Film Challenge 37 "SHADOWS" - Discussion thread

Just posted my first entry to one of these challenges. I've been trying to get my flash working with my camera. Luckily, it did actually fire 2 out of the 16 attempts.
 
AlfyB said:
Just posted my first entry to one of these challenges. I've been trying to get my flash working with my camera. Luckily, it did actually fire 2 out of the 16 attempts.
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Well nice to know you don't have a problem of thinking of what subject\subjects to use the rest of the film on ;)
 
:tumbleweed:
 
Now thats a well organised voting thread! A good turn out this "month".
 
RaglanSurf said:
:tumbleweed:
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One of the reasons people like film is :- rather than machine gun they want to slow down taking their time getting the shot right and so on, great that you can get the shot you want after a few exposures........ but you have the problem of using the film up and I would say that not many people would send their film to a lab with the expense and waiting time with about say five shots on a roll of 24 or 36 exp film. So AlfyB has a problem with his flash and used 16 shots so far.......well that's one way of using the film up;)
 
Cant remember the last time we actually closed one of these challenges as close to the originally stated date...

Maybe it's because of all the filmies now shooting for the POTY that we've finally worked out how to shoot for a deadline...

congratulations guys :)
 
excalibur2 said:
One of the reasons people like film is :- rather than machine gun they want to slow down taking their time getting the shot right and so on, great that you can get the shot you want after a few exposures........ but you have the problem of using the film up and I would say that not many people would send their film to a lab with the expense and waiting time with about say five shots on a roll of 24 or 36 exp film. So AlfyB has a problem with his flash and used 16 shots so far.......well that's one way of using the film up;)
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Using up film hasn't been a problem lately with the number of mistakes that I've been making. Except when I'd knocked the multi switch and didn't notice that the counter wasn't going up till about 8 shots in. Shooting film is going to be a long and slow journey I think.
 
Well Ian it happens to all of us at some time for similar or different reasons.....have you seen "the 101 ways of ruining film" h'mm I might have forgotten the exact thread title :(
 
I used half a roll to do mine Ian, and that was even after doing a digital polaroid to get the settings there or there abouts as I don't have a light meter, it was so dim on the lighting, and the shadows not 'crisp' because of needing some distance between wall and the guitars that focusing was a problem. Basically I was trying to focus on something that was already, in effect, out of focus, which is frustrating as hell. Luckily the wall itself is textured wallpaper so had something to aim for but still a pain in the proverbials.
 
Have you tried setting the focus using the distance scale on the lens, @Yv?
 
ChrisR said:
Have you tried setting the focus using the distance scale on the lens, @Yv?
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Yes, that was basically the starting point, just fine tuning after that, certainly with the short distances involved, I would have been less worried on something much larger scale, infinity and beyond and all that :LOL:
 
Yv said:
I used half a roll to do mine Ian, and that was even after doing a digital polaroid to get the settings there or there abouts as I don't have a light meter, it was so dim on the lighting, and the shadows not 'crisp' because of needing some distance between wall and the guitars that focusing was a problem. Basically I was trying to focus on something that was already, in effect, out of focus, which is frustrating as hell. Luckily the wall itself is textured wallpaper so had something to aim for but still a pain in the proverbials.
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ChrisR said:
Have you tried setting the focus using the distance scale on the lens, @Yv?
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That would have been my approach TBH - camera on tripod, frame up the shot (with or without the shadows being cast), tape measure to ascertain the exact distance to the wall, set to that manually on the lens, THEN start playing about with getting the shadow as sharp as possible... Then again, It seems these days I pretty much always approach set-up shots with step 1 being "get the camera on the tripod..."
 
TheBigYin said:
That would have been my approach TBH - camera on tripod, frame up the shot (with or without the shadows being cast), tape measure to ascertain the exact distance to the wall, set to that manually on the lens, THEN start playing about with getting the shadow as sharp as possible... Then again, It seems these days I pretty much always approach set-up shots with step 1 being "get the camera on the tripod..."
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I did the setting up [shadows] first, as in the actual physical set up, then played with the digital cameras on tripod to get some idea of settings, and positioning. Like I say, that is far more difficult than you might initially imagine - ok, more then I initially imagined. To get a really crisp shadow, the object has to be close to the background you are casting the shadow onto, except of course, bearing in mind the size of the objects in this case, and the fact I only had about 5 x 4ft of clear wall to play with, the problems was balancing a sharp enough shadow without the guitars intruding into frame. The original album cover is a painting, so the logistics were easier :LOL:

I checked what distance I had on same lens mounted on the digital using AF and making sure the image was sharp [or specifically, the wall was sharp], then transferred lens to the film camera, being careful not to move the tripod whilst swapping, set manual focus and applied same distance. So, I did several shots did several shots tweaked just marginally either side of this to account for any slight differences in focal plane distance, as well as several tweaked either side on exposure settings, just to accommodate for the fact I can't get ISO160 on the digital, and bingo, almost half a roll gone. The whole thing is only lit by a 60watt bulb, at night [to prevent other shadows I didn't want] so pretty dim through a view finder. I had expected to have to have to do this, and in some ways is why I like these challenges, just the 'having to think things through, plan, then change ideas on the hoof when something does/doesn't work, etc. :D
 
Happy Birthday, Carl. We have a winner? (OK, it's not 8:35 yet ;) )
 
Well done Yv, cracking shot and well deserved. :clap: Over to you for the next one (y)
 
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Just WOW!! Seriously shocked and just a little bit chuffed, still feel very much like the f&C newbie, even if I was one of those that started my camera life when film was the only option.

Thankyou everyone for the votes, makes the messing around worthwhile. :D :kiss:

I think I have a theme in mind for the next one, just want to check the list of previous challenges to see what has gone before, so will get a new thread or 2 up later. Thanks again guys, that has made Wednesday very worthwhile
 
Well done Yv, it was a well deserved winning image. (wish I'd thought of it lol).
 
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