Snow storm/overcast/metering?

[Mike Kennedy]

Just went through the forum pages and found nothing.(Of course I could have missed it).It's overcast,driving snow,loaded HP5+ into a beater Nikon FM,35mm lens.I'd like to minimize my cameras exposure to the elements so I need a good starting exposure.Any suggestions?

Thanks

 

[Pinholemaster]

You can use a changing bag to load and unload the camera, or simply carry a large trash can liner.

Exposure? In the instance of driving snow I use a incident meter 'cause you can't get a proper reflective reading from all the snow flying around.

The secret to overcast and driving snow is to overdevelop the film by 10 to 20% to increase the contrast. This way you won't have to print with a #4 poly contrast filter. You should shoot a test roll, develop sections at different development times to learn what increase in development works best for you.

 

[Mike Kennedy]

Great idea! Just added to my notes.
Thanks.

 

[bobwysiwyg]

As to metering in these types of situations, I've found a gray card works well also.

 

[keithwms]

I tend to reach for slide film in such conditions. The alternative would be to think about how to boost contrast index during development, as Walter intoned. Bottom line, how many stops of range have you got- if you have a typical overcast scene with 3 blah stops of range and a whole lot of grey, then normal exposure and development will give you a totally flat tonality.

Apart from range issues, you could just find the highlights and let them go to the top of the range. Let whites be whites. Grey is the enemy Have faith that even a dull overcast scene can sing if you have a good white point and a good black point.

 

[Chuck_P]

Overcast + snow is a perfect recipe for the use of a gray card/incident reading---generally uniform diffuse illumination, shadows holding more light . If you feel it's too high key, you could still increase contrast if you thought necessary by reducing the exposure from the graycard by one stop and increasing development, say 10 - 15%.

 

[MurrayMinchin]

editing...

Let's try this again.

For overcast/snowing winter forest scenes, this is what works with the 4x5. I place unshadowed snow on Zone VII with snow highlights falling on Zone VIII, and darker mossy tree trunks on Zone IV. With an indicated exposure of 15 seconds @ f45 with 320 ASA film, I'll add 15 seconds for reciprocity law failure, then another 15 seconds because I'll give the negative -1 development. Works like a charm

Murray