Use of X-ray film: technical discussion with example images

Well, I've controlled my contrast, perhaps a little too much?

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8110/8...898776fd_b.jpg
2013 Photography Major Freshmen by Lee Smathers, on Flickr

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8391/8...e887ec9e_b.jpg
Photographers Photographing Photographer by Lee Smathers, on Flickr

Korona 8x10, Schneider Symmar-S 210
Fuji HT-A (High Speed Green Sensitive X-Ray) @ ISO 200 (negative not stripped)
Rodinal 1:100, 6 min 20 C (Tray Developed)
Ilford Multigrade RC Contact Print, no filter

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Originally Posted by Corran

Here's an old image, re-scanned properly since I didn't have a working scanner at the time and just did a contact print and posted that. Thinking about printing this one pretty big (40x32) for a competition/gallery show coming up.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sXKcIeeleq...itch-20x24.jpg

Fuji HR-T, ISO 50, Rodinal 1:100, stripped.

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Love it. Very nicely done both compositionally and technically

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Originally Posted by Jody_S

This does mean washing and hanging to dry twice, once after dev. and once after stripping.

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Jody, any particular reason for not stripping at some point just after fixing? I haven't done any stripping yet myself...well...I have stripped myself...before...just not any X-ray film...I mean, I'm not against stripping...just not while stripping...stripping after stripping is OK, but not before stripping...but you guys do what ever you want in the privacy of your darkroom...

Thank you Lee, andreios, and Sergei! The light-colored foliage is due to the green sensitivity.

I am re-evaluating my old negs with my new scanner. I have been underexposing the film I think.

And Lee, those shots look good!

Evangeslist: I like that pair of photographs, a great example where the idea, and the two pictures, are stronger than either individual image. Personally, the contrast looks fine on my (uncalibrated) monitor, but then at least two of the people who taught me how to print leaned towards the low-contrast edge of things.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Corran

Thank you Lee, andreios, and Sergei! The light-colored foliage is due to the green sensitivity.

I am re-evaluating my old negs with my new scanner. I have been underexposing the film I think.

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My foliage doesn't look like that at all with the high speed green sensitive HR-A film. They're evergreens so maybe when it warms up I can get this look with the other trees. I think the ISO of my film is around 160. I might start shooting at 160 and play with different developing times now.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Corran

Thank you Lee, andreios, and Sergei! The light-colored foliage is due to the green sensitivity.

I am re-evaluating my old negs with my new scanner. I have been underexposing the film I think.

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Man, Corran that is gorgeous. Can't wait to try mine out in the park this Spring.

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Originally Posted by Peter Lewin

Evangeslist: I like that pair of photographs, a great example where the idea, and the two pictures, are stronger than either individual image. Personally, the contrast looks fine on my (uncalibrated) monitor, but then at least two of the people who taught me how to print leaned towards the low-contrast edge of things.

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Thanks Peter. These weren't planned. They were more like snap shots. I was shooting something else because the light was gorgeous. It went away before I could shoot it. The students saw me and I offered to get their portrait. The movements were all messed up because the lensboard tilt is broken. I was really happy when this image developed. 8x10 is awesome! And just saying I shoot xray film is fun too. I feel like I'm doing 8x10 Lomo or something.

Well down here all of the pines and cypress must be right in the area of greatest spectral sensitivity as they are always bright white like that. I am going to try one of these days shooting at ISO 25 and developing in Rodinal 1:200. This was something I think Holden talked about, to compress the tonal range so much that the high values from the green trees became more normal, or something like that. I like the look sometimes but other times it's a bit much.

Also, dense areas on the negative were really grainy with my old scanner with this film. Not so with my new scanner so I feel more comfortable giving it more exposure.

Thanks Shawn. I'm still learning this film though. Luckily I have 3 boxes in reserve! I need to get back into it, I haven't shot 8x10 in months.