Great Post from In Focus One: Mastering the Mechanics

In Focus I: Mastering the Mechanics student Knanh recently posted in the course blog this image. She wrote: "I thought it was cool looking through my viewer but it was too light looking on my laptop screen."

She also posted several other wonderful photos that showed her overwhelming passion and drive. Here is my response, I thought it might prove helpful to some of you:



Hello Knahn

You did just fine ... remember it's not about liking what we shoot, it's about learning why they look the way they do. We have to experience these images just as often as we experience the great ones. If not, then the great ones mean nothing.

Some advice: You may want to make sure your camera's monitor was not 'bumped up or bumped down'. Many people when they purchase a new SLR immediately brighten or darken their monitor to help them see through flare. For us, there couldn't be a bigger mistake. Since we use the monitor to gauge where 'we are' with our photo — if it's set too bright or too dark, then what we see may NOT be what we get.

If this isn't the case and you never touched the monitor's brightness level. Just take the time to view your monitor in the shade while in the field ... or just get used to how it looks and make any mental adjustments that may be needed.

You could also purchase a slide 'loup' to carry with you. With a loup you can view your monitor without any flare/glare — giving you an accurate view of what you're shooting. I don't use them anymore, as I've grown accustomed to the glare/flare while in the field. But it is an alternative and it does work quite effectively.

Loups can be expensive or fairly cheap. If you go the cheap route — what you're looking for a good old fashioned slide loop: a dark colored plastic one. This loop will usually have a 2x magnifier on it. Simply pop the plastic back of the loup and your ready to go. This loop costs less than $5.

The other alternative is a profession one designed for what you're going to do with it ... it costs about $65 — although I've seen even more expensive ones than that.

You may be able to find them if you google 'daylight slide viewer'. I've found them online for as low as $3.95, just be careful of the seller.

Amazon does sell them by the way for that price and they are in stock now.

Click here to visit the amazon location.

If anyone has any other alternatives ... please post it below as a comment.