Metering technique for J Lane Dry Plates

[Alan9940]

Just received my Kickstarter dry plate holder and I'm excited to get out and start shooting the standard ASA 2 J Lane Dry Plates. However, being that I live in the desert southwest where I typically photograph desert scenes with lots of saguaros I'm thinking my usual spot metering techniques (used with film) may not be accurate due to all the green around; especially a saguaro itself which is, many times, the subject of my shot. So, I'm thinking that an incident reading may be more useful? How do all you dry plate shooters meter? Do you concern yourself with vegetation?

Thanks!

[Jim Noel]

I use one of my spot meters near Tucson, just as I do on almost all subjects.

[Kiwi7475]

I would suspect that you'll get more variability due to the availability of UV than by the type of subject itself.
If you go to his page he talks about adjusting the ASA depending on the time of the year and potentially location as well as some useful metering tips:

https://www.pictoriographica.com/technicals-and-tips.html

under "METERING OUTDOORS - VARIATIONS IN EFFECTIVE SPEED".

It would seem this is not the type of thing where you want to have an UV filter on your lens ;-) however he does recommend a blue filter on the meter to match what the emulsion will see.

[Alan9940]

Thank you, both. I guess I was somewhat concerned about the potential UV from green vegetation affecting my meter readings. Sounds like I'll be just fine using my spot meter as I normally would.

@Kiwi7475 - I read all those useful tips. I will be paying particular attention to that chart revealing how the speed of Jason's plates can change based on time-o-day and time-o-year. It will certainly be a good starting point until I get some experience using these plates.

[Nodda Duma]

Having lived (and metered!) in the desert southwest, I’d try doing a wide field ( i.e. non spot) metering at ASA 2 as a starting point. You will definitely get something.

If you spot meter on your saquoro and want to place it in the midtones, add two stops as a starting point. But I think you’ll overexpose everything else. So yeah I’d say meter as you normally do. That’s what the ASA 2 rating was intended for...it gets wonky over time of day and time of year sure, but down where you are the variation isn’t nearly as extreme as the London plot on the website shows.

-Jason

[Alan9940]

Having lived (and metered!) in the desert southwest, I’d try doing a wide field ( i.e. non spot) metering at ASA 2 as a starting point. You will definitely get something.

If you spot meter on your saquoro and want to place it in the midtones, add two stops as a starting point. But I think you’ll overexpose everything else. So yeah I’d say meter as you normally do. That’s what the ASA 2 rating was intended for...it gets wonky over time of day and time of year sure, but down where you are the variation isn’t nearly as extreme as the London plot on the website shows.

-Jason

Thanks Jason. Maybe the metering app on my phone would be best? If possible, I could move close enough to eliminate most of a bright sky (after all, our daily forecast is: Change of severe clear!)?

[giganova]

Maybe its just me, but I have never spot-metered anything, only incident since I started photography in the 1980s. I rarely use a meter anyway, "sunny 16" is perfect.

[Nodda Duma]

Thanks Jason. Maybe the metering app on my phone would be best? If possible, I could move close enough to eliminate most of a bright sky (after all, our daily forecast is: Change of severe clear!)?

Yeah I use Pocket Light Meter and agree that’s a good way to go. The other thing I’ve been doing lately is meter off a gray card and also learning to meter for shadows. Also been playing with my (new to me) Gossen Luna Pro meter and in all cases get decent results.

[Alan9940]

Yeah I use Pocket Light Meter and agree that’s a good way to go. The other thing I’ve been doing lately is meter off a gray card and also learning to meter for shadows. Also been playing with my (new to me) Gossen Luna Pro meter and in all cases get decent results.

Yeah, I was just thinking that using my Sekonic L-558 in incident mode and holding the meter in an open shadow area might give me a good enough exposure. I used Pocket Light Meter years ago and just now re-installed it on my phone.

Btw, just fooling around in my yard a few minutes ago doing some metering and I'm getting 2 - 4s shutter speeds for f/16 or f/22 (the apertures I typically use.) Is there any reciprocity failure with your plates that I need to concern myself with? I didn't see any mention of this on your "Tips & Techniques" page of the website.

[Kiwi7475]

Yeah, I was just thinking that using my Sekonic L-558 in incident mode and holding the meter in an open shadow area might give me a good enough exposure. I used Pocket Light Meter years ago and just now re-installed it on my phone.

Btw, just fooling around in my yard a few minutes ago doing some metering and I'm getting 2 - 4s shutter speeds for f/16 or f/22 (the apertures I typically use.) Is there any reciprocity failure with your plates that I need to concern myself with? I didn't see any mention of this on your "Tips & Techniques" page of the website.

From an old thread....

“In practice (outdoors) I add about 50% exposure time after 45s and 100% after 2 minutes. Faster than that ISO 2 is fine.”

I haven’t been in that regime of beyond 10-15s so I can’t vouch myself, but I’m sure Jason is right!

[Kiwi7475]

Yeah, I was just thinking that using my Sekonic L-558 in incident mode and holding the meter in an open shadow area might give me a good enough exposure. I used Pocket Light Meter years ago and just now re-installed it on my phone.

Btw, just fooling around in my yard a few minutes ago doing some metering and I'm getting 2 - 4s shutter speeds for f/16 or f/22 (the apertures I typically use.) Is there any reciprocity failure with your plates that I need to concern myself with? I didn't see any mention of this on your "Tips & Techniques" page of the website.


Btw, Alan, just so that you know (if you don’t already), Nodda Duma is Jason Lane (aka J Lane... :-) )

[Alan9940]

Btw, Alan, just so that you know (if you don’t already), Nodda Duma is Jason Lane (aka J Lane... :-) )

Yes, I know that. Thank you.

[Nodda Duma]

Yes, I know that. Thank you.

That Jason guy is a clone that got away from the lab.

[Kiwi7475]

That Jason guy is a clone that got away from the lab.

We can use some more clones of people like that! :-)