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Leica R4 in the snow


skuemin

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Hi everybody

 

I'm planning to spend a week in Lebanon over New Year. I also want to go skiing for one day. As I have never taken photos in the snow, here's my question: Will the light meter work correctly if there's a lot of snow around or do I have to adjust the correct lighting manually (-EV1 e.g.)?

 

Thanks a lot for your help,

Best, Simon

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When shooting on snow (or water) reflection from the surface will tend to fool built in meter and you may end up with underexposed images. Failsafe method is to take incident light reading or compensate up to two stops, i.e. +2EV.

 

If you don't have external meter you can take TTL light readout form the face or palm of the hand instead of the general scene containing lots of reflective surfaces, be aware that this method works best with people with light skin colour.

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Unless you want winter photos with a particularly dramatic effect, it is always best to overexpose with a few steps.

A combination sun and snow can really fool the light meter ear to ear.

 

Here is a picture I took New Year's Eve 1980 in the Lebanese city of Tyre. Notice the child family that lives behind the corrugated tin.

Just before darkness thundered ISRAELI F4 Phantom fighters at low altitude over the city and thus started antiaircraft guns hammering away.

It is probably my most special New Year's Eve.

 

Have a nice trip to Lebanon Simon, and happy New Year!:)

 

Regards

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as said, when the eviorment is much brighter than usual, the meter will give you a lower EV combination so you should set the camera +1EV or +2.

 

btw, I may want to know the safety for travellers in Lebanon at the moment... I always wanted to take a trip in middle east or egypt, but I don't know if it is safe... most probably I will go there alone.

 

anyway, best wishes!

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Since the R4 has spot metering with exposure lock, you can also take a reading in a section in the picture which should be rendered "18% grey", lock the reading by pressing the release button half way down, re-frame and then take the picture

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Thanks a lot for all your help, I do appreciate it.

 

I was in Cairo 3 weeks ago and I can say that it is still a very safe place. All riots are around Tahrir place, if you don't go there, you won't notice you're in a country that is portrayed as a turbulent place in the media.

Even on Tahrir square, although it was dense, I never felt too badly in danger. If you want to, have a look at my photos here:

 

Gallery.

 

btw, I may want to know the safety for travellers in Lebanon at the moment... I always wanted to take a trip in middle east or egypt, but I don't know if it is safe... most probably I will go there alone.

 

anyway, best wishes!

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hi Simon

 

This thread slipped a little away from me just before Christmas.

So I missed your “gallery”. Now I have looked through it.

 

Your winter pictures are great. It appears that the exposure is correct.;);)

I always look forward to see nice pictures from Lebanon.

I notice that the car fleet is now in good condition.

The chic and fashion-conscious girls in Baalbek are a sight.:cool:

 

Tiny Lebanon has throughout history been a melting pot of different cultures and religions. The country has been through an awful lot of war and conflict.

Some of your pictures still show that not so very long ago Beirut after all was a term for the worst possible place on this earth.

 

Although differences still lurks beneath the surface, it's nice to see that the country is now rebuilt and modernized.

 

But, what about the monkey? I saw a few episodes of Monkey World on Animal Planet where Dr. Alison Cronin rescues a chimpanzee from a small cage in a roadside in Lebanon. Maybe this monkey also should have been a matter for her?

 

Regards

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