so far I have managed to forget to compensate for bellows' extension, to forget to set my lightmeter's iso setting to match my film, to forget to check for vignetting after using extensive movements, and to forget my darkcloth at home
so far I have managed to forget to compensate for bellows' extension, to forget to set my lightmeter's iso setting to match my film, to forget to check for vignetting after using extensive movements, and to forget my darkcloth at home
Today I took a photograph with my lovely new Fotoman PS45. Forgot to focus it didn't I. My mate 'Wazza' made a point of welcoming me to 'Leica-itest', and the joys of photography with a viewfinder.
Len Metcalf
Leonard Murray Metcalf BA Dip Ed MEd
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Re: LF mistakes made so far
Thursday I had a day off and ventured out with my Shen-Hao. I set the camera up to photograph an ancient gnarled beech tree in Savernake forest. The light kept changing and by the time I had metered, the sun had gone in. Then it came out for a few tantalising seconds....you all know the sort of thing.
Well, a break finally appeared in the clouds and I made my first exposure. "Great!" I thought. Then realised that I hadn't removed the dark slide. Muttering dark thoughts under my breath, I resigned myself to waiting for another fleeting appearance by the sun.
Eventually, another break appeared in the clouds. I took out the darkslide, made my exposure and replaced it. I took the film holder out of the camera and as I wandered the few steps to my camera bag and notebook, I remember sort of turning the film holder over a couple (or was it three?) times in my hands. As I went to write the shot details on the film holder, I realised that I had managed to replace the darkslide with the white side out and I couldn't remember which side of the film holder was exposed. By this time, I was in no mood to try anything else, so packed my bag and stomped back to the car.
On the plus side, earlier on in the day I did get a bunch of images that *should* be OK...
When I got home, my wife gave me a gift: a copy of Ansel Adams' "Examples" book. I took great delight in reading the first few pages over a cuppa. I took even greater delight in reading that the Maestro himself ruined shots by not stopping the lens down and other things. So there IS hope for us all!
Not only did Saint Ansel make a lot of the same newbie errors many of us have made, he made a fair number of them well into the 1950s, when he'd been photographing professionally for 20+ years (and probably later than that -- I recall reading of an incident where he dropped a wooden 8x10 film holder into a creek and watched it float away, another where he double exposed his next-to-last film, after lugging an 8x10 camera several miles and up a couple thousand feet, because he missed the marking on the holder; one of those incidents, at least, was written by an assistant who I believe worked with Adams in the 1970s).Originally Posted by Mark Pope
When I got home, my wife gave me a gift: a copy of Ansel Adams' "Examples" book. I took great delight in reading the first few pages over a cuppa. I took even greater delight in reading that the Maestro himself ruined shots by not stopping the lens down and other things. So there IS hope for us all
If I ever get my good negatives to look like his, I won't mind the snarl-ups so much...
If a contact print at arm's length is too small to see, you need a bigger camera. :D
Just got some film back today and found a very deep red provia shot, must have done as you mentioned, left the 25A red filter on. First time I've done this.
Last edited by Steve Bell; 31-Aug-2006 at 13:35.
I've generally done really well in terms of not making egregious errors lately (in the last 15 years or so!). But when I've failed, it's been catastrophically. Like the time I did a GRUELLING 15 hour 4x5 expedition, exposing 30-40 sheets of film, and having walked several miles through wrecking yards, only to find out I forgot to load film in the holders (!!). Things like that tend to make an impression - you tend to make sure you don't do that again!
I just made the biggest mistake I've EVER made in large format this past weekend. I double exposed a sheet of film.
Now I know what you're thinking....everybody's double-exposed a sheet of film at one time or the other.
But did you double expose over one of the photos your WIFE took? One that she can't get back to shoot again? Haven't told her yet. Anybody got a place I can stay for a while?
I'm thinking - the very best thing you can do in that situation - is to make another exposure in the same spot (as long as you realize what you've done at the time, of course). But if you do (or if you take doubles of everything - which is sometimes really good insurance) - you COULD, conceivably, salvage the first image somewhat by subtracting the extra image in photoshop. It probably won't be perfect - but you might be surprised how well it works.
Your best bet might be to ask your local florist if they give quantity discounts. Even if the wrong side of the dark slide was showing, that wouldn't be a viable defense.
Your best bet might be to ask your local florist if they give quantity discounts. Even if the wrong side of the dark slide was showing, that wouldn't be a viable defense.
She didn't turn the dark slide over on either side of the film holder. But I'm not EVEN going there. And the last time I bought her flowers, I tried to tell her it was because I had been seeing another woman. But she saw right through my blatant lie. The ^%$%%%% UPS guy delivered the Toyo while she was home for lunch.
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