Hello folks! Welcome to the Photo Tips page of Highlander Film. I hope these tips may guilde you to understanding photo so you can take pictures you can be proud of and enjoy. NOTICE!: For all cameras and Accessories: throughly and completely read the instruction manual(s) which are available for all cameras and applicable or available accessories for that camera in the insructions for use of that camera, if you do not have instructions or do not understand the instructions see a local Photo technican at your favorite or local camera dealer or photo lab.

      

Click on the logo above for more Photo tips & technology! Shutter Speed and Aperture Settings The shutter is a sliding door that allows light to pass through the aperture (opening) onto the film. Different settings on a small dial on the top of the camera determine how long the shutter will remain open. The aperture selector is on the body of the lens. The numbers that indicate the size of the aperture are called f-numbers or f-stops. The f-stop is equal to the ratio of the focal length of the lens to the diameter of the opening. The shutter speed and f-stop determine the exposure?that is, the overall amount of light that will reach the film. However, even when the amount of light is constant, the effect may be different. Photographers experiment with different combinations to achieve various effects.

      

Disposable/One-time Use Cameras Disposable or One-time Use Cameras have fixed Lense and aperture setting averaging between 5.6 with a medium of an f-stop of 8 with a maximum f- stop of 11,it is given that the f-stop settings that are pre-determined in the original design of the camera outfit itself, and the Speed of the film in the camera outfit. Disposable/One-time Use Cameras have a factory pre loaded canister of film that is either 35mm or APS, depending on the film type of the camera. The cameras are labeled 35mm or Advantix if it is a 35mm roll or APS roll respectively in the Disposable camera. Disposable/One-time Use Cameras have a depth of field of 4 feet to 8 feet from the lense/camera. The best or optimum minimum focusing distance, which is the distance between the camera and the main subject you are focusing on is atleast 4 feet or 48 inches. This Distance is longer (on average) than your arm streched out in front of you, from your face to your hand were you would be holding the camera. At that distance with flash, the subject, presumable your bust (shoulders to top of your head) will be yellow and white (blooming), and the background (what ever is around you) will most often turn out black, or very dark & undefineable, the Frame (photo) will not be properly exposed to make the photo to be printed with the best clarity and color composition. Disposable/One-time Use Cameras on average have either 400 or 800 speed that is pre-determined by a combination of the flash power and Aperture. 400 & 800 speed Films are among the most versitile film speeds on the market today to give you the best clarity in your photo prints. As Far as flash Power is concerned, with any disposable camera, the photo-chemical properties of the light generated is based on the preinstalled 1.5 volt battery can optimally be produced for the full 15 or 27 frames of film inside the camera, which is also(or atleast should be), labeled or indicated on the camera outfit itself. Disposable/One-time Use Cameras have a pre determined shutter speed that is determined by a combination of the flash power, Aperture, and film speed. Disposable/One-time Use Cameras dominantly count down frames (which would be the prints in the end) that is based on the optimum number of frames labeled (or atleast should be) on the camera outfit itself. Most disposable cameras have 15 or 27 frames availble to be exposed. Keep in mind that this the maximum number of frames garunteed my the camera manufactering company. NOTE: Disposable/One-time use Cameras labeled with 31 frames is not what comes out in prints, the maximum is 28 prints, at best. If the Cameras is set for 36 exposures, the maximum is 40 at best. However there are not many 35mm Disposable/One-time use Cameras with a 40 exposure roll of film on the market. A 40 exp may come with an APS/Advantix Disposable/One-time use Camera, but that is all you will get in prints at best.

      

Polaroid, 110, and Rangefinder Cameras Polaroid, 110, and Rangefinder Cameras on the market have fixed Lense and aperture setting averaging between 5.6 with a medium of an f-stop of 8 with a maximum f- stop of 11,it is given that the f-stop settings that are pre-determined in the original design of the camera outfit itself. The film available on the market for that camera is determined in the the operation instructions for that camera.

      

Preventing "Blank" Rolls A "Blank" Roll: a roll film that has been chemically process however has not been exposed or has no printable frames, and is NOT re-useable. When a roll of film comes out Blank one of the following conditions may have occured: 1)Unexposed Roll Sent in Error: to prevent this occurance, Mark the canister of film after removing it form the camera with a date or your intitals, or an "E" for exposed. 2)Shutter speed Malfunction or improper setting, batteries may also be weak or dead. 3)Film Failed to Wind through camera, check camers load procedures in instruction manual. 4) Camera Lense Obsruction: Lens Cap, Camera Strap or other obstruction such as thumb or finger.

      

Trouble Shooting for Developing & Print Problems 1)OVEREXPOSURE:Too Much Light reached the film when picture was taken. Light Too Bright, improper Flash setting, shutter speed too slow, Aperature to large. 2>UNDEREXPOSED: Not Enough light reached the film, and the picture comes out dark and undistingushable. Be sure that the camera settings are correct for the speed of film you are using. With any camera, the film speed is your constant, and the variables such as shutter speed, apeture and flash setting are dependant on Film speed. 1)Check Film Speed 2)Check Shutter Speed 3)Check Apeture 4)Flash Settings 5)Focus Lense Most Manually set cameras will have you select film Speed & Shutter speed, after that, if the camera has an automatic light meter, it will help you dictate apeture and flash setting. 3)Lense obsructions are a common problem. Camera straps, lense covers, dust, and fingers in front of the lense (more so in range finder cameras) are common problems. Be sure your lense is free of dust & debree (see camera instructions on proper cleaning),and that any lense cap or camera strap is not obstructing the lense. To avoid fingers in the lense, be sure to handle the camera where your fingers do not obstruct or are not in front of the lense. 4)Overlapping images are often caused by improper advance of the film inside the camera. the images over lapped may vary from minimal to total overlap, or several images on top of one another. To prevent this be sure that you anvance the film prorperly in a manual advance camera. If an auto advance camera is over laping images the sprocket hole on the outside edges of the film may be torn from improper loading or a bad roll film. 5)General over exposure:High Heat environments can make fim come out too bright or over exposed. Heat does much more damage to film than a cool environment. If you are traveling long distances make sure that the film is in a cool environment by putting it a plastic, non porous bag with a water tight seal, or zip lock type plastic bag in a cooler to prevent over exposure. Photo tight bags are available, ask a photo lab, or have the film develped with or with out prints before traveling. Most photo labs require prints on an exposed roll with atleast 3 or more frames properly exposed. Reprints are usually availble at most photo labs.

      

6)Poor Color quality is a result of many things such as improer flash setting, old roll of film, film that has been exposed to extreme high temperatures, x-rays, and poor lighting conditions. This is just one aspect of film that all must recognize. The light that reflects off an image is heat to the film, which trigers the photochemical properties of film. Any ultraviolet or infrared rays, or intense heat environemnts will demish the color quality of film reguardless of the manufacturer of the film.