Good subject matter + film choice for 'middle of day' photography

[Athiril]

As title, middle of day plus or minus a few hours. Not overcast.


What do APUGgers consider a good subject matter and film and film type for such conditions? And why?

Just looking for some day time inspiration here.


Got a drawer full of all sorts of 120 I need to power through (no IR though )

[Ian Grant]

Well on Tuesday I was out shooting at Ephesus (ancient Greek/Roman city)with another APUG member in the bright summer sunlight here in Turkey. He said he normally avoided that time of day, I showed him that contrary to what books say the shadows aren't harsh, the light isn't harsh & contrasty, there's so much light that the sky acts like a giant fill in diffuser.

The evening before shooting as the bright sun dropped the exposure remained the same even when the sun dropped behind a mountain.

It might surprise you that I was shooting HP5 at midday, but then working hand-held with a 5x4 camera I needed a high speed and small aperture. With my TLR or the camera on a tripod I use Delta 100.

Subject matter is always project related in my case. I think it makes sense to photograph something your interested in anyway.

Ian

[Q.G.]

It might surprise you that I was shooting HP5 at midday, but then working hand-held with a 5x4 camera I needed a high speed and small aperture. With my TLR or the camera on a tripod I use Delta 100.

What surprises me is that you used B&W film at Ephesus.

[Ian Grant]

What surprises me is that you used B&W film at Ephesus.

It's only up the road, I have been known to walk there, tkaes about 2½ hours

Not in this weather though 39°C is a bit too hot All the weeds I photographed in March are long dead . . . . . . . .




I have shot colour there as well but it's for a publication and an off topic media :rolleyes:

Ian

[Q.G.]

Scorging heat, and what it does to our world... Also a subject best captured in colour?

But certainly a subject that can be tackled at noon on a sunny day.

[Peter Schrager]

making pyro negatives and then using Lodima or any of the alternate processes make shooting in mid-day easy
Best, Peter

[perkeleellinen]

Middle of the day subject matter for me tends to be stuff I can't re-visit in the evening or early morning. So, places I'm visiting for only a few hours or family and friends that I've met up with, that sort of thing. I use the same films regardless of the time of day.

[Christopher Walrath]

I have no magic bullets for midday photography. If I come across a subject that appeals to me visually, I take my camera (the usual) loaded with film (the usual) and see if I can make it happen. If I can't (as is seldom the case) I let it pass. What, it's just photography, right?

[keithwms]

I love infrared at midday, it's a time when I usually set conventional films aside because IR works so well for me then. My current favourite is Rollei Superpan, which I use with an orange filter, a red filter, with a #87... or no filter at all. I have taken quite a few IR shots within a couple hours of high noon which I thought were quite successful. One particular effect that interests me is under trees at high noon with IR film. The little shafts of light suggest moonlight to me.

Another thing you may find interesting is ultraviolet photography; for that I use a 403 filter, if I remember correctly. Many b&w films have sensitivity down to 400 nm and below; I particularly enjoyed using type 55 (or 665) because I could check my exposures on the spot, but there are plenty of other films which will work well and with a small filter factor. Although skin tones tend to look leathery at those wavelengths (reminiscent of collodion), there is an interesting UV fill effect whereby strong shadows under trees are considerably lighter, and humidity can provide a sort of dreamy, foggy effect.

Another good genre for midday is pinhole, you typically want that extra contrast and light.

I also do a fair amount of outdoor macro (fungus, bugs, you name it) at noon, when the light is strong enough to provide fill under the tree canopy. RE: sunrise and sunset, that genre is way overworked in my opinion. Go bravely photographing at noon and you might well find some new things right under your feet.

[Ian Grant]

Another good genre for midday is pinhole, you typically want that extra contrast and light.

What extra contrast ? My experience if just the opposite, no special processing is needed either.

One reason always given for shooting earlier/later in the day is the light/shadows are less interesting at midday. Often the highest contrast is ealy or late sunlight where the shadows are deeper.

Ian