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Thread: 4x5 Velvia 50-First Outing

  1. #21

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    Re: 4x5 Velvia 50-First Outing

    Quote Originally Posted by Heroique View Post
    I think the exposures look okay, too (though image #3 may need additional light).

    And the black shadows look normal for velvia-50 in such contrasty conditions.

    Those small, overhanging, exposed leaves (and their slender branches) are above a flowing creek and its air currents – maybe I’d crop something more stable for a “sharpness” test since you used 1/10th and 1/30th second. The shivering can differ from shot to shot.
    You are right....but it wasn't especially windy and I am fairly certain that the camera moved and that is what caused the focus to shift.

    But I am still wondering if the sharpness can be increased any further than what I currently have?

  2. #22
    retrogrouchy
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    Re: 4x5 Velvia 50-First Outing

    Your first shot could benefit a lot from a CPL at least, which would probably save the sky. And perhaps a GND to bring up the shadowed areas on the right while not overexposing all the foliage and sky.

    While Velvia is certainly much easier to shoot in the golden hours, it's quite possible to shoot it in full sun (scattered clouds or a fine touch of cirrus are lovely) using a CPL and the Sunny-16 rule; e.g. 1 2 3 (not LF though).

  3. #23

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    Re: 4x5 Velvia 50-First Outing

    Quote Originally Posted by MumbleyJoe View Post
    To essentially repeat what others have said, exposures look fine, but you will run into trouble with high-contrast scenes. As a rule of thumb, I almost never include the sky in a photo taken on Velvia, as it almost inherently gets into too broad of a contrast range. I prefer to use it on isolated parts of a scene in which the lighting is more even. (Exceptions abound, but looking back at my own Velvia shots, the ones that work best fit that rule). If you're not fighting to squeeze the scene within the bounds of the Velvia's narrow exposure latitude (worrying about both blown highlights and black shadows), but instead can put your important details in the middle of the range you'll find Velvia really shines.

    Or to put it another way, I find Velvia 50 has about 4 stops of working range (Zone III (black) -Zone VII (White)), or at least I find that a good guideline to work within when I can. If you're trying to preserve details on Zone III and to not blow out the sky in Zone VII, both will be compromised. If you focus more narrowly on a part of that scene (or shoot in flatter light) and can put your details in the middle of the exposure range (Zone V) then I think Velvia comes to life.

    /YMMV
    /I'm constantly revising my own guidelines, but that's where I'm at now.
    Tyler...great bumping into you here as well!

    I was thinking about what you said all the way through, but let me ask you this....how would you have metered each of the scenes in my pics?

  4. #24

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    Re: 4x5 Velvia 50-First Outing

    Quote Originally Posted by Paul Bujak View Post
    Sometimes I shoot RVP at EI 40 to open the shadows a bit. Of course the white highlights could get blown out. The deep shadow on your second shot probably is too deep. But I still like your pics.
    Thanks for the encouragement Paul!

  5. #25

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    Re: 4x5 Velvia 50-First Outing

    Quote Originally Posted by johnmsanderson View Post
    See Christopher Burkett's work as an example of what type of light/scenes work with this type of film.

    He almost never includes the sky, and focuses often on details. He prints Cibachromes so he must shoot transparencies.

    Here's a good example of his:



    totally flat light, but the impact of the image is carried by the reproduction of colors.
    Wow....this is brilliant.....I must remember that...."flat light".

    Avi

  6. #26

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    Re: 4x5 Velvia 50-First Outing

    Quote Originally Posted by gsinico View Post
    I do shot Velvia 50, and also Velvia 100 and Provia F 100, in the past I used Astia 100 and kodak 100 G.
    the best thing about shooting LF slides is that you can choose every shot the film you want. So I try to have a bounch of velvias with me if I cannot know the light it will be during the day/trip.
    I know that velvia 50 has this kind of magic (somebody call it disneycolors), but I allways meter with a spotmeter 1°degree my pics, and I trust my meter (at 50 iso) that +1 2/3 is the maximum if there is texture in the higlights for velvia.
    Also during the day if I want to use Velvia in bright day, I put one o more NG grad filter (lee filters), and I show you here what I mean:



    here I put two NG grad in the white areas from top corner on the left+ SA 58XL
    Universitas of Catania, Sicily, a bright sunday of january.
    so.....where in the scene did you meter from? Lovely shot btw..

  7. #27

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    Re: 4x5 Velvia 50-First Outing

    Quote Originally Posted by MumbleyJoe View Post
    Beautiful Giovanni! I definitely would have been concerned about Velvia for a scene like that - ND Grads would be key!

    I just wanted to add that I am in complete agreement about white texture. About +1 2/3 stops (at ASA50) is as high as I would expose and hope to retain any texture, with it being pretty well pure white at +2.

    Frustratingly, I can usually see detail below -2 stops but scanning it gets very difficult, so i don't count on using it.
    Expanding on this.....what is the exact difference between a ND Grad filter and an 81A warming filter......

    And how do you decide where to place your medium gray?

  8. #28

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    Re: 4x5 Velvia 50-First Outing

    Quote Originally Posted by polyglot View Post
    Your first shot could benefit a lot from a CPL at least, which would probably save the sky. And perhaps a GND to bring up the shadowed areas on the right while not overexposing all the foliage and sky.

    While Velvia is certainly much easier to shoot in the golden hours, it's quite possible to shoot it in full sun (scattered clouds or a fine touch of cirrus are lovely) using a CPL and the Sunny-16 rule; e.g. 1 2 3 (not LF though).
    Nice shots....so that is three filters now:

    CPL, GND and 81A.......need to read up on those...

    Thanks.

    Avi

  9. #29

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    Re: 4x5 Velvia 50-First Outing

    When I shoot with Velvia 50, I rate it as ISO40.

  10. #30
    Photographer, Machinist, etc. Jeffrey Sipress's Avatar
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    Re: 4x5 Velvia 50-First Outing

    Overcast or diffused light is the key to pleasing smooth exposures and good scans, and rarely any sky included. If I saw conditions like the images posted here (except for the golden trees on water), I would just pack up and take a nap. Ain't worth fighting with your film, and scanner later on, only to get poor results.

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