I was up at Gortmore the other other day with the pinhole. It lies just west of Downhill - past the beach and then up the Bishop's Road towards the table-top mountain known as Binevenagh. It's not quite on the scale of that other table-top mountain somewhere a bit south of here but it's still pretty awesome, overlooking Magilligan & the Foyle Estuary and with grand views North and West to Donegal.
A few years ago they put a sculpture of Manannan Mac Lir there, arms outstretched to the heavens. Mac Lir (Son of the Sea) is a warrior and king in Irish Mythology and if you're interested in such things then you could do worse than start here. The statue makes for a good photograph but I struggled to find a decent composition that doesn't include the road or the small car park below. Although I had the 21mm viewfinder atop the 4x5 pinhole there was still a bit of guesswork involved. Fortunately the pinhole seems to be a bit wider than 21mm so there was a bit of leeway for error, although this is almost full frame:
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| Manannan Mac Lir at Gortmore. Walker TiTAN 4x5 pinhole & Fomapan 200, on MGV paper. |
I find myself metering more for the highlights these days when I'm out photographing landscapes. The Zone System (yes, that one...) gives an easy way to place the highlights (or shadows, if you prefer the other approach) anywhere you want on the scale, from black to white. Usually I spot-meter the brightest object in the scene (sky, usually) and open up 2 stops. It's an easy way to avoid blown highlights.
Mac Lir is a bit lost in the murk of the sky in the print above. This was my first print (a straight print with a bit of burning in on the sky). I made several more, attempting to dodge the sculpture without compromising the sky behind but none came out any better than this, so I gave up. I think there's a better print that this one in this negative so I shall try again, perhaps making a mask so that yer man is a bit more visible.
Health and Safety wouldn't be happy about Mac Lir standing up in that boat with no life jacket on . . .
ReplyDeleteI also usually meter for the brightest thing in the frame and add +1 or +1.3. Unless it's a white or very light object such as a white wall. Then I'll add +1.7 (film) or +2 (digital). For digital cameras the amount of compensation you need to add can depend on the brand. With digital I often just let the camera choose the exposure, check it, and then add or subtract accordingly.
That's a nice spot. I'm looking forward to seeing more photos from there.
Haha indeed they wouldn't! It's actually only the prow of a boat - it ends abruptly just about a foot or so left of the shot. A few years ago he disappeared, only to be found a few months later thrown in a ditch not far away. The usual suspects - disaffected youth with nothing better to do.
DeleteWith digital don't you bracket the hell out of the shot and then throw the others away?! The lazy photographer's way lol It's nice to keep the brain in some sort of gear when you're out and about and thinking about exposure is a good way of forcing yourself to think about the light and what sort of representation of the scene you want to capture.
Gortmore is pretty damned wonderful, I agree. Most times it would blow the head of you though - but it sure wakes you up out of the Northern Ireland stupor that abounds. I blame the weather - all those heavy, low clouds can really dull you out at times.
My Nikon digital camera allows 9 frames of bracketing in 1/3, 2/3, or full stops. I guess that's useful if you're into HDR, but I'm put off by having to go through that many pictures on the computer screen. :) As you say, working out the exposure is good for the brain. Also, it's good practice for when I use a film camera.
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