AboutMark Gluckman Expertise I can answer questions about all social photography (wedding, corporate, b`nai mitzvah). All general questions about 35mm photography, films and digital.
Photojournalistic and travel photo questions can also be asked as that is another specialty of mine.
Experience
Past/Present clients McDonalds, Sprint, GE, Ford, NBC, IBM
I have worked for The New York Times, USA Today, AP and dozens of other international and national publications.
I have shot hundreds of weddings, b'nai mitzvah and corportate social events.
Expert: Mark Gluckman Date: 1/28/2006 Subject: taking a 35 mm photo in a darkened room
Question hello...i am an artist on the central coast of california...i am currently painting ceilings with phosphorescent paints that absorb light, then when the room is darkened, the paint glows or shines...like you were outside laying on the grass, lookingup at the stars...it is very cool...i have been painting galaxies, costellations, stars, etc on ceilings...i need to take photos of the finished projects...i have a cannon 35 mm camera...could you tell me what film, shutter speed, aperature opening i should use...the room is dark except for the stars, etc, on the ceiling.
thank you in advance for all your help!! regards, john weber, avalanche of art
Answer This is rather difficult and requires lots of trial and error. With digital it would be a lot easier, but here goes. If you have a friend or know someone with a digital you can use and manually set it would help.
You'll need a tripod, fast film and a very wide angle lens. Since I am unsure of the light balance or how dark the room is, you may need a 80a filter. Focus at the ceiling and start with a one second exposure...then two second. The f/stop should be at about 5.6. You will not get an accurate meter reading because there is no reflected light.
It will probably take you, at least, one roll of film to get the right expsoure. Write down every try...shot one 5.6 at one second; shot 2 5.6 at two seconds, etc. Also, I would not use print film for the test. Labs have a tendancy of trying to correct for mistakes and will not give you an accurate color or exposure...you slide film, keep it under 400 iso speed. Don't buy a filter until after the first attempt...you may not need it. If you have one, give it a shot, but you will have to double the exposure time.
