first attempt at using film

[minutephotos.com]

I am a pure Digital Photographer but had to purchase a film camera for a photography class I am taking. Here is the first shot I took with new Camera.

Canon Elan 7NE

[LBoy]

There is something not right with this. Maybe the scanner is not working properly.

The contrast is gone? The film speed is maybe wrong, but I think its the scan.

Did it come out like this when developed? Ie does the photograph look like this in your hand?

Anyway you can fix it, if you want to.

You see the composition is let down anyway. You have framed really nicely but absolutely no use having the eyes shut in a straight up and down portrait like this.

Try to take another if able.

LB

[minutephotos.com]

This does look very flat now that you mention it. When I shot this photo I couldn't findany plus-x or tri-x and ended up usingc-41 process bw film. I sent the roll to Walgreens to get it develoded and scanned. The print has much richer blacks and more contrast. She was praying and I just happened to catch this spare of the moment shot.



Thanks for your critique

[In search of Syd]

When I first saw this I thought, "What a powerful image!". It evokes a certain empathy for the subject, imagined or real. The closed eyes makes the shot in my opinion. The dark tones do seem in need of some slight adjustment, but this is easily done. I like it. A great canid capture that says so much.

Regards,

Syd

[kenmck15]

subject is great. great expression.

i too feel the image is very flat. dropped the image into photoshop and missing alot of highlight and lo light detail

i think its a great shot

ken

see levels below. what you want to do is move your vele indicators along the flat line until it reaches the curve.

[kenmck15]

results

hope u dont mind

All i did is move levels. I thnk it brought back depth to the shot.

ken

[minutephotos.com]

I agree that looks better. However, If I still have to make these types of adjustments with film where is the benefit. This is a general step for me when I am shooting digital.

[LBoy]

I still think it looks a little like you caught her blinking or actually sleeping. It makes a big differencewith your descriptionhowever not that apparent on first viewing.

Beautiful woman though.

[peripatetic]

As to the open v closed eye business...

I sat down with a couple of books, I looked at one by Steve McCurry and one by Lee Miller, maybe 500 portraits in all, by two of the finest portrait photographers the world has known. # with closed eyes = 0.

That's not to say it's necessarily impossible to do, but here it just looks like you missed the shot.

IMO if you're going to try a portrait of someone with their eyes closed it has to be different and the closed eyes have to reach the viewer in some special fashion, you have to show us why she has her eyes closed somehow, otherwise it just looks like a mistake.

In this case it does unfortunately just look like a mistake.

[minutephotos.com]

O.K. so you hve caught me....

This was definately not a planned shot, it was quite impulse. I briefly caught her meditating before she was actually getting ready to pose. I swung my camera around quickly manual focused, framed and shot. I was glad my camera was fast enough to capture this non-posed impulse moment.

Personally, I see serenity in this photo. In Ethiopian culture the people are very spiritual. When they wear a Gabi over the head in that manner it is generally for prayer, so there are signs if you understand the culture.

I am primarily trying to discover the differences in photo quality between film and digital. This is one of the few film photos I have ever taken.

PS

Here is a digital Black and white with open eyes