I like film...(open thread)

[hillavoider]

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ilford delta 400

Leica MP. 50 apo

hot afternoon 

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[christoph_d]

14 hours ago, ianman said:

Thank you. Here is another from Cornwall. This is a very difficult film to scan, the contact sheet is ok but they are very "thin" when scanned. I must be doing something wrong. Note the weird beam coming down from the cloud. I don't recall seeing anything like this at the time but so I guess it's the infrared sensitivity picking it up. Spooky

 

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It is a pity that Kodak does not produce this film anymore. I understand that it is a true IR film whereas the currently available IR films are merely normal films with extended IR sensitivity, as can be seen in comparing the images. Thanks for showing.

Edited September 23, 2021 by christoph_d

[christoph_d]

16 hours ago, philipus said:

Thank you very much Chris, I really appreciate it and know precisely what you mean. It is also something I've strived to achieve for a long time, if for no other reason than to dispel the internet-received myth that film results in lomographical results all the time.

What's so interesting, well perhaps only to someone like I who finds strange meta discussions interesting, is that film seems to love light whereas digital seems to dislike it. It's a silly generalisation of course, because it's not true to all types of film. Slide film clearly doesn't always love light since it overexposes quite easily much like digital does. But certainly colour negative and black and white emulsions prefer more light to being subjected to "photonical starvation". Most of my C41 35mm films are shot at one or two stops over box speed without ill effects (and developed at box speed) because highlights can easily be recovered in post. 

Digital on the other hand seems built on the premise that a sensor should be able to function in near-complete darkness. It takes that starvation in stride and begs for more. This is great and actually quite amazing, but it means that all those little pixel wells fill up fast when there's a lot of light around.

As I said, a silly and philosophically poorly founded generalisation. But in some situations there's a grain of truth to it I think, even when it comes to slide films. I've often been able to recover detail from what looks like a totally white area for instance. Seen like this, tilm is perhaps a bit more true to the etymological basis of photography, as in writing with light, whereas digital might be true to the opposite, whatever that would be (tenebrigraphy?). 

I'm rambling on about this because I shot the project on Ektar 100 and most frames were exposed for several to many seconds depending on the scene, usually 20 secs to 1,5 mins. Initially I bracketed to account for reciprocity because supposedly that rears its ugly head already at about 20 secs. But after several rolls I realised that any ill effects were effectively nil and absorbed in the post-processing chain, for instance in the inversion in ColorPerfect and by my own colour corrections in Adobe Camera Raw. So I stopped bracketing (and had considerably less frames to scan and dust spot...). 

The clean look is probably a combination of three things: first that Ektar is very fine-grained and secondly that being C41 it loves light and really enjoyed those long exposures. The third thing is likely the grain reduction and sharpening that I've applied in ACR. Apologies for getting a bit technical but it might be interesting (and I'm always interested in hearing thoughts on workflow so feel free to suggest better ways).

The sharpening feature in ACR under the Detail tab is both powerful and simple and is usually enough for great results. Photoshop's Smart Sharpen is much more complex and works wonderfully well but it's a bit more involved with many more steps. Depending on how much noise I see in the shadows of an image I will first use the Colour slider to get rid of any blue and purple noise. Over the years I've found that it's mostly gone by 15-20 on that slider. Any higher than that has no effect. The next step is to put the Luminance slider at around the same amount. This will make the image REALLY soft. But it will also reduce the impression of grain especially in the shadows. The last step is to sharpen. It's pretty amazing to see all the detail to reappear but without the graininess. On 120 film it's possible to pull the Amount slider quite high, 60-80 even. Because of its relatively larger grain size 35mm film looks best at lower amounts.

As with most workflow descriptions it's more complicated to describe than it is to do. It's really just a few clicks.

Thank you again for your kind comment.

 

Thanks for your thoughts. I am not sure if I agree with all your thoughts on, what shall I call it, photonphilicity or photonphobicity of various photographic techniques, or perhaps I agree and just have a few additions. For one, I believe that the developer used for analogue photography plays a significant role. In Europe up to about 1950ies, photographers seem to prefer film development that “dissolved” grain, sacrificing sharpness. Look, for example at Robert Franks Book ”Paris”. This in contrast to the “American” style of developing that seems to have prevailed since, visible, for example in the work of Gary Winogrand or, even more extreme, with William Klein. 
A further thought that crossed my mind was the recommendation by a fellow forum member to develop b&w negatives very “thinly”, as this would significantly reduce the grain. So on the second point, your recommendation may work for colour film and a mixed analogue / digital workflow, whereas for b&w things may be different? But ultimately it all comes down to an aesthetic choice made by the photographer to achieve a certain effect, and on that note I have to agree that Ektar is a very nice emulsion, and that you know very well how to use it at its best!
 

[stray cat]

For certain reasons, tectonic shifts have been on my mind recently:

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cooled lava from kilauea, hawai'i 1996

hasselblad, 80mm, kodak panther 100 pro

[christoph_d]

27 minutes ago, stray cat said:

For certain reasons, tectonic shifts have been on my mind recently:

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cooled lava from kilauea, hawai'i 1996

hasselblad, 80mm, kodak panther 100 pro

I trust you, your loved ones and property are ok!

[stray cat]

1 hour ago, christoph_d said:

I trust you, your loved ones and property are ok!

Thank you sincerely Christoph. Yes, we are all well, and no damage done - it was a real sssssshake though, lasting for almost a minute but seemingly longer. Luckily no-one anywhere was hurt as far as I can tell. Unfortunately, though, it failed to swallow up the moronic anti-vax protesters in Melbourne.

[Charles Morgan]

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Ponies and stones, Showery Tor to Rough Tor, Bodmin Moor. Horizon S3, Industar 28mm f2.8 lens, Ilford Delta 100 Rodinal 1:50

 

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[chrism]

The last one I scanned from that film. The curious black marks above the sawn-off branches are woodpecker damage. They go around and around the trunk. I'm surprised the tree tolerates it without dying.

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[dimm]

Red umbrella and Mississippi river. 2 days before hurricane Ida. New Orleans, 2021

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M2-R | Lux' 35mm f/1.4 |Kodak Portra 800, CS-41

[Steve Ricoh]

Sprocket Rocket EZ400 (aka Fomapan 400)

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[Bo-Sixten]

Mother-in-law second approval. Leica M-A, 35mm Summicron (8 lens), Tri-X, D76.

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[AntonioF]

Canon A1, Canon FD 50/2, Expired Ferrania Solaris 100 @ 25

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[dimm]

Road from New Orleans. 1 day before hurricane Ida

 

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M2-R | Lux' 35mm f/1.4 | Ilford FP4+,  EI 400, Rodinal 1:25

Edited September 24, 2021 by dimm

[Sparkassenkunde]

That kayak again...

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[MarkP]

On 9/23/2021 at 4:18 PM, hillavoider said:

ilford delta 400

Leica MP. 50 apo

hot afternoon 

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Where is this Hill avoider?  NSW Central coast?

[Kl@usW.]

Am 22.9.2021 um 18:14 schrieb Ernest:

A little known fact is that Steven Spielberg shot his first 16mm film, Encounter (22 min.),  in color but printed it in black and white for a film noir look. Your delightfully enigmatic "Seaside" nudges elbows with Roman Polanski's Beckettian Cul de Sac, so absurd, so wonderful. I wonder if you were standing in the middle of an absurd number of pilings with Vija Celmins balancing behind you.

Thank you Rog. Your comment is -as always-  appreciated since it allows me to tap on your encyclopedic knowledge. I didn't know about Steven Spielbergs first 16mm film and --shame on me--didn´t know about Vija Celmins. After browsing for her work I have to admit I missed an interesting artist until now.  To put me in her vicinity is  very flattering indeed. ☺️

btw: these pilings  are a bit treacherous because slippery when wet. People walk out on them to  prove their idiocy, possibly with a Leica MP in their hands, knock their head on the pole while falling and then drown because they don't let go of the camera... . Thats what the coast guard tell us.

So I hope Vija-she must be 83 now- takes care.... 

Am 23.9.2021 um 12:32 schrieb stray cat:

For certain reasons, tectonic shifts have been on my mind recently:

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cooled lava from kilauea, hawai'i 1996

hasselblad, 80mm, kodak panther 100 pro

Phil, amazing both from the artistic and the technical side. 

Am 23.9.2021 um 17:31 schrieb chrism:

The last one I scanned from that film. The curious black marks above the sawn-off branches are woodpecker damage. They go around and around the trunk. I'm surprised the tree tolerates it without dying.

 

Girdling--in german ringeln-is  common in picidiae aka woodpeckers, particularly in springtime. The birds do this to draw the sap from the tree. Try this for yourself by cutting a twig from a birch in spring and sample the sap... It´s got a faint, floral taste you will remember.  Nice photo btw, I can relate to the fascination of trees in all their aspects. 

Edited September 24, 2021 by Kl@usW.

[Kl@usW.]

Summertime #9

birch on the baltic sea

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HB 205; Makro-Planar 4/120, Portra 400 @ 200; Double Exposure 

Edited September 24, 2021 by Kl@usW.

[stray cat]

Thank you very much Klaus for your kind comments above. This double exposure of yours is wonderful- something very unique in that I can’t recall having seen it done quite so well, and I keep returning to it. An extraordinary shot, both technically and in the aesthetic it delivers- an original exploration of the passage of time thought about in the short term (the grasses) and the long term (the stoic tree). A technique that most certainly invites further investigation!

[Ernest]

2 hours ago, Kl@usW. said:

Thank you Rog. Your comment is -as always-  appreciated since it allows me to tap on your encyclopedic knowledge. I didn't know about Steven Spielbergs first 16mm film and --shame on me--didn´t know about Vija Celmins. After browsing for her work I have to admit I missed an interesting artist until now.  To put me in her vicinity is  very flattering indeed. ☺️

btw: these pilings  are a bit treacherous because slippery when wet. People walk out on them to  prove their idiocy, possibly with a Leica MP in their hands, knock their head on the pole while falling and then drown because they don't let go of the camera... . Thats what the coast guard tell us.

So I hope Vija-she must be 83 now- takes care.... 

Thanks, Dr. Klaus, for your continuing fine work and rapier wit. The comment on Spielberg simply illustrates his aesthetic choice in printing black and white the film shot originally in color. Schindler's List in black and white is so correct, while color for The Bridge of Spies is so regrettable. 

As for Celmins, photography is very much a linchpin in her work, whether it's terrestrial or extra-terrestrial. Your photograph reminded me of her seascapes of nothing more than water (waves rippling) that challenges the notion of composition with its sameness. If only she had seen your pilings bifurcating the plane! More than a stroke of realism. 

Your MP sings.

2 hours ago, stray cat said:

Thank you very much Klaus for your kind comments above. This double exposure of yours is wonderful- something very unique in that I can’t recall having seen it done quite so well, and I keep returning to it. An extraordinary shot, both technically and in the aesthetic it delivers- an original exploration of the passage of time thought about in the short term (the grasses) and the long term (the stoic tree). A technique that most certainly invites further investigation!

I can only echo Phil's keen call on what you have working here "quite so well." This multi-exposure shot is masterful understatement. It doesn't shout but merely murmurs. I am straining to listen, and I even hear a bit of Tacita Dean challenged by the tree. 

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[Ernest]

On 9/23/2021 at 3:32 AM, stray cat said:

For certain reasons, tectonic shifts have been on my mind recently:

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cooled lava from kilauea, hawai'i 1996

hasselblad, 80mm, kodak panther 100 pro

This is another of your masterful images that plays on the mind, like trimeter, three metrical feet to a line of verse. Dead tree ghost, lava black birth, grass green born. It never ceases to be amazing how new grass asserts itself in the lava fields. It certainly makes a statement in this otherwise monochromatic composition. Poetry of the visual kind.