The postit note challenge

Richard King

Richard King

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Richard King
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Want to really improve your photography?

I shot a few rolls of film recently (I do that a lot) something really struck me - how liberating no rear screen is. So I slapped a postit note under the screen protector on one of my cameras. Bonkers you say... well actually, doing it the old way works a damn treat!

- engage brain
- think about the numbers
- use the +- exposure meter manually

You shoot slower, and you suddenly really get focussed on all the important bits in the shot again.
 
Richard King said:
You shoot slower, and you suddenly really get focussed on all the important bits in the shot again.
Click to expand...

I find using manual focus lenses has a similar effect, it slows you down and you give the shot a little more thought.

For added realism Richard, cut the lid off a film box and put that under. This would have the added bonus should you encounter any togs, as they relate the tale to their mates of a chap they met shooting Kodachrome with a D3 :D
 
Martyn... said:
For added realism Richard, cut the lid off a film box and put that under. This would have the added bonus should you encounter any togs, as they relate the tale to their mates of a chap they met shooting Kodachrome with a D3 :D
Click to expand...

I might just do that... where was that box of XP4? aAh in the fridge next to the beer
 
It's not a bad idea and is used as a teaching technique in a few colleges, usually accompanied with a 256Mb card or similar to limit the number of shots.
 
You've missed the point Christine. You tape up the back of the camera (ie the LCD) so that you can't chimp whilst out and about. The results should only be viewed once you download the card. It's basically taking digital photography back to the first principles of film.
 
I have a Panasonic G1 with a manual Voigtlander lens and when shooting with the adjustable screen turned to the body it's a very film like experience. Even the size and weight of the camera and lens combination is closer to the film cameras I had than a modern DSLR is.
 
For added realism, use cheap and nasty memory cards so you can get that genuine film experience of finding one of your rolls has had a "light leak" (aka the lab has screwed it up) and all your photos are lost.

:D
 
Throwing a handful of grit and cat hair onto your sensor might be an idea as well in that case! :D
 
actually, the no dust bunnies thing was a good point about film
 
DemiLion said:
It's not a bad idea and is used as a teaching technique in a few colleges, usually accompanied with a 256Mb card or similar to limit the number of shots.
Click to expand...

Funny you say that.

I know 2 Pro's who also teach who gaffer tapes students screens up if they chimp too much.

Another Pro I know who regularly hires for their multi tog wedding business will give the togs a small capacity CF card for the entire wedding if they overshoot (e.g. 5+ identical shots of the flowers) and not allow them to delete anything.
 
So when does the black and white telly and betamax video due then lol. TBH I don't think covering up or turning off features in your camera make you a better photographer, you can always fix them in PP anyway. The only thing I usually check on the screen while shooting is the histogram.
 
To make it even more difficult, take each shot whilst standing on your head
 
MFT users could throw a house-brick in their camera bag to give it the authentic feel. :D
 
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My last project was shot exclusively on film, i forced myself to do it.
Partly because of the results i knew i would get and partly because my work was lacking something, honesty perhaps? I don't know but im so glad i did.
Here's the gallery http://www.simondaviesphotography.co.uk/Service at Patricks/album/index.html
Two images from the series were shown in an exhibition and i was disappointed to be asked, by fellow photographers! How i got the film effect boarder and sprocket holes to look the way they do.
I have a cheap scanner that doesn't frame the negs properly and they get scanned in sometimes, i quite like it so i don't crop it out
 
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