't keep changing. That way you get used to the film and how it reacts under different conditions.
Top end professionals tweak the colour and contrast in the processing.