Varying light levels
 

My question to you good people is if you have two subjects equally valuable to a shot; where you start is much brighter than where you finish, how do you accomplish that?

Re: Varying light levels
 

Can you rephrase that and be more specific? The more so, the better.

Re: Varying light levels
 

Lee,
I'm assuming you mean that you're doing a pan shot, starting on subject A, and ending on subject B. If subject A is lit much brighter than subject B, then you might want to adjust the iris opening as you pan. Kind of like having a camera assistant pull focus, although this would be "pulling iris", if there is such a term. ;-)

- Ken

P.S. -- Also, you might want to investigate graduated neutral density filters. With a little ingenuity, you might be able to make use of those.

Re: Varying light levels
 

Yes, pulling iris is indeed a term. If done carefully, it can be done invisibly. I recently shot a scene that brought some characters from broad sunlight into a large interior in one long take, and even though I lit the interior as much as possible, I still had to perform an 8 stop iris pull (the entire range of the lens) over a five second interval, and it's pretty well hidden.

However, under controlled circumstances, it's better to adjust the lighting to avoid having to pull iris if possible.

Re: Varying light levels
 

Funny, I was just having a conversation with a friend who shot one of the earlier space shuttles launches on 16mm film for our national Canadian broadcaster. He had to 'pull iris' as the rockets fired at lift-off. He said he had to guess but nailed it. Not much chance of a re-shoot or yelling 'cut' on that one.

Re: Varying light levels
 

i'd like to see that. you have clips? I've always wondered how "invisible" it can really be, love to see a good example.

Re: Varying light levels
 

Hi Alex:

That example will air within the next four or five weeks--it was one of the sketches on "Key & Peele". I'll try to remember to post about it if I know which episode it will be on.

That one is more visible (if you look for it) because most of the pull occurred while the camera was backing through a doorway, so you can see the exterior "heat up" outside. A much more invisible type of pull can be done while the camera is panning with actors around a corner, for instance.

Re: Varying light levels
 

OK! Finally this clip showed up online.

https://vimeo.com/channels/311011/39112696

Iris pull is around :29 to :34, from T16 to T1.4.

Re: Varying light levels
 

Lee:

Depending on your camera, you could always set it to Tv, pick your shutter speed, and let the camera take care of the aperture. I don't --LIKE-- doing that, but there are some times you have to pick the lesser of the assorted evils.

Using Tv assumes you're using a lens that interfaces with the camera's electronics. As you know, I shoot on the 5DM2 using a lot of Nikon primes, so I'm pretty much locked to doing things manually, which I'm more comfortable with anyhow. However, I have no qualms about mounting one of my EF "L" lenses, picking the focal length, and letting the exposure automation handle things --IF-- that's the only or best way to get the shot.

In the end, the audience REALLY doesn't care how you did it, as long as it looks good.

Martin

Re: Varying light levels
 

Charles,
I got a "page not found" when I tried your link.
Ken

Re: Varying light levels
 

Huh. It works for me, even when I log out of Vimeo. Anyone else try it, successfully or not?

Re: Varying light levels
 

Charles, I also got a "page not found." on your video. I'm logged in.

Re: Varying light levels
 

Not logged in, 'page not found'. I'd like to see it too thanks Charles.

Cheers.

Re: Varying light levels
 

OK, try this.

Re: Varying light levels
 

Thanks Charles .. whoooa! another masterclass. I watched it 1/2 dozen times to pick up all the bits, gets better each time .... just the framing, man!

Can I ask, if you pulled iris then a close buddy pulled focus?

Cheers.