This question arose when a fellow called asking
how to best copy pictures and turn them into transparencies. I suggested that
instead of copying with negative film and then copying the results of that film
into transparencies, that he use transparency film to do the copies. He did have
a camera which was more that just a point-n-shoot so that wasn't a problem. He
then asked where to get the transparency film. Simple answer was that any film
you got that ended with the word "color" such as Kodacolor, Ektacolor,
Fujicolor, etc. was a negative film and would yield prints. Any film that ended
in "Chrome" such as Fujichrome, Kodachrome, Ektachrome, was indeed a
transparency film. This seemed to be the cheaper solution.
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If you are thinking of buying photographic
equipment through the mail there are several things to be aware of. You may be
able to buy it cheaper but what happens if it develops a problem while still
under warranty. This is a reasonable assumption, after all, the local store has
to exist in the community and has to maintain a spotless reputation for honoring
agreements. The mail order store is out of town, you will have to either
correspond by mail or by phone to notify them of the problem. Then you will have
to deal with someone who is essentially faceless and could only be interested in
selling new equipment rather than dealing with the
problem.
Ex. Your new equipment develops a
problem with 3 weeks to go on the year warranty, will the company honor the
warranty or drag their feet trying to solve the problem, or worse yet, if they
accept the article, will they make it top priority to have it fixed and back to
you promptly.
I'm not trying to scare you away
from these mail order companies. You know of some companies that are very good
and very prompt in dealing with you and any problems in a very ethical manner.
The problem is that there are so many companies advertising in the photo
magazines that it is difficult to choose. If you go to this link, updated
monthly, you will be able to compare company policies, and dealings. You will be
able to see what other people think of certain companies, and learn of other
people's experiences with them. Photographic
Mail Order Survey They are rated in several categories, reliability,
speediness of filling orders, fair dealing, etc. All of which will enable you to
choose a company which will give you what you want, when you want it, and will
stand behind the product they sell.
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First rule is, Do your homework By that
I mean look through all the sources available, I have a page that may help at Photolinks On that page
you will find all the major manufacturers such as Nikon, Konica, Leica, Kodak,
etc. Each company will have listings of their current camera
lines.
Browse, decide which you would like to
look at further, then go to a camera store or another outlet to look at the
camera. Pick it up, look through the viewfinder, etc. Warning! Do you
think that you would be the only one using it. My wife wanted a camera which she
didn't have to think too much about, just point and shoot. You may be of a
different bent, willing to have extra bells and whistles to make it a more
versatile camera.
Another source would be the
previous answer about mail-order buying. After you shop around to find the best
buy on the camera you decided upon, get it and enjoy!
Taking pictures of lightning is very similar to
taking pictures of fireworks. Determine which part of the sky, the lightning
seems to be coming from, use a wide-angle lens on your camera and a tripod to
hold the camera. Set the shutter speed to 1 second, set the aperture so that you
will not overexpose the foreground, wait for the lightning and fire the camera.
An alternate way on a very dark night with hardly any foreground light would be
to lock the shutter open, place the palm of your hand over the lens (don't touch
the glass) and remove the hand when the lightning occurs. Then close the shutter
and wind the film to the next frame. You might consider getting more than one
lightning bolt on the same negative by covering the lens between bolts and then
closing the shutter after you've recorded more than one bolt on the
negative.
Be careful, be sure that you won't be
hit by the lightning. You are touching a metal object that is anchored to a
metal object on the ground. Some photographers photograph from the back of a SUV
or Panel truck depending upon the tires to protect themselves from a charge.
Good luck. Be sure to take more than one frame as it is a possibility that your
reflexes will be too slow to actually record the bolt. Using a tripod will
stabilize the camera in a way that hand-holding it will not do. Also be aware
that when the mirror of the camera flips up, it may jar the camera causing
camera shake and blurry pictures.
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With the new automatic loading 35 mm cameras it
is very easy to load the camera, they say, what they don't say is that you must
pull out enough of the leader strip to go completely into the takeup reel. It
will need to make a slight bend to go properly into that
reel.
Make sure that you are able to see the
little gear that will protrude through the film sprocket holes. That gear is
what advances the film. You might have to reposition the film to enable that to
protrude through the holes.
Obviously if you
are using a 110 camera, you may have another
problem.
Another problem in this category may
be that you were attempting to take a picture without sufficient light to expose
the film. IE, the flash didn't go off. Make sure the ready light is on at least
4-5 seconds before snapping the picture.
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You must have a firm support for this
procedure. A tripod, or a friend's shoulder, if he/she will hold perfectly
still. Point the camera at the sky where the burst will go off. Set the shutter
to time exposure. When you hear the blast, open the shutter by pressing, keep
your finger on the shutter button until the burst is completely finished. Don't
move the camera or you will get streaks. If your camera has 2 time exposure
settings, T or B, you will have to consult your manual to determine which one
you will use. Both will work, one will mean that you do not have to keep the
shutter depressed but that you will have to press it again to close the shutter.
Use the longest telephoto lens you have, if you don't have any tele lens, use
the normal lens. The f/stop must be at its widest aperture.
If you're still unsure which setting, T or B to
use, check it by opening the camera, (without film in it) depressing the shutter
on T and see if you have to keep the button depressed by releasing it, if you
see the shutter close after releasing it try the other one. Use whichever is
comfortable for you. You may have to shoot a lot of film to get a small number
of prints which you're satisfied with. 400 speed film is adequate for this.
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Perhaps you're not filling the
frame
Many fledgling photographers, in order to get
everybody in the picture will stand farther away from the group than a more
experienced photographer. You must fight this urge, fill the frame in your
viewfinder, you will find that most viewfinders show only 90-95% of what is
there, ie, there is a little bit more not shown in the frame which will be
photographed and will show in the picture. Try standing closer, and then farther
away until you get used to the discipline.
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Bad Color
Both of the questions require that you return
the pictures to the processor and ask them to make the colors right. Sometimes
the automatic labs put in the wrong filtration while they're printing which
causes false colors. Although, sometimes the problem is caused by the
misdevelopment of the film. Anyway, take it back and get them to reprint it.
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If you've accidentally dropped your film into
water, keep the film wet, once dry it is difficult to unload it from the
cassette without stripping the emulsion from the film base. You must take it to
the processor and tell them about the problem. It could be that they will not be
able to extract the film or that the tape they use to hold the film to the
leader strip may not hold. If they cannot do the job, go to a professional lab
in a big city, tell them of the problem and see if they can do it. Another
alternative is if you have a friend who has a color darkroom and is into color
developing and printing. He/she could unload the film in the dark onto a reel,
develop it and print or return it to you so that you could take the developed
negatives to the lab and have them
printed.
Pictures got wet, then dried before I
discovered this had happened. Your pictures may still be saved. Put a pan of
cool water in the sink, (you can add some Photo-flo to this water if you have
it, if you don't have it, you can get it from a photosupply store). No
Photo-flo? Go without it, place the prints in the water and carefully start
peeling them apart. Be careful to not pull the emulsion off, patience is
rewarded here. You may have to peel a little, wait for the water to penetrate
before peeling some more. Place the separated prints on a flat surface, don't
stack on top of one another. Or better still, erect a clothes line and hang the
prints from this line with clothes pins.
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The newer 35mm cameras are almost automatic in
loading, refer to above answer about loading. Don't be afraid of loading. It
becomes easier the more you do it. On an older camera (without autoload), be
sure to watch the rewind knob revolve as you advance the film to the first
frame. This insures that you have engaged it properly. I would suggest that you
get the best camera you can for the money you have in the budget even if you
have to save for a while. Investigate the used camera markets. Camera stores
will sometimes have used/returned merchandise which you may be able to purchase
for a cheaper price. People sometimes buy the newest camera and want to get rid
of last year's model. Some stores will accept trade-ins, some will not. Shop
around!
Insist on testing used equipment and
return it if not satisfied. Shoot some film with it. Insist that the clerk
answer your questions about what you are buying and that you are trained in the
loading and use of the camera. The more you practice with it, the easier it will
be to use it.
You can field-check the camera in
this way. Open the back, set the f/stop on the widest aperture you can have,
then set the speed on the slowest setting. Click, as you look through the lens
and listen to the sound of the shutter opening and closing. Move the setting to
the next higher setting, do the same. There should be a difference. You should
see a circle of light through the lens during the process. Keep going through
the rest of the speed settings. Then set the shutter speed to the slowest, the
lens f/stop on the widest and test that setting. Reset lens f/stop to next
biggest aperture. Watch the light as you click the shutter, it should be a
smaller circle. Run through the rest of the stops and notice the circle of light
get smaller.
If it doesn't, there is a problem with the camera. It could just
be the batteries or it could be something more
major.
This tip will help you in
getting a good camera, not a bunch of junk. Know your supplier, make friends
with him, ask for help. If you get a clerk that just wishes to sell a camera,
doesn't want to help, insist on getting another clerk that will help.
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Sit at a desk and put a 12 inch ruler
horizontally on the top. Place an object in the center of it. Place another
object at a distance of 8 inches between you and the ruler. That is the
photographer. With a Wide Angle, he can capture on film the entire ruler. With
the Tele lens, perhaps he will only see the area between the 4 inch and the 8
inch marks. This when photographed will have a bigger object than the picture
taken with the Wide Angle which shows the entire ruler. Yet you have not moved
the object which is 8 inches closer to you than the ruler. It's a tool which can
be quickly mastered.
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Amateur or Professional
Congratulations. May your life together be a
long and happy life. Here are some points to consider before using your friend
with a camera or a professional photographer.
A
professional must produce to stay in business for the long haul. A friend can
shrug and say "I'm Sorry!" Which do you want, a chance of getting
pictures or the certainty? An amateur with a good track record of producing
pictures may be your answer if you are on a tight budget. Buy the film and have
it processed so that your friend doesn't have to bear the cost. Hope and pray
that he's/she's successful. You can not go back to redo the wedding because you
didn't get any pictures.
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Redeye
This happens when the subject looks directly
into the camera, the flash fires and the lights strikes the blood vessels in the
back of the eyeball and is recorded on the negative as a red glow. The cure for
this problem is to avoid looking directly at the camera, also it is helpful if
you can elevate the flash about 4-6 inches above the lens. Some of the newer
cameras with built-in flash have a scheme where a light fires prior to the flash
exposure. It is designed to make the pupils contract, thus counteracting the
reflective process. This problem is increased with cameras that have the flash
right on the camera.
Sometimes the only way to
eliminate it is to avoid it. Another way to solve the problem is with the
careful application of a spotting pen which can be bought at most stores that
sell cameras and film.
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Panorama
Bite the bullet if you want a normal looking
4x6 made from your panoramic negative. The only way to do it would be to trim
the edges to the 6 inch size. If you will look at your panoramic negatives you
will see that the horizontal size is the same as the standard size, the
difference is that the camera has masked a portion of the negative on top and
bottom. This is printed to enlarge the print to the 10 inch length. In other
words, this actually does broaden the field of the picture but. You can't get a
4x6 print except by trimming it and you've spent 60 cents to make a 30 cent
print. Be alert when using the panorama feature.
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Camera Repairs
Sometimes cameras do go awry and if you've
checked out your loading procedures, the lighting situation (did you use flash
and nothing happened) checked your batteries both as to freshness and made sure
they were loaded the proper way with the plus and minus terminals pointed the
way the camera wants them. If you're using 2 batteries, one will be pointed one
way and the other the opposite way. Generally there is a + sign and a - sign on
the battery, make sure that those signs correspond with the signs inside the
camera indicating the way to insert them.
If
these procedures still haven't helped you might try field-checking the camera
using the procedures outlined above in "Buying a used camera". If you
still have a problem, then I would suggest you surfing to Fargo Camera repair links Gateway
to the Camera Repair industry, contains a search engine to find a camera repair
facility in your area. I used the search engine and found a facitlity in
Columbus, I'm sure that if you put in the area code for Louisville or
Cincinatti, it would give you the directions on getting in touch with them. Ask
for an estimate for repairs, it could be that your estimate to repair the camera
may be more than buying a new camera. Then you will have to decide whether the
camera is worth it or not. Perhaps it might need nothing more than a good
cleaning or it could be worse. I had a camera that would lock-up (mirror would
lock up and render camera unusable) whenever I stored it overnight without
cocking the shutter, I would then have to go to the repairman to have him unlock
it.
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Flash burned out the faces.
Flash burn-out of faces may occur when the
face(s) is(are) a very small part of the total negative area, ie, pictures in a
gym with a wide open space behind the faces. If you haven't composed carefully
to put the auto-expose target on the faces, the flash will reach out past the
faces because of the larger area and will expose for that area rather than the
faces(s). Look at your photos to see whether this may have been the case. This
photographer (La Crescenta, CA) responded that this was the case.
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Transparency processing
Visit your local photo supply store. I'm not
talking about an amateur store but a professional photo supply store. Ask the
salesman to steer you to the proper transparency developing kit. One film which
can not be processed at home is Kodachrome. There may be others which require
professional processing. Ektachrome may be processed at home. There are more
steps to the development process, primary development, bleach, wash, (expose to
light if not done chemically), redevelop, fix, wash stabilize, and dry, possibly
you may even to re-expose the film to light between certain steps. Then you will
have to cut the film and mount it. You will probably spend as much to do it
yourself as to having it done by someone else. Ask yourself whether you want the
hassle. Another thing is that you must control the temperatue quite rigorously.
There is a plus or minus of 1/2 degree tolerance in the first developer! Good
luck. It is fun to do it yourself and being able to within a day or two viewing
something which only you have done from taking the picture to developing the
picture to showing the picture.
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Which Camera
According to a search I did on my photolinks
page all three cameras offer almost the same features you will need and more
importantly, have a good track record as far as support, reputation, and more
importantly, used by the professionals.
Sports
photography is probably the most demanding of a camera so I'll address this
first. Auto-winding is a good feature, not having to wind the film means that
you do not have to take the camera from your eye to wind it. Auto-focusing is
also a good feature particularly in basketball shooting. You can follow the
action so much easier.
I definitely would look
for a camera with which you can disable the automatic functions should you need
to. After all, when shooting portraits or landscape, this may be very
advantageous for artistic reasons. You may wish to alter the exposure or focus.
You can't do it without the Manual
feature.
This leaves the question down to
price. I would first research the cameras so that you will know the various
features. Then I would go into a camera store and ask questions of the
salesclerk. If that person knows the cameras. he/she can then advise you of the
differences in prices and the advantages one might have as compared to another.
Beware the salesperson who only knows the prices and doesn't attempt to explain
the benefits of the camera. He/she is probably only a salesclerk who knows only
how to ring up sales. Ask for one who can help you. Otherwise, rely on your
instincts and the knowledge you've gained through your research. This question
was submitted by David who is contemplating a purchase.
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Coloring
Anyone wishing to color B/W pix may choose
either a high-tech solution using the computer or a low-tech solution using
transparent oil colors which merely put the color on the picture but don't
opaque the background.
You will want to go to a
professional photo-supply store and ask for the kits such as Marshal's. This is
an old process developed back in the days of B/W printing whereby the picture
was colored by an artist. It is time-consuming but relatively easy to do, but
hard to do if you want true colors.
The
other solution is to use the computer by first scanning the image into
a program such as Photo Shop, Paint Shop Pro, or other applications
which permit you to capture images and manipulate them. You would then
have to color each tone of the image. I have not done this so I can't
comment about the time it would take. I have done the oil coloring, tho.
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Colorizing the High Tech Way
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