The Coffee House

[Gary A.]

Snow has been on my personal agenda these last few days. I started the week by setting the camera to 1/3+ EV with auto bracketing also at 1/3 +/- and shooting in colour and then converting to B&W in post. Yesterday and this morning I set the camera to + 1 EV with no bracketing and to shoot in B&W with yellow filter (with a colour copy).

One or two came out nicely, some were destined for the recycle bin, and a few are work in progress.

It's not easy to get a decent exposure on this stuff!

Spot metering may help ...

 

[smoke665]

Spot metering may help ...

Why spot rather than Matrix? Working in a snow environment even with spot, I sample the surrounding area then adjust accordingly.

 

[Fred von den Berg]

Snow has been on my personal agenda these last few days. I started the week by setting the camera to 1/3+ EV with auto bracketing also at 1/3 +/- and shooting in colour and then converting to B&W in post. Yesterday and this morning I set the camera to + 1 EV with no bracketing and to shoot in B&W with yellow filter (with a colour copy).

One or two came out nicely, some were destined for the recycle bin, and a few are work in progress.

It's not easy to get a decent exposure on this stuff!

Spot metering may help ...

Thanks; Gary. Spot metering is something I've not used very much, preferring centre weighted or matrix. However, I used it once yesterday on this: ambivalence-frame-jpg.154139

I'll try to use it a bit more over the coming days and see what I get.

 

[snowbear141 72]

@JonA_CT we had an Excursion for a couple of years. V10 gas that you quoted mileage as "Gallons per mile".

Like a boat - Gallons per Hour

This conversation makes me so happy I don't have kids.

Apparently, I chose to have a kid, because, I don't like money, sleep, or free time.

Squared over here.

I'm in recovery: One is several hundred miles away, and we hear from him from time to time. The other is also distant, but part-time, and still asks for money.

 

[davidharmier60]

No wife. No kids. On the minus side our portion of the family ends here. On the plus side no begging for money or lack of sleep.
Amazing that USA curling is going to the quarter finals.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

 

[Gary A.]

Snow has been on my personal agenda these last few days. I started the week by setting the camera to 1/3+ EV with auto bracketing also at 1/3 +/- and shooting in colour and then converting to B&W in post. Yesterday and this morning I set the camera to + 1 EV with no bracketing and to shoot in B&W with yellow filter (with a colour copy).

One or two came out nicely, some were destined for the recycle bin, and a few are work in progress.

It's not easy to get a decent exposure on this stuff!

Spot metering may help ...

Thanks; Gary. Spot metering is something I've not used very much, preferring centre weighted or matrix. However, I used it once yesterday on this: ambivalence-frame-jpg.154139

I'll try to use it a bit more over the coming days and see what I get.

You gotta remember how a meter works ... all meters work on the same basic principle ... they all read to medium gray (a la a gray card). Matrix and Evaluative and Center Weighted all start on medium gray then either mechanically or algorithmly manipulate the reading ... accordingly. Gary doesn't understands the algorithm, but he does understands medium gray and would rather manipulate the reading/adjustments manually. In general, a light meter will read white snow and deliver a reading which, barring any additional adjustments, will deliver white snow the same shade of medium gray (underexposing the snow). Conversely, say there is a very very black bear in the snow and you meter entirely off the black bear. You center the needle and the meter will convert the black bear into a medium gray bear (overexposing the bear).

With Spot Metering, I typically would meter off something I know it's value in respect to medium gray. Like the wood fence in your linked image, which is about a stop or so lighter than medium gray, center the needle then open her up a stop over what the meter suggests. This is quick and dirty ... but it works, especially when on the fly in a fast paced situation. While I would like a camera with as much dynamic range as possible. I also feel that wide dynamic range isn't necessary for an image to be successful. The success of each image isn't dependant on generalizations and photographic 'rules'. I have found that generally, the greater the image impact, the less need for image quality. Most architectural photogs require more image quality than say a sports action photo. The above metering methodology works well for journalistic type photos but not as well for landscape type photos where timing isn't an issue.

 

[smoke665]

With Spot Metering, I typically would meter off something I know it's value in respect to medium gray. Like the wood fence in your linked image, which is about a stop or so lighter than medium gray, center the needle then open her up a stop over what the meter suggests.

This is similar to what I do, only I use the spot to read different areas, then arrive at my own educated guess. I'm not a fan of matrix either, but supposedly as I understand it using matrix and EV comp, will arrive at the same result.

 

[Cortian]

Peterson suggests metering off your hand, then bump up 1 stop. (N.B.: Haven't tried it, myself.)

 

[smoke665]

Peterson suggests metering off your hand, then bump up 1 stop. (N.B.: Haven't tried it, myself.)

Does it matter if it's cold or hot, because as thin as my blood is, if it's below 40, they'll be blue? And, does it matter which one? I'm right handed so the skin is rougher on that hand

 

[jcdeboever]

This conversation makes me so happy I don't have kids.

Apparently, I chose to have a kid, because I don't like money, sleep, or free time.

I didn't choose, I just road it till the milk came home...

 

[jcdeboever]

Spot metering may help ...

Why spot rather than Matrix? Working in a snow environment even with spot, I sample the surrounding area then adjust accordingly.

Matrix, what's that?

 

[jcdeboever]

Am I an idiot? I just like shooting. I prefer an all mechanical camera with no battery for anything. I love to look at my negatives after guessing, using the sunny 16. I am so OCD that I set my camera for the exposure, walk around, put the focus in a zone, wait, shoot. I have been getting better results. Granted, my pics still suck but their just not as sucky...

 

[smoke665]

Spot metering may help ...

Why spot rather than Matrix? Working in a snow environment even with spot, I sample the surrounding area then adjust accordingly.

Matrix, what's that?

a dystopian future in which reality as perceived by most humans is actually a simulated reality called "the Matrix", created by sentient machines to subdue the human population, while their bodies' heat and electrical activity are used as an energy source, or something on that order.

 

[jcdeboever]

Spot metering may help ...

Why spot rather than Matrix? Working in a snow environment even with spot, I sample the surrounding area then adjust accordingly.

Matrix, what's that?

a dystopian future in which reality as perceived by most humans is actually a simulated reality called "the Matrix", created by sentient machines to subdue the human population, while their bodies' heat and electrical activity are used as an energy source, or something on that order.

I am starting to think this camera stuff is a bunch of technical poo poo for the most part. I have more fun just shooting my Nikon F or Holga. I have wasted ton's of money. I could have had me a bad A** Leica with a couple of sumicron's. I may just starting selling everything off and stick with film.

 

[smoke665]

@jcdeboever I'm at the opposite end. I started with film in the late 60s, and have tried to get back into film for the past year. Unfortunately every time I think I'm ready I discover something new in digital.