Flowers Anyone?

[Jim Cole]

Thanks Paul. The result surprised me since the flower was a medium/dark red. A little lighting goes a long way, I guess.

[gevalia]

"Getting the exposure right on daffodils took some time and I'm still not exactly there."

How do you meter the scene ?

Ken, being a zone guy that alway meters for the shadows, I went a different way with flowers inside a light tent. I think it works for me but like I said, I've only taken a few images of flowers. I placed the brightest area of the yellow daffodil on about zone 6 1/3. The scenes are between 4 and 5 1/2 stops.

[Ken Lee]

Thanks for sharing !

I may be wrong, but this is another good example of where a spot meter is quite helpful. We know just what we're doing - right or wrong

Like you, I have been shooting for the highest values, putting them on Zone 7.5. It violates the maxim, but as you point out, the entire range is narrow enough, that we can do what we like without any fear of exceeding the range of the film.

My "tent" is a dark-cloth draped over some chairs, next to a window - so it's been hard to keep those dark values really dark. I have to push them down later when scanning. A lot of light hits the dark cloth, and there's some flair from shooting almost back-lit.

I just got a compendium lens shade, which will hopefully minimize flare and keep the low values lower. Next I will try some "genuine" exposures, placing the dark cloth on Zone 0, and developing enough to get the flowers where they ought to be. We'll see how that looks.

[Ken Lee]

Gevalia -

This time, using a lens shade and following the basics: exposing for the shadows and developing for the high values. It seems to work better - and confirms my sense that as much as possible, corrections should be done "up-stream". First exposure, then development, then scanning. By then, if it ain't beautiful, all the fiddling in the world can only do so much.

Tulip, March 6, 2010
Sinar P, 240mm APO Nikkor
5x7 Ilford HP4+, Pyrocat HD

[Jim Cole]

Lovely Ken.

[Allen in Montreal]

Very nice work Gents.

........Gevalia -

Tulip, March 6, 2010
Sinar P, 240mm APO Nikkor
5x7 Ilford HP4+, Pyrocat HD

..........Here's Ginger on 8x10.

[gevalia]

Hmmm,

Good to know Ken. I've got a bellows shade for my F2 so I'll give that a go tomorrow. Thanks again. That may also explain why I was having so much difficulty with my Vellostigmat.

Too bad I don't share your luck with tulips. I look at them and they die.

Ron

[theBDT]

Freshia from my mom's garden...
Attachment 37755

[willwilson]

Beautiful tulip Ken. I have also had some tulips around recently. They do die quickly!

"Red Tulip Detail" 105mm Tominon, f16, 400mm ext.

[Ken Lee]

Very nice - I really like the edges of tulips. But then, there's the feathering towards the edges too, which your photo reveals so nicely.

Tulips may just be the best subject.