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kodak.com
presents
Rick Sammon
PhotoChat: International Festivals
May 3, 2001
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Page 3 of 7
Lilly:
We're planning a trip to Mexico and would like to take pictures of the Festivals there, but I am such an amateur! What is a good beginner's camera that's not too complicated, but will take good pictures?
Rick Sammon:
The Advantix cameras are really good for beginners. They offer drop-in film loading, and truly foolproof operation. When my wife and I go to festivals, I lug 40 pounds of gear. My wife takes a little Advantix camera with a zoom lens. So if you want to take nice snapshots with print film, check out the Advantix cameras.
Blanche:
Mr. Sammon, do you come from a family of photographers, or is this something you took up later in life?
Rick Sammon:
I used to be a professional musician. I taught jazz piano, but I had a lot of down time, like most musicians. So I started taking pictures, and sending them around to magazines. Now, many years later, I have 20 books, and thousands of articles. Actually, I did take it up later in life, but I have such a strong passion for photography that I just love taking pictures, and festivals are a great source of inspiration for good pictures. I do believe that just like a musician needs to be inspired, a photographer needs to be inspired.
Ellen:
When I take pictures, they either come out too light or too dark. I can never get the happy medium between the two. I love festivals, and I would like to get this wonderful experience on film. Can you give me some tips on how to get my pictures to be 'picture perfect' with regards to lighting?
Rick Sammon:
Number one. Shoot color print film. Color print film is much more forgiving than color slide film. Number two. Look for bright areas and dark areas in a scene. If part of the scene is too bright and the rest of the scene is kind of dark, don't include that white part of the scene in your picture. In other words, try to reduce the contrast range in your pictures, because no film on the planet can see what our eyes can see. We can see into shadows, and we can see highlights at the same time over a range of eleven F stops, but even color print film can only see about seven. So the point is to try to reduce that contrast range by carefully composing your pictures. You can also reduce the contrast range by using a flash, and if a subject is in bright sun with shadows on his or her face, you can ask them to step into the shade. Reducing the contrast range is very important. If your prints are too light or too dark, take them back to the lab and ask for a reprint. If they still come out too light or too dark, and you think you did everything right, your camera's meter might be off, but that's unlikely. I'd have that checked out. Good luck, and have fun!
Jeremy:
Can you explain the differences in film speed, such as what it means, and under which situations a certain speed can be used?
Rick Sammon:
As the film speed number increases, so does the film's sensitivity to light. So on a bright sunny day, you can use 100-speed film. On a dark cloudy late afternoon day, you should use a fast film--ISO 400 or 800. Fast film is good for stopping action. At a festival, there's a lot of action, so you may want to use one of those fast films.
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