Older Eyes

This past week I photographed Ashley V.(see previous post) and I decided I would shoot a couple frames from my 35mm FE2, just to see if I had the discipline to shoot like the old days. I used my D700's on-board light meter to get the readings and figured if I overexposed it would be okay, since on film you expose for the shadows, as opposed to digital where you expose for the highlights. So this shot is at f/2.8, 1/30 shutter, ISO 400, and 50mm focal. When I finished the roll, I took it to CVS Pharmacy and they developed the film, made prints and burned it to CD-ROM for $12. Of course I knew the quality would be dicey and grainy, but really I wanted to shoot my 35mm for two reasons:

1) To test the foam seals on the back cover for light leaks. The roll I used the first time was 12 year-old film, and probably wasn't a good test.

2) I wanted to see if I could manually focus a lens and get a tack sharp picture.

This picture of Drew was shot in Aperture Priority Mode at f/1.8, using my Nikkor 1.8D 50mm prime, and outside around 6:00 PM in shade. I have to say that it looks fairly sharp, but again it is a second generation JPG.

Going forward, I'm going to bring my 35mm along with the rest of my gear just to keep my skills sharp. It's kinda like using a typewriter without correction fluid. You have to do it right, otherwise you waste a lot of time trying obtain the desired results. Same with digital, some people rely on Adobe Photoshop as a crutch for poor, fundamental, photography. I believe creative solutions arise from constrained situations. Okay, I'll get off my soapbox.

So what's next? I've got a studio shoot this weekend and I'm going to shoot a roll of ISO 200 film in addition to my digital camera. I always use a light meter, so I should be able to get some usable pics SOOC (Straight-Out-Of-Camera).

That's A Wrap!!!

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