Differences in daylight around the world.

[avandesande]

There is certainly much more sun here than New Jersey. Usually the only haze problem I have seen is around albuquerque and when there are wildfires.
A Y2 filter will give you a nice dark sky. In NJ the sky was white no matter what you did.

It would be interesting to know how much the "quality" of light has changed over the years in places like New Mexico considering the haze from western pollution and humidity introduced by heavy irrigation of farm crops and yards.

[photobackpacker]

Years ago, I shot a photo documentary in Haiti using 35mm Kodachrome 25 and 64. The light there in November was definitely brighter than in Minnesota under full sun. Unmetered quick shots (sunny 16 preset with film rated at a 1/3 stop higher EI for increased saturation) tended toward being slightly less saturated versus metered shots.

[Andy K]

I start switching from Delta 100 and FP4+ to HP5+ around the beginning of November. Mind you, living in the sunny south-east, even at this time of year I find I am shooting at up to 1/500 to get the aperture I need with the QL17 GIII and HP5+.

[Poco]

There's been an amazing 22% dimming of the sun in the past 50 years ...that alone should throw sunny 16 off by half a stop.

[Lee L]

There's been an amazing 22% dimming of the sun in the past 50 years ...that alone should throw sunny 16 off by half a stop.

Just to be more precise: the sun hasn't dimmed, but it appears that pollutants are causing the clouds to reflect more of the sun's energy back into space. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4171591.stm

Lee

[Poco]

Oh, I thought it was going out... :o

[roteague]

I think you will also find that the length of time that a sunrise or sunset lasts also depends upon where you are. Twilight lasts much longer in the northern latitudes than it does here in Hawaii.

[leeturner]

I start switching from Delta 100 and FP4+ to HP5+ around the beginning of November. Mind you, living in the sunny south-east, even at this time of year I find I am shooting at up to 1/500 to get the aperture I need with the QL17 GIII and HP5+.

Don't rub it in! It's grim up North at this time of the year.

[Marv]

I calculate time of day and atmospheric conditions into my Zone reading year round.

This time of year I need to deviate from my key day exposure (f32@1/30, TXP @200, HC-110(b) my modified sunny 16). In eastern Iowa I loose one stop for time of year and one stop before 10:00 am and after 2:00pm. I loose two stops from sunrise to 8:00 am and after 4:00pm until sunset. If everything is snow covered (it is) between 10:00 and 2:00 and the sun is shining (it isn't) you can add one stop back in, roughly, most of the time. Hard to remember, but when your meter battery dies (it did) it can save you some grief.

But the only people who know about these "secrets" are the ones who actually take pictures and make prints, not just talk about it. Congratulations, you must be one of former.

[Lee L]

Oh, I thought it was going out... :o

It will eventually, but it's 4-5 billion years until the major changes start, and IIRC that step will involve expanding the sun's "surface" out to somewhere near the orbit of Mars. It will probably also put an end to digital vs. analog debates on the internet and elsewhere. What will the EV in northern climes be then?

Lee