This was one of my first rolls with the Nikon FM2n shot on the slide film Fuji Velvia 50. The idea was to go to the beach and be able to shoot a lot of images at f1.4. At the time I was really into f1.4. This would be possible with the low ASA speed of the film and the high mechanical shutter speed capability of the Nikon FM2 which is an impressive 1/4000th of a second.

For me the images shot in a muted, shady, or cool toned natural light looked wonderful with a perfect amount of saturation to give a vibrant feel. All of the images I took in artificial or warm light had a strong and sometimes overwhelming green cast all over especially noticeable in the areas that should be white.

I shoot without a meter so the default setting for a proper exposure at the beach would be a shutter speed equal to the film speed and an aperture of f22. This means f22 at 1/60th of a second with my Fuji Velvia 50 ASA film. Of course f22 is the opposite of what I want which is f/1.4. Turning the lens to f1.4 would add 8 stops of light, so to take away 8 stops with the shutter speed to rebalance the exposure would require 8 increases in shutter speed.

From 1/60th, one turn removing one stop though a shutter speed twice as fast would be 1/125th. Onward to 1/500th, 1/1000th, 1/2000th, and 1/4000th. Using the fastest shutter speed of the camera was only able to reduce the exposure by 5 stops, but the 8 that need to be added to be able to shoot at f1.4 at the beach cannon be met. There is 3 stop difference that can only be accounted for my shooting instead at f4, or getting rid of the 3 stops with a neutral density filter - which are basically sunglasses for the lens.

So before the trip to the beach I bought a 3-stop neutral density filter, screwed it on to the lens, and shot the bright beach with good exposure at f1.4 and 1/2000th of a second.