sheet film in the antarctic & metering

Light, film, exposure..
alex gard
Posts: 110
Joined: 14 Oct 2013, 21:18

sheet film in the antarctic & metering

Postby alex gard » 01 Dec 2013, 20:46

hi all
i am off to antarctica for work in about a week. i have stocked up on lots of film;


4x5
3 boxes of velvia 50 ($$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$)
tmax 100
ilford hp5 & fp4
portra 160
fuji acros

120
portra 160
velvia 50
provia
reala
tmax
ektar
fomapan
ilford sfx 200
kodachrome and ektachrome

now i'm wondering if any of you have advice for exposing this film in the incredibly bright and all white conditions. advice for reala 50 is to rate it at 40 or 32, but in this case would it be smarter to leave it rated to 50? or even higher again?

and for the other films, should I knock off 1 or 1/2 exposure?

alex gard
Posts: 110
Joined: 14 Oct 2013, 21:18

Re: sheet film in the antarctic & metering

Postby alex gard » 01 Dec 2013, 20:46

oh and i also got an instax wide with 100 sheets of fim :D

User avatar
Maris
Posts: 881
Joined: 27 Jul 2012, 16:02
Location: Noosa

Re: sheet film in the antarctic & metering

Postby Maris » 02 Dec 2013, 08:03

Shooting so many different films under very special conditions really requires that you have to calibrate your meter settings, metering strategy, and processing for each film. The only way to get assured results is to do a test shoot of actual (or similar) subject matter, process the film, and assess the results. Keep careful and detailed notes of what works and keep doing the same successful routine everytime. I assume B&W and E6 processing facilities are available in Antarctica. Without the expose/process/evaluate sequence you are guessing and your useable yield of photographs may be quite low. No pro or serious amateur photographer would even consider attempting an important and unrepeatable project without every component in the photographic production sequence fully tested in advance. Incidentally the Kodachrome film you are taking has no colour processing possibility at all.

Good luck. May Antarctica be kind to you.

Walter Glover
Posts: 1270
Joined: 31 Jul 2012, 22:31
Location: Leichhardt, NSW

Re: sheet film in the antarctic & metering

Postby Walter Glover » 02 Dec 2013, 09:50

I'd forget about the Kodachrome. Nobody can process it.

Take ONE B&W emulsion and ONE Colour emulsion and get familiar with them before you go. Are there sunlit sand dunes anywhere handy to you> A red 25a filter and a Polariser will be handy along with 'snow shoes' for the tripod legs.

Bon voyage,
Walter Glover

"We see things not as they are. We see them as we are."
Emanuel Kant

alex gard
Posts: 110
Joined: 14 Oct 2013, 21:18

sheet film in the antarctic & metering

Postby alex gard » 02 Dec 2013, 21:01

What about the ektachrome? I got it from a mate.

Im a bit confused as to why everyone is so against taking different films, that's always how ive rolled on MF putting through a different kind of film after each roll and never had any problems. My spot metering has so far never let me down but i'm still yet to get any slide developed. The only roll of velvia 50 ive shot was rated at 32 and 40. Still yet to develop though but im going to go on a limb and say iso 50 or faster is good for the ridiculously bright conditions ive seen down there before. Excuse my naivety. The only filters i have for the LF is a lee filter system with a 25A red, 3, 6 and 10 stop IRND's and a 1, 3 and 6 (i think?) stop GND's as well as lens hood.

Walter Glover
Posts: 1270
Joined: 31 Jul 2012, 22:31
Location: Leichhardt, NSW

Re: sheet film in the antarctic & metering

Postby Walter Glover » 02 Dec 2013, 21:48

Ektachrome is fine. It is E-6 process which is still available .... or DIY.

If you don't have a Polariser it isn't the end of the world.

I am not as emphatic about not taking a range of emulsions. I was just thinking on a quite unique trip that eliminationg variables might be a help.
Walter Glover

"We see things not as they are. We see them as we are."
Emanuel Kant


Andrew Nichols
Posts: 181
Joined: 11 Dec 2012, 17:19

Re: sheet film in the antarctic & metering

Postby Andrew Nichols » 05 Apr 2014, 08:10

oh yeah, like last time i was in antarctica....


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