A weird question maybe (photography related)

[Astroganga]

Hey all, I have been back into film photography for a few months now and quite a few of my cameras have no parallax correction or light metering, or lack both things, due to them being old or being toy cameras. However the exposure with them turns out pretty much perfect every time despite never using an external light meter and everything is perfectly centered or composed as I wanted it to, even with no parallax correction whatsoever. It is almost as if I have an inbuilt light meter and parallax correction in my mind. I went to a photography walk and the other participants said they could not use the toy camera and rangefinder without parallax correction due to this and they were not sure how I could. Any other Aspie photographers experienced this or is it just me?

 

[Mia]

Have always used an external light meter for measuring. And now with my digital camera which I dislike by the way, it beeps when the light is not right, and the flash flips up and barely misses my nose. Scares me every time. So no, wish I did, but I don't. It might be that you have perfect light sensitivity and reticule and image plane ability.

 

[Judge]

Certainly not in my case. I've blown any number of photos in the past when it comes to proper exposure in more extreme conditions...backlighting considerations and such. I can see intricate physical details, but complex light considerations can often elude me. If you can adjust the exposure on sight alone, that's pretty damned impressive.

Even with my digital SLR I pretty much let the metering do it's thing and very rarely tamper between center weighted averaged or spot metering. LOL..I can't even recall the last time I changed it for a particular lighting consideration. I'm just grateful that unlike with film, with digital I can catch a lighting error I didn't see in the first shot and correct it in the second shot. Or third...or fifth. LOL. Though I almost never make an error on what is usually most important to me- depth of field.

It just makes you an artist...like those who can so easily transfer perspective, lighting and color from their eye to the canvas.

 

[Astroganga]

I meant to add the toy camera and rangefinder I had brought with me to the photo walk. Thank you both, I downloaded a couple of light meter apps as I was told I needed them and just didn't 'get' them and just did things by eye.

 

[zurb]

Doing exposure by eye isn't too hard when you do it regularly - you get a feeling for what it is.
Film is also more forgiving than digital if you get the exposure wrong. And if you don't have your own dark room, you might find the lab is 'correcting' it for you. Some labs print on the reverse what settings they used, so you could check there.

 

[WereBear]

I would not be surprised that your ability to perceive these things might have drawn you to photography in the first place.

 

[Astroganga]

Doing exposure by eye isn't too hard when you do it regularly - you get a feeling for what it is.
Film is also more forgiving than digital if you get the exposure wrong. And if you don't have your own dark room, you might find the lab is 'correcting' it for you. Some labs print on the reverse what settings they used, so you could check there.

Hi

Just saw this. My local lab corrects nothing unless you ask and pay extra, as it is a very basic development and scan service. Aside from two very expired rolls I have never asked. I have no problem with this but they have bad reviews from those expecting the lab to clean up their photos, even though they are only paying £3.50 a roll.