Evening star., 1955-06-12
CAMERA ANGLES
Beech Color
Shots Need
Safeguards
CAMERA ANGLES
BY ALEXANDER ].
WEDDERBURN
Curator Of Photography
The Smithsonian Institution


layers when ordinary black
and white films are used.
When shooting color at the
beach - or monochrome for
that matter-exposure seems
to be the big problem for most
Of us. We have become so &C
customed to taking pictures
under familiar lighting condi-
tions in familiar surroundings
that, when suddenly faced
with the glare from light re-
hecting from sand and water,
we are apt to make major mis-
calculations for exposure at
the beach.
This happens sometimes even
when an exposure meter is
used.
Oddly enough just about as
many err toward underexpos-
ure as do others toward over
exposure. The main subject
CASUALLY one or more perSons)
is apt to be greatly under
exposed when an exposure is
based on light reflected into
the lens by a vast area Of sand,
sky and water.
When this happens your
color shot will quite likely
faithfully reproduce the colors
found IN the background but
the people will more than likely
be a lobster-red on fllm or
print. Seek an accurate expo
sure for flesh tones, II people
are the center of interest. II a
scenic long shot or landscape
is the interest center, then 60
for the overall exposure.
Color Has Less Latitude
At the beach it is most un-
wise to calculate color expo
sures by guess. Even the most
expert cameramen rely on the
exposure meter in unusual
lighting conditions. The ex-
treme latitude of black and
white film that will handily
compensate for exposure er-
rors of a full stop or more has
led many camera fans into a
sense Of complacency that can
be disastrous if carried into
the field of color photography.
The truth is that color film
simply does not allow a great
margin for error.
To obtain accurate color re-
production your exposures will
have to be exact.
Exact exposures are not diff
f1cult by meter provided your
actual shutter speed is the
same as the indicated shutter
speed. If your shutter is "off."
careful calculations will not
help in the least. And it is
surprising how many shutters
differ in actual speed from the
calibrated markings. This can
be caused by any one Of a
number Of factors.
So whether you will be using
color or not have your cameras
shutter checked for accracy at
least once or twice year.
Half Stop From Meter
Even an electric cell expo
sure meter can be thrown off
to some extent by the savage
glare of reflected light at the
beach. The meter will tend
toward a miscalculation on the
side Of overexposure SO, unless
the results indicate otherwise,
stop down the lens about one
half a stop more than the
meter indicates If there is a
great deal of reflected glare.
This will not be necessary
! when making a closeup read
ing.
Ordinarily we do not rec
ommend the use of filters in
color photography by an un-
skilled camera fan, But at the
beach. we make an exception.
This is because the white
sand tends to pick up and re-
fleet some Of the blue light
from the sky.
If this records on the color
finland it Wilt will give
the sand an unnaturally cold
look that doesn't fit in with
beach atmosphere. So, for
sand shots, slip a skylight fl
ter over your lens to absorb
the unwanted blue influence of
the sky. This should be a filter
designed especially for use
with color film. Either an
Eastman Skylight or a. Harri-
son C1s filter would be ap-
propriate
Side and Back Lighting
Don't be afraid to use side
and back lightings when
shooting color film at the sea-
shore. These lightings will
tend to give texture to the
sand and at the same time
help provide the illusion of
depth or roundness, The re-
fiected light from the sand
will take care of the shadows
that would ordinarily discour-
age the use of such lightings
without the use of a reflector
or flash f1ll-in.
One word of warning in
conclusion: Always keep in
mind that sand, salt air, and
salt water are ruinous to the
camera. Keep it protected as
much as possible at the beach.