Monochrome screwed up photos

[icebear]

You learn the most from your mistakes, so it says...
After we already have a thread going with great shots, I think it's time to show some pics which show,
that it is not all that easy to get great shots just by pressing the shutter release of the Monochrom.

This is supposed to be sharing some experience, to show how to improve.
This is (at least my examples here) definately "user error" and not fault of the camera,
so no bashing of this expensive piece of c...p please :angel:.

Here we go :
I stepped out of some indoor market, forgot to reset ISO to 320 on a sunny day and 1/4000 was obviously not short enough.
It could have been a great shot I guess, screaming black and white... but I screwed this one (exposure!)

And another one that has blown out sky but after the initial impulse was already
to delete the file from disc, I somehow think, there is something about the graphic aspect
of the edge of the roof. What's your take?

 

[farlymac]

Too bad about the first one, Klaus, though it's not a total loss. The second one has a nice graphic quality to it.

PF

 

[moreammo]

Question: were her shoes black or red 🙂 i have nothing to add except i make these same mistake all the time with M9. though it seems maybe the M9 has a little more latitude to pull back the high lights.

both shots are still keepers to me, i might make the sky transparent on the building and set it in front of an awesome sky 🙂

 

[charjohncarter]

Digital monotone is very hard. Take your shots in RAW, always look for tones in color that will have the same monotone. If you have like above says 'red or black shoes' use channel mixer to separate. Also be sure that you don't blow out your highlights. Always shoot at little underexpose so you can 'sneak up' on your highlights. So far you will never get the tones of film (but digital may solve that soon, maybe), but these are a few hints. I have plenty more if you are truly interested.

 

[moreammo]

Klaus is talking about the M Monochrom so no channels to separate.

 

[charjohncarter]

Klaus is talking about the M Monochrom so no channels to separate.

Well, then go a little under expose (RAW), and bring it up to where you want it. You don't get something for nothing; even today.

 

[icebear]

Question: were her shoes black or red 🙂 ...
both shots are still keepers to me, i might make the sky transparent on the building and set it in front of an awesome sky 🙂

Hi there,
I honestly do not remember the color of her shoes but my best guess is they were black.

Well, then go a little under expose (RAW), and bring it up to where you want it. You don't get something for nothing; even today.

Yes, of course I started from the raw file but there is nothing left in certain areas but pure white.These areas have been overexposed I guess at least 3 stops. Nothing to recover in Monochrom files. If working on color files you might have a chance but here this is gone.

 

[charjohncarter]

Hi there,
I honestly do not remember the color of her shoes but my best guess is they were black.



Yes, of course I started from the raw file but there is nothing left in certain areas but pure white.These areas have been overexposed I guess at least 3 stops. Nothing to recover in Monochrom files. If working on color files you might have a chance but here this is gone.

I've heard about the Mono Leica but really haven't looked into it so and probably won't, so sorry for my ignorance.

 

[icebear]

I've heard about the Mono Leica but really haven't looked into it so and probably won't, so sorry for my ignorance.

No problem,
to shell out that dough for a B&W only DRF, you got to be pretty nuts, certifiably so I guess 😉.

 

[willie_901]

Any idea how you over exposed? Did you rely upon the meter or your past experience with film?

When you expose, think transparency film. I'm sure as you use the camera more, you will adjust and produce great monochrome results.

 

[icebear]

Any idea how you over exposed? Did you rely upon the meter or your past experience with film?

When you expose, think transparency film. I'm sure as you use the camera more, you will adjust and produce great monochrome results.

Hi Willie,

thanks for your comment. The Monochrome is, as far as I know, the only camarea providing a RAW histogramm.
You can choose your own settings for highlight and shaddow clipping (in %) to be indicated in red (highlights) or blue (shaddow) on the screen, i.e. after you took the shot and review it on the LCD, you see directly where you exeeded the limitations.

I see this as a helper in the beginning (or in tricky situations), in order to get a feeling how the sensor is working - exactly like trying to get a feeling for a new film.
This was just giving the camera a try and I got carried away quickly to shoot rather than step by step testing all features. As I ususally do not peep at all - auto review on my M9 is alway "off", I also had it "off" on the Monochrom loaner.

So definately as many others indicated and also you suggested, there is some adjustment required by the user but then ...😀.

 

[willie_901]

Klaus,

Thanks for the explanation.

I would find the ability to set the clipping blinkies threshold to be very valuable.

When there isn't time to fiddle with exposure in challenging light, I often automatically bracket 3 frames with 1/3, 2/3 or even full stop exposure steps. Then I pick the best exposure and discard the others. This isn't always practical though (slow shutter speeds can take too much time for decisive moments for instance). It is also useful to learn how I respond to a new camera's metering system.

 

[zauhar]

Icebear, I think you protest too much - those are good images. The sky is indeed blown on the shot of the building, but there is plenty of detail in the structure (and it is white masonry, correct?) What would you expect with a shot straight up at a bright sky? The photo of the girl is indeed bright, but the foliage in the distance looks pretty well exposed and has the same illumination - it looks to me that the scene was in bright sunlight and this is pretty much the way it should look.

I mean, the monochrom doesn't do the HDR thing, does it? 🙂

Randy

 

[icebear]

Icebear, I think you protest too much - those are good images. The sky is indeed blown on the shot of the building, but there is plenty of detail in the structure (and it is white masonry, correct?) What would you expect with a shot straight up at a bright sky? The photo of the girl is indeed bright, but the foliage in the distance looks pretty well exposed and has the same illumination - it looks to me that the scene was in bright sunlight and this is pretty much the way it should look.

I mean, the monochrom doesn't do the HDR thing, does it? 🙂

Randy

Hi Randy,

thanks for your comment, I 'm not really protesting, I just think that I didn't get the best result. The sky was clear blue not a bit of cloud, so to retain any structure there would have been difficult anyway. The masonry of the Flatiron building is brownish greyish, it is not really white.

As for the girl, there are parts (arm, leg) that are totally blown. To properly expose for the highlights let you easily recover a lot of shadow information for lower exposed areas of the shot but a certain amount of overexposure and it is g o n e. This is what I did here. It should be fairly easy to avoid it, once I get my own MM and get more used to it.

My film like exposure pattern is deeply embedded, I usually went for a little more generous amount of light😉.

 

[zauhar]

Hi Randy,

thanks for your comment, I 'm not really protesting, I just think that I didn't get the best result. The sky was clear blue not a bit of cloud, so to retain any structure there would have been difficult anyway. The masonry of the Flatiron building is brownish greyish, it is not really white.

As for the girl, there are parts (arm, leg) that are totally blown. To properly expose for the highlights let you easily recover a lot of shadow information for lower exposed areas of the shot but a certain amount of overexposure and it is g o n e. This is what I did here. It should be fairly easy to avoid it, once I get my own MM and get more used to it.

My film like exposure pattern is deeply embedded, I usually went for a little more generous amount of light😉.

Ah - I have seen that building (should have recognized it!), that does look too white.

Good shots despite that, I bet you are enjoying the camera. I have yet to invest in a digital, but I would consider the monochrom.

Randy

 

[icebear]

Ah - I have seen that building (should have recognized it!), that does look too white.

Good shots despite that, I bet you are enjoying the camera. I have yet to invest in a digital, but I would consider the monochrom.

Randy

Hi Randy,

so far I do not own the Monochrom. All shots shown in my gallery and the two Monochrom threads here are from a 2 hrs loaner period at a Leica Monochrom workshop last week in NYC. But I should get my own soon.

 

[ChrisC]

...... I ususally do not peep at all - auto review on my M9 is alway "off", I also had it "off" on the Monochrom loaner..........

I'd have dumped both exposures without hesitation, switched the histogram review on, switched to manual metering, and made more exposures but with better metering technique to see what the sensor and metering delivers.

............... Chris