multiple (fragmented) exposures

martin-f5

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long exposures are so boaring so I want to make multiple (fragmented) exposures.

But I always struggle with cocking the shutter and moving the camera.

How are your techniques for this?

I use my Chamonix 45 and a Novoflex tripod, shutter cocking on the lense.
 
Dark slide held in front of the lens? This might be inconvenient if you have large intervals between individual exposures. You might construct a little cardboard box that will hang on the font and is light enough not to move the lens and loose enough to take on and off without vibration.
If you wanted to go to more trouble, mounting the lens in a self-cocking shutter might be a possibility.
 
If all your camera movements are locked down solid and your tripod is stable you should have no problem cocking the shutter without moving the camera Martin - unless you have one very stiff shutter cocking ring. :( It might help you if you position the lens in the lens board so that the shutter release is in the most accessible place, perhaps at the side so that the cocking motion is downwards which should be the direction most resistant to camera movement.

Don't try to over-think the problem. The very nature of this of this technique, introducing some motion blur in certain parts of the image, means that it unpredictable and any slight movement of the camera, should it happen, would be undectectable in my experience. Just get out and have a go and most of all, have fun. :)

Keith
 
many thanks Keith.
I testet it it twice and I failed....
But things are going on and I'll try it again and again
 
He was my teacher in Nottingham, I know all those prints :)
 
long exposures are so boaring so I want to make multiple (fragmented) exposures.

But I always struggle with cocking the shutter and moving the camera.

How are your techniques for this?

I use my Chamonix 45 and a Novoflex tripod, shutter cocking on the lense.
I believe John used a Copal Press shutter?
 
I heard him saying he has a Sinar Norma, and probably a shutter behind the lens.
 
Cocking the shutter moved the camera a little so the "stone" in the water was unsharp too.
I needed 20sec in total and made 22 exposures each 1sec.
The negativ is fine except sharpness.
 
All John's early multiple exposure work was done with an MPP MicroTechnical MkVII and I think a 150mm Symmar in a normal Comput or Copal shutter. He might have changed camera etc in more recent years.

It's a technique I've used a few times often using a combination of more than one shutter speed. See the earlier thread of the same title. I've not had an issue with my Wista 45DX and 150mm Sironar N or 90mm Grandagon N both in Copal shutters and multiple exposures, although the camera's maybe not a stable these days after 30 years of quite heavy use. It does require a good tripod and the camera locked tightly, you need to be sure the lens board doesn't move in the front standard as you re-cock or change shutter speeds.

A press type shutter like an early Protor or Ibsor, or the rarer Compur & Copal Press shutters may not be an advantage, they need considerably more pressure on a cable release as they cock and fire the shutter at the same time.

When it comes to exposure if the total needed is 20 seconds and that's split into 1 second exposures you'll need 30+ exposures to compensate for the reciprocity effects.

Ian
 
Firstly and with respect, I think that your expections are perhaps set rather high for your first steps into a new technique. "Practice makes perfect" as the old adage goes so perhaps a little more patience is in order. :) There may be other reasons for your unsharpness: camera movement other than caused by cocking the shutter, e.g. wind, inadvertently nudging the camera/tripod, stiff cable release transmitting your hand movements to the camera (the modern plastic coated ones are terrible in this respect, I'd rather poke the shutter release with a stick than use one of those) and perhaps diffraction issues if you are using a very small aperture.

There is no magic bullet Martin, just your perseverance and diligence in trying to eliminate the possible causes of the unsharpness and keep trying.

Good luck

Keith

Edit: Ian posted as I was typing but I'll leave my comments 'as is'. :)
 
I've just discovered that one of my lensboards can rattle a bit in the front standard. Something must be done about that. Perhaps a bit of tape for the moment.
Otherwise, if the cocking spring isn't too stiff (and some seem to be) simple re-cocking might well work perfectly, as Keith suggests. I hadn't realised you were proposing ¼ second times, so some of my advice is stuff and nonsense.

Added later:
I seem to have a dim memory that it was a 180mm lens, rather than 150mm, but that makes no difference to multiple exposure problem. I don't recall the shutter.
Let's remember that Martin sees all his attempts, including the failures and John only shows his successes. Who knows how often John failed?
An old-fashioned bulb release might help and is much more picturesque.
 
......... An old-fashioned bulb release might help and is much more picturesque.

Just an amusing aside: I still have a 25ft long bulb release which I used on my Canon A1 and motor winder in the late 70's to photograph birds on a feeder from the comfort of my kitchen. The noise of the camera and motor wind used to scare the cr*p out of the birds as I found out to my cost when I found a large 'deposit' on the front of my lens - fortunately shielded by a UV filter. :)

Late edit;

I still have the kit
1636

Perhaps multiple exposures to show 'ghost' images of birds on the feeder - thanks for the idea Martin. :)

Ooops, just realised that I no longer have a bird feeder. :(

PS. Please excuse the non LF image.
 
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one of the places I have to revisit for this
6002-wutach-5x4-jpg
 
I seem to have a dim memory that it was a 180mm lens, rather than 150mm, but that makes no difference to multiple exposure problem. I don't recall the shutter.

It may well have been a 180mm not a 150mm Symmar, it's 30+ years since I saw John with his MPP but it rings s bell that it was slightly long normal lens.

I've just discovered that one of my lens boards can rattle a bit in the front standard. Something must be done about that. Perhaps a bit of tape for the moment.

That's what I was think, it happens with some camera/lens board combinations.

Ian
 
If I wanted to freeze the motion of a small waterfall so that the water did not look completely blurred what shutter speeds would I set? For example would four exposures at 1/4 sec. and (two at 1/4 sec for reciprocity) Total of 1 second for the metered exposure plus 1/2 sec. reciprocity compensation be correct? Would 1/4 of a second be fast enough to freeze flowing water or would it be better to try 1/8th of a second multiple exposures? I realise that all water falls flow at different speeds but I would be interested in your methods and results, good bad or ugly. I never feel lucky!
 
I tend to mix some shorter exposures so perhaps a few at 1/8 and some at 1/4. It's a while since I made any fragmented exposures I think I'd be temped to use HP5 and 1/15 and 1/30 rather than my usual Delta 100 and slower speeds.

Ian
 
I think it also depends on the proximity of the camera for what speed to use. 1/4 - 1/15 is the ballpark.
 
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