traveler_101
American abroad
I'd like to try shooting large interiors (churches, public bldgs.) with my 15mm attached to a Bessa-T. Any advice as to film and technique. I realize one should keep the camera level--not my forte, but I'll do my best. I thought to use Tri-X pushed to 800.
paradoxbox
Well-known
use a spirit level attached to your camera or tripod to keep the photo level
as for shooting buildings, it's difficult to get well controlled lighting. if you don't have full access you'll just have to try your best. i suggest shooting at a time late in the day so that you don't get blown out windows. if you shoot in the late day or evening you'll be able to get everything in the same shot.
or, if you have control of the lighting indoors i'd recommend using a bunch of strobes placed around the room pointed up or as you prefer, and do some testing with a digital camera (like a polaroid) until you've got the look you want, then take the film shot.
as for shooting buildings, it's difficult to get well controlled lighting. if you don't have full access you'll just have to try your best. i suggest shooting at a time late in the day so that you don't get blown out windows. if you shoot in the late day or evening you'll be able to get everything in the same shot.
or, if you have control of the lighting indoors i'd recommend using a bunch of strobes placed around the room pointed up or as you prefer, and do some testing with a digital camera (like a polaroid) until you've got the look you want, then take the film shot.
giellaleafapmu
Well-known
I would add a few things.
Wheter or not you want the window completely overexposed or you want them in the proper exposition depends a lot on what is out of these windows. If you shot a public place with a nice interior which is placed in an hugly place you might want people not to see what is out (this happens a lot in restaurant advertising and (sic!) real estate photography). If you have a large window on a garden then you would like to balance the interior and exterior lights.
If you go for the lightning, be very careful to window's reflection, this is usually the biggest problem of the strobes and windows combination. If this is the case it is easier to shot at a time in which you don't have more than a few stops difference between interior and exterior. If you aim the light to the ceiling be sure you cannot see the ceiling in the window's reflection, if you aim the flash elsewere (you can aim it backward, to walls, use large softboxes or umbrellas or have multiflash) follow the same principle.
Finally, there is another way: camera on tripod and two expositions, one for interior and one for the exterior, then you merge the two images. If you are a film talibane you can use internegatives, otherwise, of course, digital processing is the quickest way (in the case of the CV15mm you need to use film because of the lens design but then you can scan and go to the digital darkroom from there on). I usually try to get one "right image" with strobes and take a double exposition tripod shot because sometimes in the postprocessing time one might find out that the "right image" after all was not so "right" for what concerns the balance of lights.
Of course, if you want you can still use flashes in each of the espositions, if you do this I would suggest you light with flashes the interior in the "interior light" shot and use just natural light for the "exterior light" shot, or, if you are using flashes also to light the exterior (maybe if this is the case you should not read this because probably you are much more advanced than I am) I would go for "exterior flashes" and "interior flashes" separately.
Have fun.
If you have a chance post what you have done.
GLF
giellaleafapmu
Well-known
Ah, something I didn't notice, you plan to use Tri-X and push it one stop, I don't see why you want to push a grainy film to be even grainier in architectural photography. If you cannot use tripod or flashes then just use a very small tripod for digicams and put the camera (it's small and light) on a Church's bench or something for the double exposition thing but use a low sensitivity low grain film.
GLF
GLF
john_s
Well-known
I have found useful the little G-clamp onto which the camera can be screwed. Mine is old, made by Hama. I have attached my camera to a pew in Siena cathedral and got a pleasing sharp shot.
An esoteric way of dealing with the bright windows and dark interiors (but only to a degree) is to use a staining developer like PMK that will hold details in the windows. I found T-Max 400 and PMK quite good (not for pushing, though).
In general, pushing will accentuate the overexposure of windows.
An esoteric way of dealing with the bright windows and dark interiors (but only to a degree) is to use a staining developer like PMK that will hold details in the windows. I found T-Max 400 and PMK quite good (not for pushing, though).
In general, pushing will accentuate the overexposure of windows.