Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/12/11

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Film for school play
From: "Simon Lamb" <simon@sclamb.com>
Date: Mon, 11 Dec 2000 23:10:05 -0000
References: <39F62D6D.F0C04381@home.com> <5.0.0.25.2.20001025100646.00abddb0@127.0.0.1> <008101c0635d$4ccd3880$650a0a0a@phoenixdb.co.uk> <3.0.5.32.20001211102211.00882100@mail.greennet.net> <3A352FFB.755FC23D@rabiner.cncoffice.com> <3A354453.982FA234@pce.net>

Rob and everyone who has responded:

Thanks for so much good advice.  I digested it all and went to a dress
rehearsal this evening.  There is indeed a main spotlight at the back which
should work fine for pictures of the main cast members during solo and set
pieces.  The tungsten stage lights do indeed cause about 1 1/2 to 2 stops
difference from centre stage to the edge as they are all predominently
focused on the centre stage area.  I managed to get some meter readings with
an incident meter after the rehearsal so that should be fine.

I wish I had a second body right now!  I think the Porta and Supra 800 will
be fine for the shots at f/2, f/2.8 but given some of the movement on-stage
which I need to freeze, and the need for resonable DOF, a second body with
ISO1600/3200 would have been very useful.

Thanks again for all your collective advice.

Simon


Rob McElroy wrote:

> For all,
>
> When photographing stage performances in a high school or a major concert
hall, the primary light source, which illuminates the main performers on the
> stage, comes from the guy in the back manning the spotlight, NOT the
overhead colored lights.  That is the guy you want to check with before the
> production begins, to see what kind of spotlight he is using.  His
spotlight is usually on during most of the performance, and provides the
> photographer with the usable shutter speeds needed for the majority of the
images he will make.  If his spotlight is turned off during certain
> portions of the performance - the overhead, color-gelled, tungsten stage
lighting will be the dominant light source, but is often too dim for the
best
> images.
>
> Major concert and performance halls all have carbon-arc or similar
daylight-balanced spotlights which will photograph best when using daylight
> balanced color film.  Some small high school venues may have tungsten
spotlights, which would necessitate the use of tungsten film for the closest
> match of film to light.  Of course the processing lab can correct for a
vast majority of color differences when printing color negatives, but having
> the closest film to the existing light is always the best starting point,
especially if you are required to shoot transparencies.
>
> Fuji's CZ135-36 800 ASA daylight color neg. film has been the staple for
most pros since it came out five or ten years ago.  Kodak is finally
catching
> up with their 800 speed color neg. films.
>
> Available-light performance photography can be extremely rewarding,
especially if you own long, fast, glass that is optimized for performance
wide
> open.  Use your monopod or tripod for any long lenses and don't be afraid
of 1/30th of a second.
>
> Good Luck,
> Rob McElroy
> Buffalo, NY
>
>

In reply to: Message from Jesse Hellman <hellman@home.com> ([Leica] Focusing the M6)
Message from Tina Manley <images@InfoAve.Net> (Re: [Leica] Focusing the M6)
Message from "Simon Lamb" <simon@sclamb.com> ([Leica] Film for school play)
Message from bfranson@greennet.net (Bill Franson) (Re: [Leica] Film for school play)
Message from Mark Rabiner <mark@rabiner.cncoffice.com> (Re: [Leica] Film for school play)
Message from Rob McElroy <idag@pce.net> (Re: [Leica] Film for school play)