This involves double exposure and a darkened room. Do it at night if you can't exclude all ambient light:
Cut a piece of black paper or card to fit the monitor face. It must cover it completely. Fix your camera on a tripod that won't move when you operate the camera. Compose your picture. Turn off the lights and make an exposure for the monitor alone - after using your exposure meter, or camera, to measure the needed exposure. You actually don't need a shutter, you can open the camera shutter (set to B) - using a cable release of course - and expose by removing a piece of black paper from in front of the lens. Cock the shutter, or replace your black paper, without advancing the film. Of course the camera is on a tripod and must remain absolutely fixed in place. When I did this I taped the feet to the floor. Now you can cover the monitor and take your next exposure with a flash or other lights - I used studio flashes. The black paper needs to be unreflective. For the shutter I used a piece of card covered with black velvet. For the second exposure, with the monitor covered, you can set the shutter to auto and simply remove the black paper from in front of the shutter - it will close automatically. When I did this sort of thing (often) I used medium format and did it all in a completely dark room. Upon re-reading this it appears jumbled but I am sure you can work it out. You expose for the screen and you expose for the rest of the composition independently. For the monitor all other light must be excluded. You have to mess about a bit, but the results can be rewarding. You should also be able to merge two completely separate images with Photoshop, but that's not how I did it. There are two pieces of black paper involved: one covers the monitor and is needed. The other is used as a shutter and can be dispensed with if you use the camera shutter only. I preferred to leave the shutter open because both exposures could be made without cocking the shutter. After you fire the flashes for the main exposure - by pressing the button by hand - you can release the screw on your cable release and turn on the room lights before starting again. This will take some time because you have to bracket and mess about. I can't post an example because my scanner only handles 35mm and the prints I have are about a metre square. You have to cover the monitor with non-reflective black paper for the second exposure. Switching it off won't do. The tube face will reflect your flash or photofloods. Voila! Don Dr E D F Williams http://personal.inet.fi/cool/don.williams Author's Web Site and Photo Gallery Updated: March 30, 2002 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Simon King" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, November 08, 2002 1:23 PM Subject: CRT & shutter speed > Hi All, > This is only semi OT, as it's about an photograph I've been thinking about > for the December PUG. > Does anyone have any shutter speed/exposure tips for photographing an image > that includes a CRT monitor (75Hz refresh rate) > Cheers, > Simon > >
