Better flower photos - truer colors
feh...@cnsvax.uwec.edu
out of any pastel flower without skill on your part and huge cooperation from
your photofinsher.
The first problem lies with all of us. As consumer we have demanded better
more colorful pictures over the years so filsm such as Kodacolor Gold, Fuji and
other actually have too much color. We've bought into it so they hvae
responded -accuracy be hanged! The best film I have found is Kodak's Ektacolor
25. it's one of the most neutral for color.
Second problem is with the light meter in modern cameras. These meters always
think the are taking a picture of a 18% gray card. This card is color neutral
and half way between black and white. If all picture were "average," that is
containing sections in sunlight and others in shade in roughly equal proportions
everything would be fine, but a light pastel flower - up close, is not gray.
When you follow the light meter in the camera it will underexpose this shot in
an attempt to make it gray. It is supposed to do this - the situation is called
a "subject failure." To correct for it you can buy a gray card at a good camera
shop and use it to set your light meter, buy an incedent light meter that
records how much light strikes the subject, rather than how much is reflected
back, or use the handy "thumbs up" rule. Place your open palm next to the
flower, in the same light, meter off your palm and then open up one f-stop.
(Note: it doesn't matter what your ethnic origins are - all our hands reflect
back roughly 32-34% and it should work.)
Third, if you get your film exposed properly, there is no way of predicting how
well the photofinisher will print it. The computers in the modern equipment
are great and give generally acceptible results - but show them a pastel flower
negative and they have no clue! First, they'll try to make your picture gray,
again because that's wat they are supposed to do. Second, these computers are
are supposed to sample and correct for color problems, so they'll have some
problems with a pastel. Third, even if the machine does it's best, the
people there that inspect the prints and will reprint people pictures if the
color is wrong - most of us haven't got green skin and they'll fix that for
instance. Your only recourse is to ask to have these printed over with
careful instructions (this shot is too dark andthere isn't that much red in the
flower.) If you work with the color lab and talk to the people you can often
get much better pictures - just be aware that you should not accept the first
shots if they are wrong and assume it was your fault - have them correct them!
Tim Fehr - former photolab technician.
feh...@cnsvax.uwec.edu
Susan Sanders
writes:
>If you are shooting prints, you can just about forget getting accurate
color
Actually, I haven't had most of the problems you describe (I use
Kodacolor 100 for the most part, and send it to Kodak, or the company
that's doing Kodak processing these days; what's their name? starts with
"Q", I think) and get very good and accurate color rendition, for the
most part.
The problem I have, and wonder if you have any advice for, is those pesky
blues. Take a picture of forget-me-nots, gentian, browallia, lobelia,
Geranium 'Johnson's Blue', all of them gorgeous clear blues, and your
pictures come back purple; seems to happen with all films and everybody's
processing. Other plants, Veronica, for instance, seem to reproduce just
fine. Do you have any suggestions on how to get more accurate blue
rendition for the problem plants?
-Sue Sanders
Okie Mom
it when I've made the photographs on a cloudy day.
Jim Wilson
[...]
>
> The problem I have, and wonder if you have any advice for, is those pesky
> blues. Take a picture of forget-me-nots, gentian, browallia, lobelia,
> Geranium 'Johnson's Blue', all of them gorgeous clear blues, and your
> pictures come back purple; seems to happen with all films and everybody's
> processing. Other plants, Veronica, for instance, seem to reproduce just
> fine. Do you have any suggestions on how to get more accurate blue
> rendition for the problem plants?
**
The best explanation of this that I've read is in an article,
"Color Photography for Irisarians" by George Waters, in the
Bulletin of the American Iris Society, October, 1992.
He says that film emulsions are sensitive to a narrow band of
infra-red radiation as well as visible light. Some flowers'
pigment combinations absorb this light, and some, unfortunately
for us, don't. These latter ones are recorded as red, and
appear as a special problem when the base color is in the blue
range. We don't seem to mind the reds being enhanced nearly
so much.
Irises exhibit this problem too, to varying degrees. Most
Siberians are affected, but "Jaybird" seems to photograph pretty
well. Consequently, when looking at two irises in a catalog,
we can't even count on relative colors being accurate (x is bluer
than y), even making the generous assumption that other factors
are the same.
He didn't seem enthusiastic about possible remedies. One is
photographing on a cloudy or misty day. Another is by using
a suitable spectrum flash as a light source. Another is being
sure to catch flowers that are fresh--he's found that their
IR reflection can change over time. And finally, he says that
Kodak has a filter pack for the problem, but that it cuts
effective film speed by about six stops. All of these have their
drawbacks.
The rest of the article is good as well. George takes excellent
pictures.
--Jim
CT
>
>Getting true color on blue flowers is difficult. I've had better luck at
>it when I've made the photographs on a cloudy day.
Agree. I think some of the best, truest color photos are when the sky
is overcast. Even a *bright* overcast day; doesn't have to be dark
cloudy. Springtime will give us lots of these. I once knew the "reason"
for this. Blues are notoriously hard to get "true".
Chad James Segura
: In article <3kk6m3$h...@lastactionhero.rs.itd.umich.edu>, Susan Sanders <ssan...@umich.edu> writes:
: [...]
: >
: > The problem I have, and wonder if you have any advice for, is those pesky
: > blues. Take a picture of forget-me-nots, gentian, browallia, lobelia,
: > Geranium 'Johnson's Blue', all of them gorgeous clear blues, and your
: > pictures come back purple; seems to happen with all films and everybody's
: > processing. Other plants, Veronica, for instance, seem to reproduce just
: > fine. Do you have any suggestions on how to get more accurate blue
: > rendition for the problem plants?
: **
: The best explanation of this that I've read is in an article,
: "Color Photography for Irisarians" by George Waters, in the
: Bulletin of the American Iris Society, October, 1992.
: He says that film emulsions are sensitive to a narrow band of
: infra-red radiation as well as visible light. Some flowers'
: pigment combinations absorb this light, and some, unfortunately
: for us, don't. These latter ones are recorded as red, and
: appear as a special problem when the base color is in the blue
: range. We don't seem to mind the reds being enhanced nearly
: so much.
: Irises exhibit this problem too, to varying degrees. Most
: Siberians are affected, but "Jaybird" seems to photograph pretty
: well. Consequently, when looking at two irises in a catalog,
...
: He didn't seem enthusiastic about possible remedies. One is
: photographing on a cloudy or misty day. Another is by using
: a suitable spectrum flash as a light source. Another is being
: sure to catch flowers that are fresh--he's found that their
: IR reflection can change over time. And finally, he says that
: Kodak has a filter pack for the problem, but that it cuts
: effective film speed by about six stops. All of these have their
...
Here's how I do it. Get up very early (although I guess this may
work late in the afternoon also. The sky must be clear. Take your
shots before you or the flowers get any direct sun. With clear
blue sky overhead, you should get pretty good blues. If it is
overcast or there are trees above the plants, your results may
not be as good.
Chad
HollyTW
disappoint - _unless_ you take the photograph with slide film.
Fujichrome leans toward the green and Kodachrome leans toward the red.
Midday light will have more blues in it than will early morning or
afternoon light, which tends to be "warmer" or more golden in color.
Also, the slower speed films (Kodachrome 25 and Fuji 64) will have a finer
grain and better color rendition. Shoot a roll or two of these, then take
the slides you like to a good lab and have internegatives made. A
reputable lab (NOT a one-hour place) should be able to print what you
want.
Good luck!
B GOOGLE
I agree, slide film is a must. With a dark colored flower sometimes using
an F Stop over meter is helpful. The opposite with dark flowers.