This transparency has beautiful tones on a light table, but it is difficult to replicate on screen with a flatbed. If I choose to drum scan this shot, it would make for a nice print. I have full tonality in the shadows as well as the highlights. It has an almost 3D look to it. I have done my best, within the limitations of my scanner to present it here.
I was a bit unsure about this particular exposure because it was shot on Velvia 50. This is the first time I had done a long exposure on this film (15 minute exposure). I have been warned about potential color shifts, as well as other issues. I gave the film another half stop beyond the metered amount to account for the shadow areas. I still have the highlights, as well as the shadow regions intact. I didn't notice any color cast, though a green cast likely would not be detectable in Subway where the water is already quite green.
There seems to have been tons from Zion recently, and they have done their magic on me... now I wanna visit.
It's awesome that you have a setup which demands such care and attention to detail in order to use well. Though I don't see myself ever using medium or large format film, I certainly hope that I bring a strong sense of very conscious and methodical use to my landscape photography and (hopefully very minimal) PP as if it it were film.
I am truly inspired by this shot. It just seems so well put together and thought out even though this is an iconic location where photographic autonomy is an especially huge achievement.
A remarkably fine piece of work , Ben . Colour , clarity and composition are excellent , as is the detail to be seen in the stream and pool . In my view this picture would be well worth the expense of a large print , even if only to really see and wallow in all that fine detail !
Thanks all. I had a few different versions that I shot, but I liked the composition of this one best. I have a shot from lower down that is a bit of a closer shot. In that one the glow in the back is a bit different. The light skims across the back wall a bit more. It would be interesting to have this view with that light, but maybe it would also be a distraction.
Bart: you guys sure had great timing to drop in when you did. It was like you were making a surprise entrance during some sort of TV show. I shot this on both provia and velvia, but I am naturally drawn to the velvia shot. I was not sure what I would get with such a long exposure and that film.
Binh: the rely long exposure was both good and bad in that respect. It was quite busy at subway that day, but I didn't have anyone wander into the photo during the exposure. If anyone did, my plan was to welcome them in, but request that they keep moving, and do not stop anywhere. That way, they would not appear in the shot. More than anything, I was concerned about the fact that I would make the other photographers wait for such a long time before I could let them setup to shoot their own shot. I took 4 shots at subway, and would let the waiting photographers know how long it would be. They were all very understanding.
Jim: I was able to find some spots that were not quite as slick. It was definitely an issue though. I took off my boots because they had very poor grip on there. My neoprene socks gripped
quite well though!
Outstanding image Ben!! Judging by the large amount of small things in the image I can imagine that the detail on the chrome must be nothing short of spectacular! This definitely deserves a good drum scan and a large print!!! Excellent stuff!
You’re a brave man to push Velvia 50 to 15-minutes! I haven’t pushed it myself past the data sheet specs. I’ve always switched to Velvia 100F or Astia for the longer exposures. I have been experimenting with scans and also with reciprocity numbers with good success lately. First, as I now understand the data sheets: The reciprocity figures therein assume the light loss from the CC filters. For all my different slide films, I’ve been adding the additional reciprocity exposure as per the data sheet, and then I’m adding the filter correction in PS with the “Preserve Luminosity” box unchecked. This comes close to what the data sheets call for when it comes to a finished product. Velvia 100F and Astia are different, they go yellow instead of green so they call for blue CC rather than magenta. In your image I can see no green cast whatsoever. I think that’s probably because I think the green only shows up when there is not enough quality natural light to begin with (i.e. at night or indoors). You used a polarizer and that is two-stops right there so your light was really good for 4-minutes. Add the F45 and if you had shot at say F16 then the “light quality” was that of a 30-second exposure, well within the tolerances of the film. This is my personal theory so take that with a grain of salt!
Another thing that I did recently was to change to the Vuescan software. Although the color (light) correction interface is clunky, my scans have improved dramatically. I now use four passes per scan line and this reduces digital noise in the shadows significantly. I then tell it to do a normal scan and a bright lamp scan. The software then combines the two and brings out the shadow detail that a normal scan does not, and with no noise. There is no substitute for a good drum scan though! My next move is to buy the slide targets to get the scanner IT8 color corrected….
Thw2: thanks for the kind words. I had visited subway a month prior, then returned with the knowledge from my first trip. It is quite difficult to have a very exact composition with the 8x10. I cannot view the entire image on the ground glass because it is so dark in there. There is about a 2 inch diameter bright area on the glass. As I move my head around, the brigt area will also move. As a result, I almost have to guess what the composition as a whole will look like. Also the foreground was so dark that I never saw it at all on the ground glass. I might crop a bit off the bottom, but I am glad to see that it is sharp.
Adrian: thanks for the kind words. I have a pretty big show coming up in April, so I am hoping to have a few big prints done for that. I will likely print this one at least 40x50.
Collin: one of the things that I have learned since switching to film is to try and make every shot count. Since it can be difficult to see the ground glass at times, I try to determine the composition and tripod placement before even pulling out the camera. I have learned to predict the focal lengths of my lenses, so I am quite comfortable with them.
I was also able to do a few tricks with this shot. I used some movements on the rear standard to give an apparently different perspective. This elongated the foreground, which enhances the leading line. It also helps to slightly exaggerate the background. The added plus to doing this is that it also allowed me to get as much front tilt as I needed, which allowed me to get everything sharp.
With regard to film cameras, I have found that my own photography has improved quite a bit since I switched back to using film. I don't think that it is the film itself per say, but rather the fact that I have to be more methodical. I also know that I cannot get away with certain things, so I have become more patient. I know that if the conditions are not right for me to take the shot, I might as well just not take the photo. I would definitely recommend a trip to subway. The hike is quite long, but it is worth it.
I had no clue what to expect from the velvia 50, so I was not really counting on the film to turn out. I was picturing that the shot would turn out way over or underexposed, and with a horrible color cast. As a result, I shot the same scene with provia 100F because my exposure was well within the data sheet's reciprocity failure specs. That shot turned out fine, and it has even more shadow detail because the film is less contrasty. However it also does not have that signature Velvia color. Had the velvia shot not turned out I would have scanned the provia, then spend the time making the file look more like velvia.
Thaks for the info regarding the scanner software. I will look into that. I have not been very happy with the included software. However, I only use my flatbed as a preview scanner, so I am not overly critical about it. I think that software would make me even happier with it though.
As usual, here is my setup shot of this scene. I take these shots so I will remember where my camera was in the event that I need to reshoot a photo. It gives a good feel for what the scene looks like to the eye. Velvia is a saturated film. The color is impressive, but it definitely does not represent reality.
Ben. this turned out exceptional imho. Thanks for details and providing us with a setup image.
It really helps visualize the challenges you faced on this approach.
