Re: READ THIS ONE- Studio Photography

Tom,
   What works for you may very well differ from what works for me. I
know that my system works because I use it constantly to produce
exceptional negatives and polaroids. In many cases I scan my polaroids
and work from the scans. If you want to sit in the studio all day and
fire off strobes, that is your business. I was merely sharing my
experiences, which have been very positive, with someone who asked a
question.
   You can sit there and tell me that for my exposures I need to fire my
strobes 40 times, but I know from experience, that 5 or 10 is quite
sufficient on both polaroid and film. Right now I looking at a correctly
exposed type 52 polaroid, that according to your "math" would have
required 63 "pops" but actually only took 10. Mathematically you may be
correct, but experience, and my cork board covered with polaroids tells
me that my system works just fine.
   This is a good list serve because ideas get thrown around and people
enthusiastically share information. However, it gets messy when
arguments begin and it becomes a war over who is right and who is wrong.
We are both right. This is an art, and in art there is no benchmark, but
only personal expression. My techniques work for the images that I work
to achieve. Do what works for you and don't attack me for relating what
I've found to work. Perhaps I was hasty in saying that doubling your
"pops" to add a stop is nonsense. In the future I will not make
judgments about other people's opinions.
   
                Levi

On Mon, 20 Nov 2000 17:14:34 -0800 Tom Ferguson <tomf2468@pipeline.com>
writes:
> > From: Levi Brown <kerplop1@juno.com>
> > Subject: [pinhole-discussion] READ THIS ONE- Studio Photography
> >
> > Andrew,
> > I've been doing this for several years now... here is what you
> do.
> > First determine the effective aperture of your camera. For my 4x5
> mine
> > is about F-256 and for my converted Hasselblad it is about F-140.
> Get
> > yourself a flash meter and get your strobes close to your
> subject.
> > Ideally if you can get your meter to read F-45 you are doing good.
> This
> > whole bit about doubling your number of flashes to add an extra
> stop is
> > nonsense. Everytime that you flash the strobes you add an extra
> stop of
> > light. Lets say that I set up my lights and get a meter reading
> of F-45.
> > Lets count: F-45, F-60, F-90, F-128 That equals 4. So to get
> > sufficient exposure you need to pop your flash 4 times. Just to
> be on
> > the safe side do it 5 to add a little extra density and account
> for
> > reciprocity. It really is that simple. With my Hasselblad my
> exposure
> > times are about 4 pops of the flash and with my 4x5 they run
> around 9.
>
> I'm sorry, but as someone who uses multiple flash pops for both
> pinhole and
> lens work, this is simply WRONG. F45 to F128 needs AT LEAST 8
> times as
> many "pops". Lets count: F45 to F64 is one stop (X2), F64 to F90 is
> another
> stop (2X2=4), F90 to F128 is another stop (4x2=8). I say "AT LEAST"
> because
> reciprocity (on the other end of the spectrum from pinhole, flashes
> can be
> too short an exposure) can increase the number of "pops" needed.
>
> My best guess is that Levi is using Neg film, as surviving on it's
> wonderfully forgiving exposure latitude :-)
>
> Try this with E-6 slide film or polaroid, and you'll see the truth.
>
> >
> > Another trick, if you are shooting black and white, is to use Tmax
> 400
> > speed film. Tmax has significantly less reciprocity failure than
> other
> > black and white films. I've noticed that I get better negative
> density
> > with Tmax than with any other black and white film.
>
> Agreed! It is a nice film isn't it. The 100 speed T-Max is even
> better for
> reciprocity.
>
> >SNIP>
>
> --
> Tom Ferguson
> http://www.ferguson-photo-design.com
>
>
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Received on Tue Nov 21 01:11:02 2000