Films For Vintage Look

[Two23]

I've been diving into photo history for the past half year, reading up on people like Talbot and Henry Jackson. I've been looking over their photos online, in a few books that I've bought, and have seen a few other actual prints from mid 1800s in museums. I like the look. This year I've been shooting a c.1937 Voigtlander Bessa and now a c.1914 Kodak Special No. 1 (both 6x9) using Ilford HP5. The uncoated lenses (both antistigmats) are giving me a big part of the look I want, but there's another elusive quality that I'm not getting. Reading further I learned that the old wet plates they used weren't sensitive to red light but the newer "pan" film I use is. That's part of it. I've thought about shooting wet plates, but just don't see that as very practical for me. After all, I live in a place that's below freezing (well below, LOL!) much of the year and I'm an outdoor shooter. So, I've begun looking for oddball film of the type that B&H doesn't sell. I intend to use 4x5 sheet film in my Shen Hao, and am searching for a pre-1880 vintage lens for it. (Barrel lens, of course.) I've been finding "ortho" films that sound interesting. They aren't sensitive to red, and have an ISO 3. The other film that might work for me is Efke ISO 25. The low ISO will help to give me exposure times I can count with a stop watch. SO, anyone have any suggestions? How are these films (or others) in use? What's a good film for a guy who is too lazy to get into wet plates?


Kent in SD

[Jim Noel]

Ilford Ortho is faster. any ortho Lith film will approach the look..
You mention the speed of "3" for some ortho films. That is significantly faster than the sensitizers used by Talbot, Jackson and other early workers. The slow speed is what smoothed out flowing water, showed movement in the trees, etc.
If you truly want to get the "look", you will need lenses from the period also.
To get the "Talbot" look you will need to make salt prints, not gelatin silver.

[Chauncey Walden]

Try this: http://www.freestylephoto.biz/12545-...ets?cat_id=404

[dwross]

Gelatin dry plates are easier to make than wet plates, but probably not enough so to get you to consider d.i.y. so if you use a blue C5 or C4 filter with regular pan film, you will get a close approximation of color-blind (i.e. UV-only sensitive) emulsion. You should try ortho film, too, but I'm guessing its look isn't as retro as you're aiming for.

Great fun to you. The old lenses are a blast to shoot with.
d

[EdWorkman]

Try a blue filter, it will cut the speed and get you close to a "pre ortho" look. If you are using an "ortho film with speed near 3", i assume you are trying 'ortho-litho" that has a basic high contrast emulsion. Filters on a non-lith emulsion should give a better "old" look and less hassle to attain continuous tonality.

[Two23]

Great suggestions. I am familiar with filters and have them, but didn't think of it. Blue filter makes perfect sense. I'll try it out with my HP5 since I already have it.


Kent in SD

[CG]

Try a blue filter ...

You beat me to it. That's just what I was thinking.

[Chauncey Walden]

I tried a sharp cutting blue on pan film but it is not the same as using ortho. Please don't confuse ortho and ortho-litho as they are two different animals.

[Two23]

Please don't confuse ortho and ortho-litho as they are two different animals.

Who is selling ortho in 4x5 now? Can you give me a link? I would give it a try if you think it will do what I want.


Kent in SD

[seabird]

Who is selling ortho in 4x5 now? Can you give me a link? I would give it a try if you think it will do what I want.

Freestyle have ortho under their "specialty" B&W film heading: both Adox and Efke brands

See for eg http://www.freestylephoto.biz/c407-B...pecialty-Films

Cheers