Snowboard film- camera ambient lighting setup questions
 

Im gonna be doing some snowboarding flicks with a Panasonic DV953, ive heard that snow will look grey if shot in auto.

Some days will be really bright some will be overcast and snowing, how many stops should I go on my camera?

Should I use Zebra stripes?

thanks

Try using ND filter on bright sunny days.

The snow will look gray because the camera tries to meter for average middle gray, hence 0% white will be metered to 18% gray. You can open the aperture more to expose the snow correctly to white.

If you have a gray card (18%), then you should put it on the snow, zoom in such that the card is fully on the screen and that's the correct metering.

Not only the DV953 has this problem, every 'auto' imaging device (video or still cam, digital or film) will give the same mis-read metering.

When shooting in the snow I always open up 1 1/2 -2 stops depending on the day to allow for the 'grey snow' problem. I always use a polarizer filter and if it's a really bright day the built in ND. Yes use your zebrasto help blowing out the snow as they work on the IRE level not the exposure.

Shoot a bit of test stuff first to fine tune your settings and try to use manual as much as possible. If you need to use shutter or aperture priority make sure to set the exposure compensation to allow for the misreading.

Weather impaired.
 

Snow...what is snow?

RB

you will probably find some good answers on the www.snowfilmer.com message board. its got a lot of pro filmers and a ton of really knowledgeable folks on it all the time.

>>Snow...what is snow?
<<
I recently moved here from Boca, and saw some this past weekend. It's water thats cold, sticky, yet still wet. Don't let those pretty pictures fool you...it DOES NOT feel good getting stuffed down you pants. Nothing at all like a snowcone. Don't ask me how I know that.:)
Did throw my first snowball in almost ten years, hehehe.

The only snow I've ever seen was from a large tourist fridge (simulated winter snow) set up in Malaysia for the winter-experience. Chemically and physically real snow, just that it's not made by God but by men! It's interesting that the snow is soft yet hard, dry yet wet, very confusing.

Even on the highest peak, Mt Kinabalu, snow is very rare in Sout-east Asia.

I miss four seasons in Korea.

I thought the Four Seasons was a singing group... or was it a hotel chain. H'mmmmmm

Guys this is slipping a bit, please keep the meta discussion to a minimum.

Jerry,

I checked out Snowfilmer and it seems pretty dead. Most of the stuff was pretty good but there were a few dodgy ideas.