Monochrom users a few questions

[Calzone]

Cal,

I have become addicted to the street. I can get more accurate exposure shooting manual because I've been shooting this way for 30 years. If I have a spot meter I will usually meter the scene see where my highlights and my shadows are falling and base my exposure on that information. With the MM when shooting street, before I start working, I will make an exposure in the shade, check the histogram and adjust my exposure accordingly and remember the setting then check the bright side and do the same and remember that. Then I just pay attention to the light as the time goes by and adjust accordingly.

Winogrand never used a meter. He would just go by the info Kodak used to supply with the film. If you use the same stuff all the time it becomes very familiar. I've had the MM since mid Nov and its starting to become second nature with framing and learning how to expose but I am still not as sharp with it as I want to be. It just takes time with any new piece of equipment. It will become just an extension of my vision at some point and I'm closer now than I was in Nov.

My friend Andre has a photographic memory and can shoot slow slide film without a meter. I'm very jealous of his ability to nail exposure, but as much as I wish I had his talent, I do not.

I still really shoot manually, even though I use auto. Like I said, basically memory lock is faster for me than manually setting the shutter speed dial.

Also know that I for one think that the world would be a better place without cell phones, and I hate complexity. Never knew anyone who had a complex life that was happy, and I resign myself to being a happy slacker, but I found that Leica's Histogram with the clipping indicators set at 1% and 99% along with the 10 or 11 zones graphically displayed is a powerful useful tool to teach me a lot about exposure.

Leica IMHO made the MM with just the right amount of complexity for me. It's still a basic camera.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

A,

I'm without a darkroom also. Use to be a very good printer, but now today I'm a better photographer.

Consider shooting 120 again and just making negatives for wet printing. Film is still inexpensive, especially if you process it yourself, and printing can always be done at a later date. For me hybrid figital is a compromise. Nothing like an analog wet print.

Perhaps one day an Ebony 4x5...

Cal

 

[airfrogusmc]

A,

I'm without a darkroom also. Use to be a very good printer, but now today I'm a better photographer.

Consider shooting 120 again and just making negatives for wet printing. Film is still inexpensive, especially if you process it yourself, and printing can always be done at a later date. For me hybrid figital is a compromise. Nothing like an analog wet print.

Perhaps one day an Ebony 4x5...

Cal

Yeah I been thinking about a Rolleiflex. I still have reels, tanks and other stuff and I have a closet I could make dark and a decent scanner but for me thats still digital and I really think its kinda defeating the purpose for me anyway. For me its about the darkroom process and the beauty of a properly printed silver gelatin or platinum print.

 

[Calzone]

Yeah I been thinking about a Rolleiflex. I still have reels, tanks and other stuff and I have a closet I could make dark and a decent scanner but for me thats still digital and I really think its kinda defeating the purpose for me anyway. For me its about the darkroom process and the beauty of a properly printed silver gelatin or platinum print.

Again, make negatives for wet printing and print later. No scanner for me.

BTW it's really rewarding looking at a month's worth of film shooting on a light table. Making good prints is easy if you have good negatives. Also know you can't print what's not there.

I'm staying pure analog and one day will wet print. In the meantime I have a lot to learn about digital, but know I also want to become a great digital printer in the meantime.

Cal

 

[airfrogusmc]

Again, make negatives for wet printing and print later. No scanner for me.

BTW it's really rewarding looking at a month's worth of film shooting on a light table. Making good prints is easy if you have good negatives. Also know you can't print what's not there.

I'm staying pure analog and one day will wet print. In the meantime I have a lot to learn about digital, but know I also want to become a great digital printer in the meantime.

Cal

I don't disagree.