PDA

View Full Version : Saturated Colors



Guy Stewart
16-Jul-2005, 15:25
I am getting back into serious photography after a hiatus of many years, and I appreciate the thoughtful advice I received in response to my various dumb questions about Macophot IR Aura.

I’m now working almost exclusive with 8 x 10, and I have a few questions.

For self-promotional purposes I’ve been doing a series of color slides displaying the effect of light on various architectural elements. I have been using Velvia 50 and a Polarizer in an attempt to obtain maximum saturation of the colors - in particular the cloudless sky I feature in all my images. I am looking for strong, vivid, almost oversaturated colors – not realistic ones – if I could get an indigo/violet sky during the day I would use it!

One of my Polarizers is a 77mm B+W 77E “Top-Pol”; one is a 95mm B+W 95 KSM “C-Pol” + KR1.5 “Warmton;” and the other is a 105mm B+W105 KSM “C-Pol.” I prefer to use the 105mm Pola because I like to use Schneider’s 480mm 8.4 Apo-Symmar so as to fill the slide with as much of the final image as I can, and this lens requires a 105mm filter.

I take a reading with a Minolta Spot Meter, mentally average it out and DO NOT compensate for the (Polarizer) Filter Factor. Sometimes, I actually reduce the aperture to underexpose even more. Then I ask the Lab to push anywhere from 1/2 to 1 1/2 or even 2 stops. Occasionally, the sky turns black, yielding an interesting combination.

So, here are my questions:

1. 8 x 10 Film.

A. Velvia 50? The new Provia.

B. Ektachrome?

C. ____ What other kind of slide film instead, if anything? ____.

2. Filters - Which filter makes the sky the deepest blue, and does this feature have an effect on the rest of the colors?

A. B+W 77E “Top-Pol ___________

B. B+W 95 KSM “C-Pol _________

C. B+W105 KSM “C-Pol _________

D. Stacking (as in adding a UV) and/or other filters and/or other comments.

_______________

_______________

3. Lab. Can processing intensify (not push/pull) the colors/hues? Which Lab can do the best job? (A loaded question if there ever were one.)

4. Other suggestions.

Again, Thanks to all.

Guy Stewart

Huib
16-Jul-2005, 16:37
Guy,

4. photoshop

huib

Mark_3632
16-Jul-2005, 20:05
Sounds like you are doing everything you can. Just make sure the sun is at the right angle for maximum polarization. You could always polarize, and put a colored graduated neutral density filter over it. Other than that your choice, in my view, is to punch up the saturation in the printing. Call these folks

www.cibachrome.com

They might be able to help.