Exposure info: 52.5mm focal length, 2 sec, f/16, ISO 400, 9:58 pm.
I learn that she and her subject are students at the Art Institute of San Francisco. This is her second time trying to capture him crossing the gate. Her first attempt didn't work out because he was severely underexposed. She's using a Nikon FM2 35mm SLR. I tell her how cool her camera is. I tell her that I have a DSLR with me and I can help her out by mimicking her settings which will give her a rough idea of what her image will look like on film. I actually don't have any idea if there's a direct correlation between what a DSLR captures vs. what 35mm film captures, but what the heck, it's worth a try. I take a few shots and show her the image on the LCD and she seems happy with the exposure. Nevermind the blurriness, I shot it inebriated and without a tripod!
Looking at the histogram, she's spot on. Most impressive.
What's my point? I don't know if I have one. But two things from this encounter stand out.
1. I have the utmost admiration for film shooters. It takes a lot of hard work, dedication, and skill to capture something without being able to check an LCD. I remember my Ricoh KR-5 days and there's something magical about eagerly awaiting for my prints to see what I've captured. Shooting digitally has always seemed like cheating to me. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't trade my DSLR for a film camera. Still, it seems to me that a true photographer knows how to shoot film.
2. We photographers belong to a community. Let's help each other whenever possible.
I love this art so much.
Yes, I'm still buzzing.
Friday, October 10, 2008
A Brief Digression
Friday night. Four hours, three beers, two gin & tonics, and a shot of Ketel One later, I stumble into the BART station. Lo and behold at the gate I see a camera mounted on a tripod. Alcohol haze clears immediately. The girl behind the camera politely stops what she's doing and allows me to pass. I say something like, "I love photography, I'm very interested to see what you're doing, please don't mind me."
Exposure info: 52.5mm focal length, 2 sec, f/16, ISO 400, 9:58 pm.
I learn that she and her subject are students at the Art Institute of San Francisco. This is her second time trying to capture him crossing the gate. Her first attempt didn't work out because he was severely underexposed. She's using a Nikon FM2 35mm SLR. I tell her how cool her camera is. I tell her that I have a DSLR with me and I can help her out by mimicking her settings which will give her a rough idea of what her image will look like on film. I actually don't have any idea if there's a direct correlation between what a DSLR captures vs. what 35mm film captures, but what the heck, it's worth a try. I take a few shots and show her the image on the LCD and she seems happy with the exposure. Nevermind the blurriness, I shot it inebriated and without a tripod!
Looking at the histogram, she's spot on. Most impressive.
What's my point? I don't know if I have one. But two things from this encounter stand out.
1. I have the utmost admiration for film shooters. It takes a lot of hard work, dedication, and skill to capture something without being able to check an LCD. I remember my Ricoh KR-5 days and there's something magical about eagerly awaiting for my prints to see what I've captured. Shooting digitally has always seemed like cheating to me. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't trade my DSLR for a film camera. Still, it seems to me that a true photographer knows how to shoot film.
2. We photographers belong to a community. Let's help each other whenever possible.
I love this art so much.
Yes, I'm still buzzing.
Exposure info: 52.5mm focal length, 2 sec, f/16, ISO 400, 9:58 pm.
I learn that she and her subject are students at the Art Institute of San Francisco. This is her second time trying to capture him crossing the gate. Her first attempt didn't work out because he was severely underexposed. She's using a Nikon FM2 35mm SLR. I tell her how cool her camera is. I tell her that I have a DSLR with me and I can help her out by mimicking her settings which will give her a rough idea of what her image will look like on film. I actually don't have any idea if there's a direct correlation between what a DSLR captures vs. what 35mm film captures, but what the heck, it's worth a try. I take a few shots and show her the image on the LCD and she seems happy with the exposure. Nevermind the blurriness, I shot it inebriated and without a tripod!
Looking at the histogram, she's spot on. Most impressive.
What's my point? I don't know if I have one. But two things from this encounter stand out.
1. I have the utmost admiration for film shooters. It takes a lot of hard work, dedication, and skill to capture something without being able to check an LCD. I remember my Ricoh KR-5 days and there's something magical about eagerly awaiting for my prints to see what I've captured. Shooting digitally has always seemed like cheating to me. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't trade my DSLR for a film camera. Still, it seems to me that a true photographer knows how to shoot film.
2. We photographers belong to a community. Let's help each other whenever possible.
I love this art so much.
Yes, I'm still buzzing.
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