Photographers.

[NeoNecroNomiCron]

I know there is more than one with a keen interest here,

In about 2 weeks, I am going around taking some night and long exposure shots. Its hella boring but the results are great.

I have a couple of places in mind already. But I am just waiting on my new camera. Insedently I am selling my old Mamiya RB67 (with 2 camera backs and other stuff)

Well if anybody is interested in coming with me, please tag along. If you have taken long exposure shots they you know they are no fun alone.

Also I will be doing a few other projects to brush up my skills.

[NeoNecroNomiCron]

You dont even have to be a pro or anything.

But you probably need at least an SLR where you can manualy set the time for at least 1 minute or more (most of my shots will actualy be 16-32 minutes) with a small apature or get an ND filter 5 - 10 stops down or a graduated ND filter depends on what effect you are looking for.

And a tripod.

If you need help chosing film or anything we can stop off at the specialst yodabashi film shop just before we leave. I can help you

[omae mona]

Sounds interesting. But lately my evenings have been pretty busy as I've been spending them hoarding diamonds. Wait, do you think this might be a chance to get some pictures of them under the glistening moonlight? Maybe with a medium format camera I can make some huge enlargements too.

[NeoNecroNomiCron]

Sounds interesting. But lately my evenings have been pretty busy as I've been spending them hoarding diamonds. Wait, do you think this might be a chance to get some pictures of them under the glistening moonlight? Maybe with a medium format camera I can make some huge enlargements too.

Well if you do come along you can use my RB67 if you want, actualy I am trading down to a 645, because I am hella poor now but I am still sticking with medium format. I just spent /3,0000 on developing negatives.

I wont be going for a about 2 weeks anyway a few of the spots I was thinking are between shinjuku and akasaka and other spots in tokyo and a few spots in yokohama, (industrial) from sunset on. One place is actualy quite dangerous. But we will see.

I am also waiting on a light meter.

[fatslug]

hey sounds good ! i recently did a big night shot session myself a few weeks back....but the exposures were only 30 secs. max for the cars....light stream effect.....

so what kinda pics r u thinking bout taking ? stars or sumthing ???

[NeoNecroNomiCron]

hey sounds good ! i recently did a big night shot session myself a few weeks back....but the exposures were only 30 secs. max for the cars....light stream effect.....

so what kinda pics r u thinking bout taking ? stars or sumthing ???

Well Light streams and other stuff, but the longer the exposure you can capture things like the sunset with nice trails at the same time.

Longer exposures produce a little more interesting effects.

I was actualy thinking of going to hamamatuscho in the next 15 minutes

[jingai]

Wow those exposure times are pretty brutal and I can see why you want partners.
With 35mm I generally shoot at f5.6 for 3-5 minutes an exposure and bracket like crazy. Recently I've been using negative film for the latitude even if the color casts are not so much fun to correct later.

Can you post any of your pictures or link to a gallery?

[NeoNecroNomiCron]

Wow those exposure times are pretty brutal and I can see why you want partners.
With 35mm I generally shoot at f5.6 for 3-5 minutes an exposure and bracket like crazy. Recently I've been using negative film for the latitude even if the color casts are not so much fun to correct later.

Can you post any of your pictures or link to a gallery?

Well one reason is the I am using an ND-400 filter, that is about 9 stops down. As exposure times are like double each stop, and I am using fuji velva and other slide film, which is a bitch as it is a daylight film. So I have to add another 1.5 to 2X the exposure time.

So if I was shooting at 5.6 the same exposure would be around 20 minutes.

Sorry no gallery as am hella lazy.

[jingai]

Well one reason is the I am using an ND-400 filter, that is about 9 stops down. As exposure times are like double each stop, and I am using fuji velva and other slide film, which is a bitch as it is a daylight film. So I have to add another 1.5 to 2X the exposure time.

Hmm, why are you using a ND-400 filter? Is it a grad to keep contrast down or is it just to give you a longer exposure? If it's the latter I don't see why you need it, just stop down for DOF.

Also, Velvia (I only know 35mm version) is a terrible night film with the green color shift, high contrast, and poor reciprocity characteristics. I've found it needs way more than 2x the expected exposure. Provia/Sensia are much better with reciprocity than Velvia and will keep your exposure times down.

Velvia 100's datasheet asks for no correction at all out to one minute, which was completely forbidden with Velvia 50.

Even at 8 minutes Velvia 100 only asks for a 2.5cc correction (invisible to me) and 2/3 stop extra. The world outside at night isn't that precise so I don't worry about it at all. I used to catch full moonlight on Velvia at about 10 minutes at f/2.8; it ought to be much easier with Velvia 100.

http://www.kenrockwell.com/fuji/velvia100.htm

If you can post an example of a shot you like sometime I'm sure we'd all like to see it. Good luck!

[NeoNecroNomiCron]

Jingai, I dont know, I got used to using the ND filter during the day so I just started using it at night, Although I could easily go down to f/22 or f/32 optice become bad, its usualy best to stay in the midle fstop of your camera like f/8 and f/11 except for close work where you chose your f stop based on how you want your dept of field.

My ND filter slightly removes green, so I am not so worried, my friend and I have even talked about it and sometimes a green cast on the sky can have its merits.

Velvia has a slightly different naming system in Japan, as I use 120 film there are quite a few versions and some have the same chemical make up of provia etc.

Exposure times: I dont mind huge exposure times as the light trails are very different. You see no ghosts of cars at all, the trails are built up over a longer time so are more uniform.

I am also using a few different films, such as EKTACHROME 100 GX, some across and presto. Night scenes in black and white are bloody creepy especialy of shrines.

[jingai]

Okay, makes some sense but you might consider ditching the ND filter for scenes without artifical light (trails and the like) as I don't see how making exposure times longer would be of any use at all. I'd think you'd be better off using that "extra time" to take some more shots at different exposure lengths.

I believe Velvia comes in the orignal ISO 50 version, a Provia like Velvia 100F version and a new Velvia 100 version. The link I posted to was to Velvia 100 which is well-regarded and which will replace Velvia 50.

I just got back from Japan or it would be fun to join you. I enjoyed shooting temple grounds at night.

[NeoNecroNomiCron]

Caught by my crapy IXY when out at night. Its a good thing I bring a back up camera a by the time it takes me to prep my Mamiya he would of turned around. I winder would he of mined if i walked up beside him a took a reading from my light meter.

[Buraku]

Sounds interesting. But lately my evenings have been pretty busy as I've been spending them hoarding diamonds. Wait, do you think this might be a chance to get some pictures of them under the glistening moonlight? Maybe with a medium format camera I can make some huge enlargements too.

try the night sky

http://www.beerwahshs.qld.edu.au/blast/_private/tqmoon.htm
http://www.weasner.com/etx/guests/guests_deepsky00.html
http://astrosnap.free.fr/gallery_uk.html
http://www.hnsky.org/moonphot.htm

take a photo of the stars


but Neon light pollution will kill your view