Landscape photos

[Bob Helland]

Hello,

I have an old/simple fully manual fujica camera with telephoto lens.

I'm having a problem with landscape photos: Sometimes when I see an image,
I see rich colors. Deep blue sky. Rich red earth tones. Deep green trees.

However, often when I get the print back, it's quite washed out.
White sky, gray earth, dull, lifeless....

I think part of the problem is exposure. If I aim at the sky, I get one
reading on my meter, while if I aim only at the ground, without including
any sky in the viewfinder, I get quite a different reading. If I include
both, I get a compromise reading, which (I'm guessing) isn't good for either
one.

I see plenty of GREAT landscape photos, and I always wonder how they set the
exposure...

Any hints/tips/etc?

Thanks in advance.

-Bob

[Neil Speers]

Figuring out exposure is a challenge when you're starting out in
photography.

For a while, make notes on your exposures and match them up to the
prints. See what happens.

Try to meter with mostly landscape, and a little sky, in the metering
area - usually marked out with a light black circle in the viewfinder.

If the light hitting you is the same as your subject, you could hold out
your hand, slightly tilted toward the sky, and meter off your palm.
Then, open up the exposure one stop, ie. if the meter reads f16 at
1/250, go to f11 at 1/250. Or you could go to f16 at 1/125. Either
setting has the same amount of light hitting the film, just different
effects. If you're using a telephoto longer than 135mm, open up the
aperature rather than go to a lower speed.

You can also try using the directions on the box the film came in. I
know of at least one fine art photographer who admited to using these as
his guide.

You might try the f16 rule - if using iso 100 film, set your shutter to
1/125 and the lens to f16 - do this when your subject is lit by normal
sunlight. Go to f8 if your subject is in open shade, or if back lit and
in the open (you might get some flare from the sun with this light).
This doesn't work if there is a lot of shade, like in the woods with no
direct sun or open sky. If you're using iso 200 film, set your shutter
to 1/250, etc.

You could buy a grey card at the camera store. 18 per cent grey is what
all meters THINK they are looking at. Hold it several inches in front of
your camera and meter off that. Use the reading as it is.

Or, a basic hand-held meter is fairly cheep. If it has a white dome or
smiliar diffuser, point it FROM the direction of your subject TOWARDS
where you would be standing. Just make sure there isn't something really
big and dark behind where you would be standing. If the meter just has
rippled glass, point it FROM where you are standing TOWARDS the subject
area. If you're confused about how to use it, ask the person you buy it
from to explain it.

Once you get reasonably good exposures, get a "polarizer" filter. What
that does is filter out the haze-causing stray light that is bouncing
around. Works best when aimed 90 degrees from the sun, but really helps
most of the time. If using an in-camera meter, you shouldn't have to
adjust the exposure - just use what the meter says with the filter on.
But, if you're using a hand-held meter, hold the filter over the meter
to see how much difference it makes - usually one stop - and change your
exposure to match.

If there is a lot of glare happening when the sun shines on the end of
your lens you can get a lens hood, or try shading the lens with your
hand, or just don't point towards the sun (that is kind of limiting the
possible photos though.)

Last, make sure you're using a good lab. Many cheap labs do aweful
things to prints.

Hope this helps.
Neil