I like film...(open thread)

[A miller]

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An "in between moment" from Tel Aviv...

IIIg, 28mm summaron, Portra 400

 

 

 

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Edited August 6, 2019 by A miller

[A miller]

Tel Aviv Beach

Portra 160

M7, 50mm

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[BAASCH]

1 hour ago, Xícara de Café said:

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Leica IIIf, Summicron 5cm 1:2 collapsible, Ilford Delta 100, Kodak D-76 1:1.

A year or so ago I realised that this is, in fact, the look I was trying to create through my digital workflow (Leica X Vario, Raw Photo Processor, darktable) — except for the subject matter, that is (I shoot tied up girls, mostly, which is why I won't add an image to this thread). I think I sometimes managed to approach this look, but why not go for the real thing? I bought an M4 in very good condition, with a somewhat blurry collapsible 50mm, added a 40mm Summicron-C and a 90mm Elmarit, and began using both digital and film during shoots, and I learned to print in the darkroom. Overall, I am happy with the results, but time, and to a lesser extent cost, is a problem. Who has time to stand in the darkroom all those many hours that it would take? I now shoot 95 percent digital, 5 percent film, and this seems like an acceptable compromise. Only when there is a scene that cries out for film, I'll duplicate it with the M4. Does this sound familiar?

Edited August 6, 2019 by BAASCH
Omission repaired

[A miller]

2 minutes ago, BAASCH said:

A year or so ago I realised that this is, in fact, the look I was trying to create through my digital workflow (Leica X Vario, Raw Photo Processor, darktable) — except for the subject matter, that is (I shoot tied up girls, mostly, which is why I won't add an image to this thread). I think I sometimes managed to approach this look, but why not go for the real thing? I bought an M4 in very good condition, with a somewhat blurry collapsible 50mm, added a 40mm Summicron-C and a 90mm Elmarit, and began using both digital and film during shoots, and I learned to print in the darkroom. Overall, I am happy with the results, but time, and to a lesser extent cost, is a problem. Who has time to stand in the darkroom all those many hours that it would take? I now shoot 95 percent digital, 5 percent film, and this seems like an acceptable compromise. Only when there is a scene that cries out for film, I'll duplicate it with the M4. Does this sound familiar?

not at all.  I think your problem is exhausting yourself in the darkroom rather than embracing a hybrid workflow involving scanning, which is much less exhausting!

[BAASCH]

3 minutes ago, A miller said:

not at all.  I think your problem is exhausting yourself in the darkroom rather than embracing a hybrid workflow involving scanning, which is much less exhausting!

I should perhaps have explained: I like the film images to be fully analog. I never scan my negatives or even my darkroom prints. 

[A miller]

Just now, BAASCH said:

I should perhaps have explained: I like the film images to be fully analog. I never scan my negatives or even my darkroom prints. 

ah, i see.  Wow, that is an interesting perspective.  I do comparisons of analog prints and digital prints of my film photos all the time and I will tell you that in many case the digital prints will have a lot more to offer.  Paper and printing choices are key to this, I will further note...

[BAASCH]

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3 minutes ago, A miller said:

ah, i see.  Wow, that is an interesting perspective.  I do comparisons of analog prints and digital prints of my film photos all the time and I will tell you that in many case the digital prints will have a lot more to offer.  Paper and printing choices are key to this, I will further note...

Do you have such a companion set available? I mean the same analog photograph handled 100% analog vs. using a scanner? That would be interesting to me.

[verwackelt]

May be it´s your darkroom that stresses you?
For me, worked as a photolab technican and retoucher in the 80th, i find only working in a quite professional darkroom is fun.
All compromises like darkened bathrooms and family members knocking on the door because they must dry their hair whilst you are tray developing , are very annoying and exhausting.
I am still looking for an affordable room that can be converted to a permanant darkroom. Then printing is much fun for me. No temporary "darkrooms" in bathrooms or cellars without air exchange anymore. …

[A miller]

16 minutes ago, BAASCH said:

Do you have such a companion set available? I mean the same analog photograph handled 100% analog vs. using a scanner? That would be interesting to me.

When I get back from Israel I will put some comparisons together.  This photo (taken with my SWC and I believe Acros 100) is one of the last ones that I also printed in the dark room.   I was very surprised at how little detail I was able to get out of the piers in the foreground.  They were full of nearly completely crushed shadows in the wet print.  And we tried several versions to try to get the most out of the negatives.

The scan extracted much more detail and I was able to digitally dodge and burn the file to my liking.  And it prints very well on Fuji Flex paper using a light jet printer.  It would also print very well on Ilford Baryta paper using a light jet and then washed in chemicals.  

 

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[verwackelt]

Right, to achieve a quite similar open structure in the depth of a picture compared to a converted scan and post processing requires mostly some splitgrade exposure, masking and a lot more trail and error. 
Only a very elaborated workflow and the use of measurement tools like densitometers or color analysers in the wet darkroom will provide results that can reach the hybrid results in speed and quality.

[Steve Ricoh]

Tri-X, Pen FT, 70mm f/2

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[BAASCH]

26 minutes ago, A miller said:

When I get back from Israel I will put some comparisons together.  This photo (taken with my SWC and I believe Acros 100) is one of the last ones that I also printed in the dark room.   I was very surprised at how little detail I was able to get out of the piers in the foreground.  They were full of nearly completely crushed shadows in the wet print.  And we tried several versions to try to get the most out of the negatives.

The scan extracted much more detail and I was able to digitally dodge and burn the file to my liking.  And it prints very well on Fuji Flex paper using a light jet printer.  It would also print very well on Ilford Baryta paper using a light jet and then washed in chemicals.  

 

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Very interesting, I really appreciate this!

[BAASCH]

45 minutes ago, verwackelt said:

May be it´s your darkroom that stresses you?
For me, worked as a photolab technican and retoucher in the 80th, i find only working in a quite professional darkroom is fun.
All compromises like darkened bathrooms and family members knocking on the door because they must dry their hair whilst you are tray developing , are very annoying and exhausting.
I am still looking for an affordable room that can be converted to a permanant darkroom. Then printing is much fun for me. No temporary "darkrooms" in bathrooms or cellars without air exchange anymore. …

That will surely be true for other people, but I use a dedicated (communal) darkroom. This is good because no-one needs to dry their hair there, but bad because I have to travel to go there, and make a reservation days in advance...

[mdp]

Centenary Square, Birmingham

M2 Ultron 35/2 Asph Delta 100 in DDX

 

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[spero pa]

Yes Film for me, especially when it’s outdated [memories of Agfa Pan 1000} I always purchased the Films in Hackney London in my

Mamiya C330 days. That was when I was thinking about my first Leica, oh how time has changed. I can say more !!!!!! 

[philipus]

Buying an M4 sounds familiar (great camera) but the comparison stops there for me, I'm afraid.

Having seen your site it seems you're a pretty principled individual so I can understand the reason for your position that film requires a fully analogue workflow. 

I'm sure there are master printers out there who are able to "edit" an image in the darkroom in the same way possible with a few clicks of a mouse button on a scanned frame. I certainly don't doubt the pleasure and satisfaction of being able to arrive at the same result using only light and patience (and perhaps you are able to do that) but in my view that is an unnecessarily time-consuming process. And if printing with light will degrade the quality of the image when compared to what could easily be achieved on a scan, then why do it, based on a principle? Surround yourself with human beings, my dear James. They are easier to fight for than principles, said Ian Flemming.

I'm not seeking to convince you so, fwiw, for me a hybrid workflow is about being able to enjoy film, and support the film community, while having today's cutting edge tools at my disposal to create the images I want. In my view, to say that film demands a fully analogue workflow is like saying that an image shot digitally shouldn't be printed. Today, there is not, I submit, any link between the way an image was shot and the way it is printed, particularly when modern printing technology can result in virtually the same quality.

All of which means that if one loves film and has the time and the resources to do so, then there's no reason not to do so.
br

Philip

 

4 hours ago, BAASCH said:

A year or so ago I realised that this is, in fact, the look I was trying to create through my digital workflow (Leica X Vario, Raw Photo Processor, darktable) — except for the subject matter, that is (I shoot tied up girls, mostly, which is why I won't add an image to this thread). I think I sometimes managed to approach this look, but why not go for the real thing? I bought an M4 in very good condition, with a somewhat blurry collapsible 50mm, added a 40mm Summicron-C and a 90mm Elmarit, and began using both digital and film during shoots, and I learned to print in the darkroom. Overall, I am happy with the results, but time, and to a lesser extent cost, is a problem. Who has time to stand in the darkroom all those many hours that it would take? I now shoot 95 percent digital, 5 percent film, and this seems like an acceptable compromise. Only when there is a scene that cries out for film, I'll duplicate it with the M4. Does this sound familiar?

[DirkR440]

Leica MP, 50mm Summilux and Ilford SFX 200:

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with a friend :-) by Dirk R., auf Flickr

[jcraf]

Legumes et Fleurs

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MP, 35 Summicron Asph, BW400CN.

[Calin]

Experimenting: Mamiya 645 / 150mm 3.5 @3.5  Kodak D50 developed in Ra-4 and scanned with Sony a-7s. No more color blue cast😊

 

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Edited August 6, 2019 by Calin

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Hallo,

Look here: Interesting Leica gear

[Sparkassenkunde]

23 hours ago, philipus said:

After a bit of a redesign of my DIY film dryer, here's version 2, fully functional. I'm quite surprised how well it works actually.

philipus.com | Project Film Dryer - ver. 2.0

This seems to be a really decent tool. Did you think about a Kickstarter campaign? I think there could be some demand out there, and if I see what kind of stuff is offered nowadays by hip companies (and sells in no time) this might become a profitable attempt. You would have do take a fancy video, though...

10 hours ago, Xícara de Café said:

Leica IIIf, Summicron 5cm 1:2 collapsible, Ilford Delta 100, Kodak D-76 1:1.

I like the classic style of this one!

9 hours ago, A miller said:

Ha ha, very funny guys.   Speaking of fedoras that don't look like fedoras, I have blown through over 20 rolls here in Israel tattooing my "fedora"-wearing silhouette on people's chests and backs, from the beach to the alleys and markets of Jerusalem, to the camels and floating people at the dead sea.  I picked up the hat at the market in Jerusalem; it was the best 45 shekels (about $13) that I have spent all summer!  Here's one of me from last Friday taken on the beach in Herzliya by an Israeli Leica friend (with his MM).  My IIIg and 28mm summation have hardly come off of my neck 😍

Very nice, Steve.  I do hope that you were wearing a proper bathing suit.

Yes, that's right, John.  During the training course, panamas and other hats are allowed; and you are free to call them "fedoras" if you wish, as most people will know what you mean.

Very nice, Marc.  I hope you are getting warmed up for me.  I have a new spot along the east river that we need to master.

Wow, so many great results with this film.  It looks to have monster latitude.  Just AMAZING!

I'm glad you are slowly beginning to give as some new material from your lazy summer time  Sad for the lovers of digital leicas, though, as the growing number of contributors to this thread jam up most of the slots in the favorite pictures section of this forum.

Regarding the Silbersalz-Films I can say that the company has a great support. To my question regarding some streaks on many of my pictures they phoned me today and confirmed, that they had a faulty batch. To compensate this they offered me a new pack of four films including development and scanning. I was even allowed to order a different pack, so I will have the opportunity to test the Tungsten-Version of the films now.

9 hours ago, A miller said:

An "in between moment" from Tel Aviv...

IIIg, 28mm summaron, Portra 400

Nice catchy colors in your latest contributions. In this particular picture it would have been nice, if the composition were slightly different to get a full person within the frame between body and elbow.

8 hours ago, Steve Ricoh said:

Tri-X, Pen FT, 70mm f/2

Please don't post any more pictures from the Pen FT, esp. not such extraordinary good ones. Since I bought the (digital) Pen E-P1 I often thought about trying one of the analog predecessors.