Flash or 3200 Film?

[RalphLambrecht]

Going on a trip to see my newborn grandchild. I shoot 35mm B&W, Nikon F6, either Acros 100 or Delta 3200. Should I buy a flash? Not a problem to spend the money, but never have liked the flash results. Have not shot flash in years. Thoughts?

I find flashlight much easier to control and it allows me to use my favorite films.ISO 3200 is much too harsh,especially for a newborn.However, do diffuse the flashlight well.Those young eyes are very sensitive.You wouldn't want to harm the child's vision.

 

[mynewcolour]

The one thing that is not great, a flash on the camera and blasting away straight to the subject.

There's always the exception ...

- Juergen Teller

 

[Vilk]

There's always the exception ...

- Juergen Teller

+1

 

[rmjranch]

Hi All,
Thanks for all the help. Was looking thru some of my old photo's. Decided to go with medium format, Hasselblad, and Tri X. If I can find a little light from a window, should work. Never really lighted flash, except years ago, when I shot with large studio soft banks. Thanks again for all the help.

 

[Sirius Glass]

There's always the exception ...

- Juergen Teller

The exception is that that is not a newborn. Probably several months old so you are off topic.

 

[Agulliver]

I was just thinking that all the baby photos my dad took of me would have been 6x6, f2.8 or smaller, and no flash because he only had a home made flash gun that took single use flash bulbs plus he was concenred about my eyes....Kodacolor II 80ASA film and one or two Ektachrome. Ergo virtually all the photos are of me indoors but lit from a window. I was born in February so by March/April there was a fair amount of light around. There are, however, no pics of me as a newborn that I have ever seen.

So you ought to be able to take HP5+ or something similar if there is good light about. You can always push HP5+ to ISO1600 with good results.

That said, I do like Delta 3200.

 

[mynewcolour]

that is not a newborn.

'New' is relative buddy. Use some imagination.

x

 

[Sirius Glass]

I had stated the problems with flash are with newborns, not older children. That was an older child and therefore off topic. The point of the photograph was that is was possibly a flash photograph, but again it was not a flash with an newborn. You really have to read what is posted.

 

[Hatchetman]

Thankfully newborns are extremely slow so shutter speed can go 1/30 or 1/60. I would use Tri-X at 800. Other people will be shooting digital I would guess so you can always get copies of those. In the unusual instance they are not, I would use some sort of decent digital camera (sub $200) for color shots.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Even better, newborns are usually asleep.

 

[mynewcolour]

I had stated the problems with flash are with newborns, not older children. That was an older child and therefore off topic. The point of the photograph was that is was possibly a flash photograph, but again it was not a flash with an newborn. You really have to read what is posted.

And you really need to jog on --->

I was not replying to your post. It was a response expanding on what film_man had said, which was in more general terms.

 

[film_man]

There's always the exception ...

- Juergen Teller

Haha that's just great!

 

[Steve Smith]

Is this inside the hospital? A f1.4 lens with ISO 400 film would be my choice, to be honest.

And bear in mind that Delta 3200 is actually an ISO 1000 film.


Steve.

 

[Huss]

There's always the exception ...

- Juergen Teller

Love this!