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Thread: Indoor Photography

  1. #1

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    Indoor Photography

    I have an interest in photographing the interiors of a couple of barber shops nearby and in thinking about the project I don't know how to deal with the fact that both are on the north side of the street, one with tinted windows. Both have fluorescent lighting.

    The only lighting I have is a Vivitar 285 HV which I would imagine would not be nearly enough for lf. I do plan to use a wide angle 5.6 lens, though I'm not sure how much it will have to be stopped down. Could I open the lens and set the flash off manually a few times to build exposure? Now the hundred dollar question; how many times...

    I'm looking for some suggestions.

    thanks,
    chris

  2. #2
    Moderator Ralph Barker's Avatar
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    Re: Indoor Photography

    Are you shooting B&W or color film? If color, positive or negative?

    Multiple "pops" of the flash can work, but you'll need to do some metering with a unit that works with electronic flash. A meter that does incident flash readings tends to be more convenient for this. Take the reading (at the subject position) and compare it to the aperture you want to use to get enough DOF, then add additional pops to reach that exposure value. Each pop "doubles" the amount of light, so it's equivalent to an additional stop. With more than a couple of pops, I usually add one more to compensate for what might be called reciprocity. Note that recovery time for the flash unit also plays into whether multiple pops will work conveniently.

    If you were planning on panning the single flash for better coverage, doing so won't add to the exposure in a uniform manner, particularly if bounced for softer rendition. Multiple studio strobes would be preferred for more predictable results, but give it a shot, so to speak, with what you've got.

    Depending on how much the color-cast light from the window and the ambient florescent lights contribute to the total exposure, you may also need some color correction. If you are using color negative film, some correction can be done in printing or in post-processing if you're scanning. I'd try to shoot in the evening, so window light will be less of an issue, and less of a contribution to the total exposure.

  3. #3

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    Re: Indoor Photography

    Thanks Ralph,

    I'll be using b&w film. This is for fun so I'll probably try it and how close I can get. I'm toying with the idea of some motion blur with the barber too.

    I'll borrow a light meter for flash and will keep the flash unit behind the camera in one position.

    thanks,
    chris

  4. #4
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    Re: Indoor Photography

    Quote Originally Posted by Ralph Barker View Post
    .... Each pop "doubles" the amount of light, so it's equivalent to an additional stop. With more than a couple of pops....
    The pops go 1,2,4,8,16 etc. for each smaller stop. Shooting color, I would use 'tungsten' film, for artificial light, and filter it for daylight with the orange conversion filter. This combination works perfectly for long exposures. 'T' film is made for long exposures. Daylight film screws up the colors over 60 seconds.
    Just close down to f45 do a LONG exposure, anything from 10 to 60 minutes, it makes very little difference (I do this frequently for money). The window is the natural key-light. Just keep popping your flash as a fill light by bouncing it off the wall somewhere above and behind the camera like Ralph says. If one bounced pop is enough at f5.6, you will need 64 pops. More or less.

  5. #5

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    Re: Indoor Photography

    Shooting color, I would use 'tungsten' film, for artificial light, and filter it for daylight with the orange conversion filter.

    He said he is shooting black and white. If you were shooting color would the flourescent light be a problem?

    In black and white why not just use available light and adjust your exposure and development times?

    eric

  6. #6
    Moderator Ralph Barker's Avatar
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    Re: Indoor Photography

    Quote Originally Posted by Christopher Broadbent View Post
    The pops go 1,2,4,8,16 etc. . . .
    You're correct. My brain only popped twice.

  7. #7
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    Re: Indoor Photography

    Quote Originally Posted by ejohnson View Post
    He said he is shooting black and white. If you were shooting color would the flourescent light be a problem?
    In black and white why not just use available light and adjust your exposure and development times?
    eric
    Eric, right about B&W, I wasn't paying attention. The exposure/development times might not handle the difference between near the window and further inside the room (The Zone system works best outdoors). Neon as a source is pretty ugly so I suggest subdued bounce-fill to preserve the available light look.
    If the composition allows it, chris could even use a neutral density wedge filter sideways and dispense with the fill.
    In color, neon turns out greenish when you are filtering for daylight. Though, of course you might want that if you are doing a Hopper.

  8. #8

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    Re: Indoor Photography

    (The Zone system works best outdoors).

    Why doesn't the zone system work indoors? Does film respond differently indoors and does the curve manipulate differently?

    eric

  9. #9

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    Re: Indoor Photography

    You could use what used to be called Fuji NPS for film. (I think it's the Fuji Pro 160S now.) It's good at mixed lighting situations, or at least the old NPS was.

    To offset the green in the fluorescent lights, consider wrapping the tubes in about a 30 Magenta. Rosco filters are very affordable in larger sizes, and it doesn't sound like there would be that many tubes in a barbershop.

    While I've not tried wrapping tubes, it's a well-known practice. Of course with digital techniques, corrections can be selected and "performed" in Photoshop.

    If you want to have good depth of field and have everything in focus, you'll need to stop it down. F22 comes to my mind, depending on the focal length. More pops.

    To gauge the number of pops and whether the wrapping would be necessary, you could stop by and take some preliminary photos with a smaller camera. This would also give you some information as to the need for wrapping.

  10. #10
    Kirk Gittings's Avatar
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    Re: Indoor Photography

    Neil, he is using B&W.....anyway with Fuji negative film and flash fill, it is not necessary usually to gel the fluorescents as the film (as you say) is very forgiving in mixed light situations. As architectural photographers we gave up on gelling flourescent tubes along time ago with the advent of more forgiving mixed light color films.
    Thanks,
    Kirk

    at age 73:
    "The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
    But I have promises to keep,
    And miles to go before I sleep,
    And miles to go before I sleep"

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