Experimentation around prisons

[zepfel]

Hey guys, first post!

I've been reading the forums for a little while and thought this would be a great place to try and find the solution to a problem I'm having.

I'm a student, doing a project on prisons. A photo I want to make is of the lights of the prison, to make them look like stars, but I want to do this in an experimental way, to give the photograph a look of the 'sublime'.

My idea at the moment is to print off a star chart from Stellarium (a planterium program) that shows the stars that would be viewed at a certain time from the exact location of the prison.

This would be printed onto a sheet of transparant plastic, and fixed into place on a sheet of photographic paper. I would then expose this paper at the exact time I entered into Stellarium to the lights of the prison, to turn the light pollution that the prisoners do see into the stars they can't.

What do you guys think of the idea? I've done some tests which have had varying degrees of success, but can't get the stars to be sharp on the paper at short exposures, and can't get enough tonal change in the 'sky' (I don't want an image on the paper, just a kind of black mass that looks like space, but with a tonal range - not solid black) at longer exposures.

Are there any types of paper you'd recommend? Or anything I could use to make the paper expose more slowly?

Do you think it will work? I'd really appreciate the thoughts of fellow photographers on this.
Thanks all.

[Wild Wassa]

G'day and welcome.

Would you consider constructing a multiple exposure HDR image? I think doing that could solve your problem. Set up your definitive composition with the exposures taken over several hours. Then tone map the exposures that display the ambience that is appropriate.

Take the images using a sturdy tripod. Take several exposures over the course of a few hours; from say 3.00pm on (for good texture), through the late afternoon (that will give the tonal gradations from horizon to azimuth and give enhanced textures from stronger side lighting), include a couple of exposures from early evening, particularly from about 5-15 minutes after sunset (sunlight then reflected off the tropopause, gives a beautiful soft box effect/illumination and fills shadows nicely) and continue doing the exposures until the prison lights are turned on ... and then finish with a jet black sky exposure (or two).

Select the most appropriate exposures for constructing your HDR. When your tone mapped and detail enhanced HDR is just totally stunning ... 'layer'-in the star pattern using the photo programme that you would normally use.

Two images that I have taken, which have already appeared on PRF, might give hints about how your image could eventually turn out and also detail a few possible pitfalls to watch out for.

'Stary Night' ... http://wildwassa.deviantart.com/art/...Night-93119543
'Madam, Please Go Away' ... http://wildwassa.deviantart.com/art/...-Away-93654202

Good luck. Your project sounds most interesting. I'm only home for a day, so if you have questions to me in particular? ... please ask them promptly.

Warren.

[shootme]

So how's it going anything to share yet? The advice that WW gives you is as good as it comes. S