[Leica] Bad Exposure or Something Else?

[nicholsj at edge.net (Jim Nichols)]

Richard,

After similar disappointments, I settled on Kodak Gold 200, and it has
served me well.  There should be a similar Professional Version rated at
200, but I have not really pursued that route yet.

Jim Nichols
nicholsj@edge.net


> [Original Message]
> From: Richard S. Taylor <r.s.taylor@comcast.net>
> To: Leica Users Group <lug@leica-users.org>
> Date: 12/6/2004 1:04:35 PM
> Subject: Re: [Leica] Bad Exposure or Something Else?
>
> John - Your "sinful" attempt to correct the image is certainly closer 
> to what I saw - and thanks you and to all the others who responded 
> with ideas and suggestions.
>
> What really bothers me about the photo (and about the dozen or so 
> others I took at the same time) is the blown out highlights.  I've 
> now looked at the negatives more carefully and the highlights are 
> badly blown out there, too.  (Which eliminates the scanning as an 
> issue.)  I think if the highlights weren't so badly blown it might 
> have been possible to make something of the picture.
>
> So, I think what I've learned is:
>
> 1. ASA 400 color negative film really isn't universal. I should have 
> used a longer-scale film, ASA 100 or so, in this situation.
>
> 2. Overexposure really isn't OK with color negative film (though is 
> far more forgiving than slide film).  I've always exposed for the 
> shadows and let the highlights take care of themselves.   That 
> obviously doesn't always work.
>
> 3. Photoshop can't fix everything.
>
> You are forgiven.  Your good works saved you.  Go and sin no more... 
> (unless that is, you want to try again to fix one of my miserable 
> attempts to commit photography, in which case, sin away.)
>
> >May God have mercy on my immortal soul. Is this more what you had in
mind?
> >
> >http://gallery.leica-users.org/album63/another_man_s_image
> >
> >John Collier
> >
> >On Dec 5, 2004, at 5:50 PM, Richard S. Taylor wrote:
> >
> >>As I turned onto Memorial Drive in Cambridge last week the 
> >>sycamores along the drive were glowing white-gold in the 
> >>mid-afternoon sunlight.  I quickly parked and took pictures.  The 
> >>results were disappointing to say the least.  I've posted one 
> >>example here:
> >>
> >><http://gallery.leica-users.org/PICKS/21_0021>
> >>
> >>Photographic qualities of the picture aside, I wonder if any of you 
> >>might have any thoughts on what I might have done to improve the 
> >>rendition of the glowing trees that I saw with my eyes.  There 
> >>seems to be an exposure issue here since the highlights look blown 
> >>out but would it have been better on a slower film, or is there a 
> >>scanning problem, or something else?
> >>
> >>This photo isn't even close to the image I had in my head. 
> >>Manipulation in Photoshop to darken the image overall helps but 
> >>isn't really the solution.  The posted picture is unmanipulated and 
> >>uncropped.
> >
> >_______________________________________________
> >Leica Users Group.
> >See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>
>
> -- 
> Regards,
>
> Dick
> Boston MA
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