Re: [Leica] darkroom Frustrations!

[tedgrant@islandnet.com (Ted Grant)]

David Feldman wrote:

>1) Not getting close enough to the subject. This problem struck mostly in the
>people pictures. I find that what I want to print is usually about 1/4-1/2 the
>total negative. This means that I have to enlarge the negative a lot, which
>makes the grain very visible and seems to soften the overall image. I wonder
>if I should change over to a 50mm lens - I never seem to back away from my
>subjects - I just don't get close enough. Maybe I could just have someone
>stand behind me and push hard at the right moment...

David, Either get closer or buy a longer lens. But save your lens money for
now, you've gotta get these working right first.  Best option, move closer
to the subject and shoot them while they are engaged doing something and
their minds are engaged or action is taking their attention. Then you can
work 3 feet away and they'll never notice you.  Pose them and you're dead!

HAve the camera in your hands and ready to go, you shouldn't have to be
fiddling with anything but focus and don't give them any direction unless
it's a complete posed set-up.

>2) Depth of Field - not enough. This one really makes me mad. I know how to
>figure this out (though it is a little harder with an M6 than it was with my
>SLR with DOF preview). I think that I just have to be more thoughtful (hard
>with a moving 3 year old), and for landscapes, pack some sort of camera
>support (a mono pod?) to enable smaller apertures.

If you are having a problem with the landscapes and depth of field, best
thing is a tripod and stop down, that should correct this problem. If it is
your child and depth you'll just have to learn to focus more quickly and
don't worry about the backgrounds in these kinds of fast moving kids, as
the background is probably of no picure worth anyway.

Little kids are always a tough shoot for anyone.....(("blasphemy"....A/F
quite frankly is a blessing with little folks on the move.)))  But that
means a camera change and we can't have you do that. Practice is part of
the answer, just have camera in hand and quickly move from sugject to
subject in the house or yard and quickly spin the focus ring until no
matter where you place the focus mark you can snap it into focus.

Concentrate on which way to turn the lens for closer or farther away
subjects until it just becomes automatic when you move the camera to any
location..

>3) Camera shake. Is there any way to practice holding the camera still? I
>usually follow the 1/focal length rule of thumb for hand holding, but I still
>have trouble, especially with the 90. A related question, when you hold the
>camera vertical, do you have your right hand on top or bottom?


CAMERA SHAKE: Getting rid of this comes from practice. It shouldn't be any
big deal with the 90mm, try  hand holding a 560 6.8 at 1/15 with a slight
bracing of the arms ! :) Not recommending it!  Where posssible, always use
the highest possible shutter speed and widest possible aperture. 2 things
happen here, it lessens the shake, unless you are really shaking the camera
badly, and it gets rid of most distracting background which you don't need
anyway.  UNLESS you are doing landscapes and wish to have a greater depth
of field requiring a smaller aperture...then go to the tripod.

<<do you have your right hand on top or bottom?>>>>

Personally I have hand up over the top to trip the shutter, but that's a
personal choice and which camera I'm using. Others hold camera reverse to
that with the shutter release at the bottom and have their right hand at
the bottom.   I do not find this as steadying as the other way. But it
comes down to a personal thing to which you feel most comfortable and in
keeping the camera steady.

<<<<<Of course there were many that were not worth even trying -- but I
think that is a relatively common occurrence.>>>>>>

Nobody is 100% perfect, "it doesn't matter whom you are!" Of course there
are some who think they are! :) But that's only visions of grandeur in
dreams! :)


<<<The final bit of frustration was not having anything worthwhile to
practice my printing on - I am relatively new to the darkroom (~150 sheets
of paper exposed).>>>>>

The darkroom is much like the picture taking....it takes practice and using
the KISS method. (keep it simple stupid") To this day after many years in
the darkroom I only stop down one stop from wide open ( now you'll get a
million others saything that's a no-no) that's cool, it works for me from
5X7 to 20X24".

When you put the paper in the developer check the clock and leave the print
for exactly the same time "EVERYTIME!" I use 1 1/2 minutes. If you've blown
the print exposure, too much or too little, change only the exposure time!
"DO NOT MAKE TWO CHANGES!" as in, don't change the exposure time and the
aperture. Do one or the other and make another print for the correction and
it goes in the soup for the same development time.

Being consistant in method makes for a quicker learning curve. If you are
all over the place changing time, aperture and time in soup it'll drive you
nuts, take you longer to learn and cost a bundle in paper to file #13.

Kinda long but there is some sense in it and I hope it helps. There isn't
any doubt there will be messages almost counter to what I've said, that's
life on the LUG!:)




Ted Grant
This is Our Work. The Legacy of Sir William Osler.
http://www.islandnet.com/~tedgrant