Dont believe ALL this digi stuff. I was fairly recently asked by major publisher, Hodder & Stoughton, to take snaps for a book. They insisted that they were large to medium format. Given the brief, 35mm or digital was the way to go. I decided that if push came to shove, I would shoot on 35 and have larger internegs made. Eventually the editor agreed with me and said 'Go ahead and shoot on 33 RPM' - you cant make stuff like this up!

ken

Given the inevitable worldwide downturn in B+W stock and chemicals etc., do you think that a DSLR, any DSLR, is incapable of taking B+W pictures?

No camera manufacturer makes all the components themselves anymore, do you think that Canon/Nikon/Pentax shutters or sensors are any different?

Please give us more information about your requirements.

I'm using a DS for fully pro work and dont have any worries or problems.

Ken[/quote]

This is easy but does take time...

Have so much Pentax kit that anything new isn't even noticed!

Perfect skies over Glasgow this morning for a little experiment...

I photographed the same scene with a 1A, a Y2, an 0(G) and a polarizer. Removed the colour from the yellow and orange pics in two different ways: at RAW conversion and in photoshop. This gave me six images in total. The only picture that was different from the skylight one was the one using the polarizer. My conclusion is that the sensor is truly panchromatic and David mught as well get rid of his filters.

Matt, how does the expodisc work?

Ken

David,

Your blue filter (80A) isn't really of any use because you should be colour balancing your camera to shoot under tunsten light, an added advantage of this is that you dont lose any light - with the 80A you lose around 2 stops. This of course applies to JPEGS. This is the reason that professional motion picture film is mostly tungsten balanced using an 85B (orange) filter in daylight. The 85B only loses around 2/3 of a stop.

The reason that yellow, orange and red filters are used with B+W film is that B+W film isn't truly panchromatic i.e. it isn't equally sensitive throughout the colour spectrum particularly at the blue end, pale blue appears white.

Now the question arises, are digital sensors panchromatic? Does anyone know?

Ken

Take out the focusing screen blow the dust off and zap it with an anti-static gun because it is plastic and might get charged and attract dust. I wouldn't do this with the sceen in the camera. I'd be really hacked off if I had dust inside a lens. In 30 years of professional work in film, TV and stills I've never seen this. Take it back.

I would be very careful with the mirror. Unlike the one in your bathroom the silver is on top of the glass. It is very fragile.

BTW I had a friend whose camera came with an army of little insects which marched across the screen, quite entertaining really.

This is a really good idea but a be careful that your TV is set up to show you the true camera output. I tried this with a 16:9 set and it stretched the image to fit. On a 4:3 set it cropped the camera output. Make sure you set up your monitor correctly in the first instance to show the full camera picture. It is a real shame you cant get a constant output.

I've just won a Spotmatic era ref converter on ebay for £22, it hasn't arrived yet and I bought it to use with my Spotmatics, I notice that the DS eyepiece cover fits loosely on the Spotmatic. Might the old refconverter fit very snugly on the DS?

Ken

Sometimes you arrive at the venue and cannot believe how awful it is, you have to remember that the B&G chose it because, presumably, they liked it so I think you just have to get on with it and do the best you can. I think the use of a background is a bit Victorian.

Further up this thread someone mentioned umbrellas (rain sort I think). One of the rules from the firm I worked for was that if it is raining get shots with umbrellas - the limo drivers always have them, because after the event clients have been known to deny the precipitation and the way it might have limited your photography.

Ken

Getting good shots of the guests arriving is really where the financial profit lies. Choose a good background. Lots of people will say they dont want their picture taken but tell them that the bride has asked that everyone be photographed. If they have kids, photograph them separately as well. Later at the reception when their wallets have been lubricated they wont be able to resist a 5x7 in a folder of them in their smart new clothes. Even 30 prints should give you about £200 profit and you were there anyway.

Dont ever move the cake! If you need it moved get the hotel people or whoever to do it and it is better to stage the 'cake cutting' picture.

Attitudes from the clergy vary enormously. In my experience Roman Catholics are the most relaxed going all the way to an absolute ban on photography during the service in many Scottish Presbyterian churches. Sikh weddings can take 3 to 5 days to cover - no kidding!

Although many people want a reportage style it still seems to be the traditional pictures which sell.

My first job was as a wedding photographer and I pretty much hated it at the time but now, thirty years on I realise just how much I learned about photography and more importantly dealing with people. The guy I worked for was an award winning wedding specialist. You would get fired for some of these amongst other things.

Men's hands on their companion's shoulder. Men seem to instinctively do this and both parties stand awkwardly plus bunch of bananas on the woman's shoulder.

People facing into the sun, so backs to the sun and subtle fill in flash. You get a free backlight and no screwed up faces but easier with a leaf shutter.

Shoot 6x6 cm and you dont have to turn the camera between portrait and landscape.

Carry a back up camera, flash and meter at all times. Main cameras were Mamiyaflex C330fs and a Yashicamat back up.

Test every piece of equipment, especially cables, before you go.

Arrive early and recce the venues before anyone arrives. Remove posters etc from church porches (pics of starving children and pro-life posters might not be appropriate)

Plan every pic in advance, you have to look like you are in control.

My personal nightmare: 4.30pm wedding in December with torrential rain in less than photogenic church. Decided to take most of the pics of ex-Miss Scotland bride at reception hotel. There was a power cut. Set up all the groups by torchlight shining the torch around so that I could see the edges of the frame but still managed to get some wall lights growing out of heads. To my disappointment no one bought the romantic pics lit entirely by candlelight.

Ken