Exposure for a shop window in evening

[johnnyrod]

For a picture like this (example)
http://c8.alamy.com/comp/F9EK3A/win...ke-shop-in-whitby-with-traditional-F9EK3A.jpg
where the shop front is still illuminated by evening light, what would be the way to go with exposure? I'd like to capture the bright shop window but also the shop front rather than it ending up just dark and featureless. So for one I'd have to make sure it's not too dark at the time, but what about exposure, wide open and short or smaller aperture and longer? The camera is a folder, f3.5 wide open, using Ilford FP4 ISO125 which tolerates -2 to +6 stops exposure, and has noticeable reciprocity failure, according to the blurb.
Thanks all

 

[peterm1]

I would use an ambient light reading (rather than incident light reading) for the outside using a hand held meter. As you want the shot to have some darkness to the exterior you will need to stop down a little to under expose which also helps a bit with the bright interior. Then shoot at that setting as a starting point. Follow it by bracketing another shot (at least) for the brighter internal light (i.e. stop down maybe one maybe one and a half stops further depending upon how dark the exterior actually is by comparison to the interior). Between these two shots I should think you would be close especially allowing you are shooting FP4. It never hurts to bracket - well actually it does kinda when shooting film but that's the price you pay.

Oh and by the way do an internet search. Somewhere I have seen a table / guide to exposure for shooting in various adverse lighting conditions -e.g. by street lamplight, candle light etc. That might also help. I will leave you to do that but this may be a start https://www.google.com.au/search?nu...i131k1j0i131i46k1j46i131k1j0i20k1.P7T4yGSlceg

Even better try this calculator http://www.calculator.org/calculate-online/photography/exposure.aspx

 

[narsuitus]

I would get to the store earlier in the evening when the light on the exterior is about 1-stop brighter than the interior lighting. As the exterior lighting decreased, I would get photos at 1/2 stop brighter, equal brightness, 1/2 stop less bright, and 1-stop less bright.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Most likely folder needs to be on the tripod due to small aperture and slow film. Something like two seconds. To determine exact and precise exposure in situation like this I'm using free lightmeter application for iPhone. With this I could see what I'll get under different exposures.

 

[Ronald M]

Take a reflected reading of the interior and a test picture.

Now go back some evening as darkness approaches and meter the outside as the sun goes down. When the outside is 1,2,3 stops darker than the interior exposure you recorded or measured just now, make those 3 exposures using the proper exposure for the interior.

A nice rainy evening with lights reflected on the pavement would be nice.

You will need a tripod if the exposures are long. If in color, a blue filter will correct the inherent color cast. Actually color is problematical as the quality of the interior lights is unknown.

 

[retinax]

If you don't own a meter or struggle with the theory behind it, how about bracketing with a digital camera and then see which exposure you like best? Look at the shadows in the digital, don't worry too much about blown highlights, negative film will handle them more gracefully.

 

[ferider]

For a picture like this (example)
http://c8.alamy.com/comp/F9EK3A/win...ke-shop-in-whitby-with-traditional-F9EK3A.jpg
where the shop front is still illuminated by evening light, what would be the way to go with exposure? I'd like to capture the bright shop window but also the shop front rather than it ending up just dark and featureless. So for one I'd have to make sure it's not too dark at the time, but what about exposure, wide open and short or smaller aperture and longer? The camera is a folder, f3.5 wide open, using Ilford FP4 ISO125 which tolerates -2 to +6 stops exposure, and has noticeable reciprocity failure, according to the blurb.
Thanks all

From my head: f1.4, ASA400, 1/60 ... 1/125

So for you, it's probably around 1/4 to 1/2 a sec wide open. If there are people, might want to pick faster film, try to go up to 1/8 of a sec, at least.

 

[mpaniagua]

Probably something like this would be useful?

http://www.squit.co.uk/photo/exposurecalc.html

Best regards

Marcelo

 

[johnnyrod]

Some good replies, thank you. I have Pocket Light Meter on my iphone so I will be using that. I'm shooting 6x9 so I don't want to have too many tries at it! I took some pics with an iphone a while ago; when I metered for the brickwork (set the focus/metering spot there) it came out as f2.2 ISO40 and 1/33. When putting the spot in the window it was f2.2 ISO64 and 1/100 so about 1 stop different, but the bright areas were too bright. I didn't use the light meter app though. I reckon by eye the window would be more like 3 stops difference, in the example? Or is that too much. Edit: I tried the light meter app on the iphone picture displayed on my laptop screen, the difference is about 5x brightness i.e. just over 2 stops, it was a pretty crude measure though.

So, I am guessing I'll meter for the brickwork as this is the darkest area and try to stay within 2-3 stops between that and the lights? A tripod is not a problem, and there won't be anyone around in the evening really. Say this work out at f3.5 and 1 second, would that be better than f8 and 4 seconds, which in theory is the same? Or even f16 and 16 seconds? That's what I can't decide on. What do you think?

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Strange.. I use free iPhone application where I could have fixed aperture and ISO and only shutter speed will change. Then by placing the meter window into different parts of the scene I'll determine which setting works best for me. But my application in the phone was calibrated against trusted digital camera at ISO 100.

Anyway measuring incident light by handheld meter where you think the main light level is should work.

For the aperture of the lens in the folder. How accurate the lens collimation is? I spent sometime and film to get my 6x9 folders lenses collimated, but as any common lens, wide open they are not perfect and so at f16. The sweet spot is usually f5.6 and f8. This is what I recommend.

And make sure you have cable release for B or be very careful with pressing of shutter release.

 

[johnnyrod]

Collimation is accurate, I have just serviced the shutter and re-set the lens on reassembly (Ross Xpres in an Ensign 820 with Epsilon shutter, which seems to be a working one!). Yes good point that wide open it will not be ideal in any circumstances. I don't need much DoF as my shot will be straight on, so maybe f5.6 Thanks!