[Leica] Candles Light

[tedgrant at shaw.ca (tedgrant at shaw.ca)]

Lluis Ripoll Querol showed:
Subject: Re: [Leica] Candles Light


>> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/luisrq/Sitges/L1015411w.jpg.html
>> M8, Elmarit 28/2.8 ASPH, ISO 320
>> Thanks for looking, your C&C are welcome <<<

Good on you Lluis for shooting it!

Here we have another interesting photograph of... "IF YOU CAN  SEE IT, YOU 
CAN SHOOT IT!" By candlelight in this situation as a comparison with an ISO 
of 320 instead of the 3200 we saw in the street night series by nicolas 
vigier : Subject: [Leica] "Walking in Antwerpen at night."

The point of both is.... if you can see a subject you can shoot it! Or at 
least have a go at it and capture a frame you wouldn't have if you stuck to 
the "I don't want any grain group." Besides in many cases the concern about 
grain is only in the eyes of maybe one viewer.

0r hundreds of others might say... "WOW! Neat shot!" commenting on the 
content, and light levels where the photos were taken and they find them 
interesting.

Here we have an example of ISO 320, hardly pushed image at all. Then we jump 
to 3200 and both are quite excellent given the light conditions. I've never 
hesitated pushing the ASA of film, colour or B&W, or digital if that were 
the only way I could capture the real life look of the situation. And yes 
the colour balance might go a tad wild at times, but in most cases it was 
accepted as "WOW! How did you do that without lighting the scene?"  Digital 
is generally a piece of cake if you leave the camera on AUTO WB!

"No problem, I never paid any attention to the rules and regulations and 
shot it!" Where as a techie type would probably be wringing their hands and 
trying all kinds of "colour balancing filters" and test shots to the extent 
that by the time they finish all that stuff, my film was being processed. 
:-)

Sure I used tungsten film when that was the key lighting but that's just 
common sense shooting and anyone would do the same thing.

But then I and many of the accredited photographers had no problem at the 
1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary with "Kodachrome 200" being pushed to ASA 
500! Like WOW!!! After the KODAK technical people told us to shoot it at ASA 
500 and they processed it accordingly. Incredible results like you wouldn't 
believe! Now film at these games is supplied free to accredited shooters as 
well as the processing.

However? When the games were over and I sent 10 rolls of pushed Kodachrome 
to KODAK Canada in Toronto for processing, the processing charge was $50.00 
per roll! OUCH!  However I happened to be shooting for a very cool client 
and they just shrugged their shoulders and said..."The end result is the 
most important thing, so what's $500 bucks for processing?" I might say it 
was a client I always enjoyed assignments with. :-)

But pushing ISO is no big deal as long as you get the results and an 
acceptable image quality you can be happy with. So the next time yer in 
squeaky light don't hesitate "JUST DO IT AND BE PLEASANTLY SURPRISED!" :-) I 
mean ater all you've seen the results in the past few days of 320 and 3200. 
It's no big deal, shoot from the gut and not the worrisome brain! ;-)

cheers,
Dr. ted