What's wrong with my photos? (Photos included, please see inside) Can you help?

Question

I took these photos only last night on an old Minolta SRT101 35mm camera. I'm fairly happy with the results only there's something not quite right with the photos. I've uploaded a few to show you what I mean. The problem is, the colour of the bulbs in each photo looks a little washed out. The settings I used were as follows: Film speed ASA 200, Aperture f1.7, Shutter speed 1/30 of a second. Could it be that I've over compensated for the lack of light?

Also, you can't really tell because I've scanned the photos in but, the blackness in each photo isn't as black as one would hope. I'm only guessing but, would the best solution be to slightly decrease the amount of light entering the camera by altering either the shutter speed to 1/60 or changing the aperture to f2.8?

Photo #1: http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii275/voople/002.jpg?t=1198196004

Photo #2: http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii275/voople/001.jpg?t=1198196038

Help would be much appreciated, thanks.

Answer 1

You're right.. the lack of ambient light in the overall scene caused you to overexpose the light source. Unless you were to have used a fill flash, there is no avoiding this common problem.

Answer 2

First, use a tripod and a cable release.

Second, use the settings below - taken from my FotoSharp (fotosharp.com) Day & Night Exposure Guide, Scene # 11, Outdoor Christmas Lights:

ISO 100

f2.8 @ 1/2 sec.
f4 @ 1 sec.
f5.6 @ 2 sec.
f8 @ 4 sec.
f11 @ 8 sec.

ISO 200

f2.8 @ 1/4 sec.
f4 @ 1/2 sec.
f5.6 @ 1 sec.
f8 @ 2 sec.
f11 @ 4 sec.

Part of the problem with the photos you showed is the large f-stop - f1.7 - used. Lenses are designed to produce the optimum results at between f5.6 to f11. Plus, at f1.7 you have very little Depth of Field. Use f5.8 to f11 for these photos.

IMO owning the Day & Night Exposure Guide is a good idea.

If you'd like to add special effects to your Christmas lights buy a "Starburst" filter - or you can make your own. All you need is a piece of screen wire, some thin cardboard and some tape.

Cut a piece of thin cardboard about 3/8" wide and long enough to wrap around your lens. Tape it together. Now trace the diameter of this tube on the screen wire. Draw a "tab" at 4 places around the circle on the screen wire - about 1/4" wide and 3/8" long. Carefully cut this out and fold the "tabs" back and tape them to your cardboard tube. Place it over the front of your lens. Now every point of light will have 4 "rays" emanating from it. You can rotate the tube to have the "rays" going at any angle you like. The effect will be visible in your viewfinder.

NOTE: If you have a lens hood for your lens you don't need the cardboard tube - use the lens hood to draw the circle on the screen wire.

If you own a zoom lens you can compose at the widest setting and then carefully zoom in during the exposure. That creates some interesting effects. Just be smooth and don't jar the camera. A 35-70mm or 70-210mm zoom works.

Answer 3

How did you get the photos developed?

Some cheap machine printers will try to 'correct' negatives in which there is a lot of black. The machine thinks the negatives are underexposed.
This results in a print where blacks come out grey as the print has been lightened to get a mid grey average across the whole frame.

It's hard to see if this is the case from your scans. Compare the prints to the negatives. The black areas of the prints should be nearly totally transparent on the negative. If they are not you over exposed whilst taking the picture.

Answer 4

I assume the lights are actually coloured. Yes change the aperture, but by at least three stops. Use fill flash if u want the tree to look green. If not keep the shutter at 1/60.

Answer 5

lack of tripod is an issue - i could be wrong but they are very soft those images

if you want the correct exposure try a grey card reading, - same for digi or film cams, also tungsten film might be better for that shot really

http://www.digitalartsphotography.com/instructions.htm

http://www.flickr.com/photos/martini2005/2090135728/

now everyone thinks i use tricks or something - i use a grey card or read the light off my palm - nothing special just using the basics well

yes your images look 1-2 stops over to me


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Answer 6

I would suggest using a tripod, remote, and a fill flash to brighten up the tree just a bit.

Answer 7

try changing the aperture,but i think maybe you aren't leaving it in the fixer long enough. the picture itself is sharp so i think the shutter speed is fine.

Answer 8

why would you wnqat what you ar looking at and a picture it made look exactly alike aRE YOU TRYING TO STEEL MY WORLD FOR DUMB RESEARCHi would hope so,., becuase it is a predicament you seem to know how to put into words