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BetterPhoto Q&A
Category: Traditional Film Photography

Photography Question 

Raman Sohal 		 

Taking Photos Indoors


I use ISO 400 with my Nikon film F80 camera to take photos indoors, and I use my built-in flash. The problem is that the photos (which are colour photos) are quite grainy. What is the best way to take photos indoors without a tripod? Or is my only option to use ISO 100 with a tripod indoors to get less grainy shots?


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March 16, 2007

 

Mike Rubin 		  Use the widest aperture that you can to let more light in (lower f/stop number such as 2.8). Then if you still need it, use a flash. You might want to consider an external flash. The on-camera flash is usually weak, and an external flash will allow you to bounce the light and remove harsh shadows and help make it seem more natural. You could also use it for fill to balance the flash with the ambient background light.


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March 16, 2007

 

Samuel Smith 		  Hey raman,
I use 400 speed color print film a lot and never have a problem with grain. Subject movement or camera shake is more likely the culprit. Mike's right about the external flash. Make sure it has a swivel head - most do. It will also get rid of almost all of the red eye. Good luck,
sam


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March 17, 2007

 

Dennis C. Hirning 		  You might want to take a look at your negatives. It could be that your flash is not putting out enough light and your film is underexposed. Your lab might be compensating for the underexposure causing the grain to show on your print. Do you have the same problems when you take outdoor photos?


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March 20, 2007

 

Jack Utter 		  Raman,

I don’t know your experience with photography, exposure or how dark it was where you were photographing to give you my 2 cents on that situation (but is sounds like underexposure). But I will give my thoughts on Negative Film (somewhat off subject). First, when you shoot Negative films there are many variables (most you have no control over) that’ll determine how your “prints” look. One you do have control over is the “grade” of the emulsion, i.e., was the film a consumer grade (many times will look grainy) or a Pro grade film. How was it treated (how much heat was it exposed to or how old was it, though you’d usually get a color shift) before you bought it and after? Do you have your film processed in a reputable Lab that you use all the time or do you go to different places depending on price? Are the chemicals they use a good grade and is it changed often? Were the frames you shot exposed correctly? It’s not easy to do when you’re shooting indoors with low lighting.
One of the best ways to know if you’re making, and understanding how to make, good exposures is to shoot with Positive (Slide) Film and set your camera on Manual. Of course you’ll need to keep notes of the camera settings for each frame. When slide film is processed there are NO adjustments made, how you shot is what you get (as long as it was developed correctly)! Lab Techs, and their machines, make tons of adjustments when they make prints from the scans of your negatives. Literally, the print looks the way the Tech “thinks” it should look, and not always the way you shot it. You can not make (some) “creative adjustments” to the exposure to come up with unique photographs when you use Negative film.
If the rest of the images on the same roll (did you shot any outside or at a different location) were good then the images shot indoors could very well have been underexposed. Even when the Tech, or machine, makes adjustments to produce an acceptable print from an underexposed negative, it’ll never look as good as a print made from a properly exposed negative.
Now I know you’re thinking that I’m anti-(negative) film, I’m not. When I had to shot in mixed lighting or indoors I shot ColorNegative film, but I bought GOOD film and took it to a good Lab. Below is a couple of great emulsions with some of the smallest grains in the industry. I’ve read where there are still some Pros who shoot Weddings that use the NPH 400 and love it. I shot the older version of this Fuji film and it was awesome. Maybe give the NPC 800 a try and see what those prints look like. These films are not cheap, but how inexpensive, or convenient, is it to re-shoot an event or keep nasty looking prints. You’ll have to decide that. These Pro grade films have to be treated differently then the consumer grades. They should be kept cool (or even refrigerated). Did you know that films (really the emulsion that’s applied to the celluloid) ages? Consumer grade films are like green bananas, they become better with time and Pro grade films are like a “ripe” banana? Keeping the film cold slows down (and freezing all but stops) this aging process…. Sorry, I got carried away and this subject could go on and on. There’s a REALLY GOOD book on exposure (whether you shot film or digital), “Understanding Exposure” by Bryan Peterson. It’s got to be one of the best books on the market for explaining (and showing) exposure. And one of the best places to find books is on WWW.BookFinder.Com
I also agree with some of the other responses regarding a dedicated flash and bouncing the light. But you’ll need some type of On-Flash-diffuser so most of the light bounces off a “white” ceiling, or reflector, and a small portion hits the subject straight on.

FujiColor NPC 800 and FujiColor NPH 400.

http://www.fujifilmusa.com/JSP/fuji/epartners/proPhotoProductsPortraitDataSpec.jsp

Take Care, Jack


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March 20, 2007

 

John H. Siskin 		  The quick thing to do is try another film. As Jack said the Fuji pro emulsions are very good. I would avoid slide film; in addition to be very picky about exposure it is picky about color.

I, and a lot of other pros, used to work with cameras that used a larger piece of film. This is a great way to reduce grain, but you need a new camera and lenses.

Thanks, John Siskin


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March 20, 2007

 

Robert Brosnan 		  I strictly use Fuji 400 color film. I have had enlargements up to 20x30 made with great results.
The off camera flash would also improve your results.

Robert


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March 20, 2007

 

dave S 		  i'm not sure with film, but some things I tried with digital worked. something you can use with an external flash is a flash pillow that you air up, then fasten it to the lense. this will give you more bounce off the walls and ceiling, depending the height of the ceiling and the distance of flash allowed. it's similar to a barn door on a flash light in a studio. also, you can try slowing down your speed and increasing the apeture. can you put it on all manual settings?


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March 20, 2007

 

Ken Henry 		  Fuji NPZ800 & NPH400


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March 22, 2007

 

Samuel Smith 		  i am amazed at the input on this thread.
i agree with shadows and light,but amazed at the participation.
hope your getting this feed mike?


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March 22, 2007

 

Raman Sohal 		  Thank you everyone for your extremely informative responses! All the feedback has given me a lot to consider from type of films, flash and developing labs. I will definitely give the Fuji pro emulsion films a try.

I decided to get a digital SLR as well and am curious to see how my experience will be with this camera taking photos indoors. It is yet to arrive.

Thank you again - the feedback is much appreciated and a great way to learn.

Raman


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March 23, 2007

 
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