jim_jm
Well-known
I think your main problem with the first 2 shots are underexposure. If you look at the negs the images may be very thin. These shots also have very bright areas in the background/periphery which may have affected your meter reading, especially #2 with the difference in brightness outside. When scanning or printing an underexposed negative, you're trying to get the midtones and highlights to look reasonable, but the shadows or dark areas will often be flat and washed-out and the image will look muddy. Labs will usually try to give you the best possible print from your underexposed negative, which looks a lot like your first two images. The 3rd exposure looks good - nice contrast, good shadow and highlight detail and color balance - you could easily print this one a bit darker to give it a nice dark "pool-room" mood, but the negative has all the information you need to print it to suit your style. Sometimes underexposure with color film will also exaggerate the color cast you have in the first 2 shots.
Using daylight-balanced film under incandescent lighting will give you a much warmer look, but a blue filter will help bring the colors back to neutral. The 2nd shot is the opposite - indirect light from outside, especially on a clear day with blue skies this can give the image a cold cast. Reflected light from buildings, colored walls, etc. can also change the color balance of your image. Our eyes/brains adjust to these lighting conditions, but film will show the true color of the light hitting your subject. For the second shot I'd try an 81A or 81B warming filter.
I've never used an iPhone as a meter, but some traditional meters will also give less-accurate readings indoors or in dim light. I find I have better success by overexposing a bit in these situations. The built-in meters in some newer electronic cameras are designed to compensate in these situations, but with handheld or older meters you have to think about your lighting situations to get the best exposures possible. This is what makes film and older cameras a fun challenge - you learn from your mistakes and develop your skills to master the medium.
It's hard to tell if lens flare is an issue in your first 2 shots, but keep in mind that any bright light source in your frame or just outside has the potential to cause flare with any lens. This is where modern multicoated lenses tend to do better, but lens hoods are always a good idea.
Dude, this is only your first roll of film, so don't get discouraged! Negative film is generally forgiving so you have some room for exposure error. If I only had a nickel for every exposure I'd screwed-up in the past 35 years...
Using daylight-balanced film under incandescent lighting will give you a much warmer look, but a blue filter will help bring the colors back to neutral. The 2nd shot is the opposite - indirect light from outside, especially on a clear day with blue skies this can give the image a cold cast. Reflected light from buildings, colored walls, etc. can also change the color balance of your image. Our eyes/brains adjust to these lighting conditions, but film will show the true color of the light hitting your subject. For the second shot I'd try an 81A or 81B warming filter.
I've never used an iPhone as a meter, but some traditional meters will also give less-accurate readings indoors or in dim light. I find I have better success by overexposing a bit in these situations. The built-in meters in some newer electronic cameras are designed to compensate in these situations, but with handheld or older meters you have to think about your lighting situations to get the best exposures possible. This is what makes film and older cameras a fun challenge - you learn from your mistakes and develop your skills to master the medium.
It's hard to tell if lens flare is an issue in your first 2 shots, but keep in mind that any bright light source in your frame or just outside has the potential to cause flare with any lens. This is where modern multicoated lenses tend to do better, but lens hoods are always a good idea.
Dude, this is only your first roll of film, so don't get discouraged! Negative film is generally forgiving so you have some room for exposure error. If I only had a nickel for every exposure I'd screwed-up in the past 35 years...
