Re: Nighttime LF questions
A very good effort. I agree the exposure and development appear to be right on.
For such subjects at night I use a level to assure the back is vertical. that takes care of perspective. It stays there and any movements to correct for focus are done with the front standard only. For this image I see no need for any movements other than possibly raising the front. to get the steeple.
When I was in high school in the 40's I think I took several negatives of every church with a steeple within 50 miles of home. Most were done both in daylight and at night. The only 4x5 cameras I had at the time were a pre WWII Speed graphic and the same vintage Graflex. The only usable movement was front rise on both cameras.
Have fun and keep practicing.
Re: Nighttime LF questions
Great project to learn on! A ND filter would not serve you well. You are getting lots of flare from the lights, and using the middle f/stops would at least keep it to a minimum (multi-coated lens?) So you might go to f/11 or f/16, assuming an f/5.6 lens. But it may not be significant.
Composing and focusing is difficult in the dark. Depending on your camera and coverage of the lens, I suggest setting it up perfectly level, with the back at 90 degrees to the ground -- and in theory it will be parallel to the church. Then use only front rise to get it all in. That might simplify that part of it. Unless there is some foreground you need to get in focus with tilt, I would not use any for this image.
I have always been a fan of gridded GG. Still not easy to see in low light, but I find them handy, even in the landscape w/o buildings, etc. But I have noticed that sometimes it is better not to fully correct for perspective. Just a touch can give a feeling of height.
Re: Nighttime LF questions
I had a similar problem as far as exposure goes. I ended up exposing for the unlit spire and hoping to latitude the highlights would be okay. A compensating developer might help in that regard. Once I scanned the negative I applied a digital grad to even out the contrast for printing.
This one in particular https://www.flickr.com/photos/492488...7648484678794/ but that whole set had similar problems.
As far a focusing goes. You're on your own :D. My own very similar question from a few weeks ago and my second attempt wasn't much better.
http://www.largeformatphotography.in...-Focusing-help
I've tried to use my 54 at night and tbh I always get better results with my RB67. Its largely a matter of practice but the fact that Acros is much cheaper in 120 than its relative cost in sheet film makes practising unappealing tbh.
Re: Nighttime LF questions
my first nightshot was in an old section of a city in Georgia, I arrived about an hour before dark and got everything ready and focused there were lots of lights, street lights, light coming coming out of the old shops etc, I took the shot which was a 37 minute exposure on hp4, I cut my normal developing time by around 4 minutes, developed in d76, it worked well.
url=https://flic.kr/p/vCj2Yb]https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/525/19...41f6fb6e_z.jpg[/url]nightingainsvillega by john golden, on Flickr