Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/05/18
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Hi Rob, I would agree with that, i'm Melbourne and seem to find my self shooting Optima and NPS alot for the lower contrast. >I have long felt that most film is > made for low contrast situations such as Europe with its basically white skies > and we who live in areas such as Queensland have to put up with high contrast > results from these films. Regards, Paul - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Rob Heyman" <rheyman@bigpond.net.au> To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us> Sent: Monday, May 19, 2003 12:13 PM Subject: Re: [Leica] Travels with M6 > Oliver, > > I noticed that you were shooting under a white sail cloth for most of your > images but it still seemed that the contrast should have been higher. The light > fog and Optima seems to be the answer. Our location is 27.4deg S and very > little pollution, so we have a quite contrasty light. I think I'll try some > Optima or Vista if I can find a supplier. I have long felt that most film is > made for low contrast situations such as Europe with its basically white skies > and we who live in areas such as Queensland have to put up with high contrast > results from these films. > I shoot portraits and high contrast is not really desirable in most cases. Would > you suggest that Vista is the way to go to minimise contrast in portraits? How > is the skin tone? > > Excuse all these seemingly dumb questions, but it is some time since I evaluated > film (and settled on Fuji NPH) and now with the dominance of digital I find that > I should have done this years ago. > > Rob > > > > Oliver Bryk wrote: > > > Rob" > > Thank you very much for your kind comments, Rob. I'll respond to your > > questions as best as I can. Healdsburg (the location of the farmers' market) > > lies at approximately 38 deg 45 min latitude north. At this time of year > > there is usually still a touch of fog in the air when the market opens at 9 > > a.m. Pacific Daylight Time; by noon the light has become very contrasty. I > > usually pay attention to the open shadow areas when I meter. > > I have used Agfa Optima and later Vista (but not the "Ultra")films for a > > long time because they have a nice long scale and color fidelity without > > excessive contrast and saturation. Many modern consumer films are designed > > for contrast and saturation levels that I find unnatural. > > I scan the negatives in a Nikon LS-4000 with VueScan software (which I > > prefer to NikonScan). Although VueScan has a film setting for Agfa Optima, > > the resulting TIFF images have a slightly pinkish cast which I correct with > > PhotoShop's AutoColor feature. With rare exceptions I do not manipulate the > > images' color or contrast any further. From this stage in the work flow I > > can print, format a 640x480 JPEG copy for the Internet or archive the image. > > IMO perceived sharpness, contrast and saturation of small images posted on > > the Internet are affected by a lot of intervening variables, including the > > viewer's display screen and driver. > > Oliver Bryk > > > > -- > > To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html > > -- > __________________________________ > Rob Heyman Photography > 32 Binyara Street > CHAPEL HILL Qld 4069 > Ph 07 3878 3884 fax 07 3378 6639 > __________________________________ > > > -- > To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html