Ortho film...

[Jason_1622]

I can't remember if I asked this here before already, but I think not... I am a lways looking for new things to play with in photography and recently found seve ral boxes of kodak ortho film for sale cheap. I looked at the kodak website and couldn't find info on processing or what it is used for. I even called their t ech guys and all they could say was that it would be a real contrasty film. The y didn't seem to have much other info. What can you all tell me? Do I need to get more info to you off the box? Can I use it for neat stuff?

[pat krentz]

I don't know what your definition of "neat stuff" is, but get hold of Ansel's books, he use a lot of ortho film, I have used it myself and liked it. It is not red sensitive which makes foliage light in prints and makes for flat skys. The one thing I really liked about it was that I could develope by inspection under a 7w red safelight or a 15w up higher. You might want to try using PMK Pyro as a developer and you could use Gordon Hutchins starting times for Tri-X. Pat

[Ken Burns]

Jason: We need to know specifically which ortho film you have. There have been in the past ortho versions of Tri-X and Plus-X. There are also ortho lithographic films that are a totally different thing. These litho films are extremely high contrast and are used for a number of different purposes from copy line work to doing half tone reproductions. Let us know which film you have, and we can help a little more.

[Dave Willison]

In general, ortho film is typically used for high contrast manipulations, masking, and making enlarged negatives. You can also shoot ortho to mimic older (19th century) emulsions and to produce positives for printmaking processes which require a film positive (photo etching and screenprinting, for example). Film positives can also be displayed with backlighting for some interesting possibilities (do a serach for work by Mike and Doug Starn.) You can also make slides for projection but you won't get the quality you might expect using the T-max reversal process. Let me know if you wan't more info on any of these.

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[Jeff Buckels]

Two things that haven't been mentioned yet: (1) Because ortho film is not red sensitive, it is an interesting choice when you are using any convertible lens with either element removed. For example, let's say you've got a Symmar 210 convertible. An extremely common convertible (a plasmat). With both elements in place, red is given fair-average correction. But if you remove the front element, turning the lens into a 370mm, there is no red correction. This is the basic reason that convertibles aren't as sharp with an element removed. BUT if you use the single element to project on ortho film, which isn't red senstive, PRESTO, the lens is bunch sharper. You just have to remember that red light in the field will print dark. Normally no big deal. By the way, all this assumes you're using a full-scale ortho film, like Ilford Ortho+, and not a process-type film as mentioned in the previous responses. The Ilford is said to have a speed and amenability to developers similar to FP4+. I've shot it at about EI 80, developing in Rodinol at times prescribed for FP4+ with good results. (2) One of the other responses to your inquiry referred to ortho film as a means of mimicking the look of archaic work. Yes, it seems that many LF photog's have done that, including myself. Without a lot of fuss and using the procedure I just noted I've gotten interesting, kind of archaic-looking portraits OF MEN. It kind of accentuates every vein and crevice in the face, makes the eye-sockets dark and moody and that kind of thing. Darkens the lips. Do not try this with women (I don't care if I am accused of sexism in this connection, inasmuch as I am concerned about your health). It is pointed out in "The Film Developing Cookbook", by the way, that much the same effect can be achieved by using a No. 85 blue filter with panchromatic film. One last thing (3) ortho film is cheap. -jeff buckels (albuquerque nm)

[Dave Schneidr]

Speaking of masking and the like..... I have started using Kodalith 2556 for making contrast reducing masks. I've just started doing this so have a lot of work to do before I really know what I'm doing. One basic technical question. I would like to make masks for some 6x9 negs. Where can I punch a registration hole if I am not willing to sacrifice the negs next to it on the roll? The borders on 120 film are too narrow. My one thought waas to carefully tape a strip on the edge of the film, perhaps another piece of film or just a wide piece of tape. What do others do? What sort of tape would be stable, rugged and not heat sensitive?

[David F. Stein]

Look for the View Camera web site or index; Steve Simmons did a nice article on using Ortho film a couple years ago.

[Wayne]

Dave, try this

http://www.vanguard.edu/DMcNutt/Photo/Art1Sidebar.html

[Jason_1622]

Actually, I haven't bought it yet. It was only a few bucks for a box of 50 sheets, but I didn't pick up any boxes until I knew I could do SOMETHING with it. I DO remember the kodak guy saying it was the type used for things such as screenprinting. If I could do something with it, I'll play around with it and see if I can make anything interesting. Referring to the above, I've seen the Starn brother's work before. What part of it is a product of the ortho film? Their work is so busy and complex that it's hard to tell what is what... Anyway, I just thought a new type of film would be fun to play with...

[Dave Willison]

Jason:

If you get a chance, check out Any Grundberg's book on the Starn Twins (still in print and available from Amazon). The catalog descriptions list at least twenty works using ortho film. They also use standard paper and in book format it's sometimes hard to see the difference. Most of these images are projection printed on multiple sheets of film (sometimes as many as 20-30) which have been taped or pinned against a large wall. The film is then developed and reassembled using tape, plywood, pipe clamps, etc. I've seen more recent work where the Starns have collaged film or collaged images on single sheets and placed them in a large lightbox.

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