MF (6x4.5,6x6,6x7,6x9,6x12) B&W film images sharing

[tuco]

Ball Park by tuco, on Flickr

500C/M, CB 60mm, Expired Acros, D-23

[John Olsen]

jeeesh...John and Tuco - you guys are causing me to be missing my 'blad! There is so much visual/muscle memory in this - I can feel it...like a phantom limb...the phantom Hasselblad syndrome!

It took me years to quit missing my RB67s, but now I'm square (or willing to crop). Go find a used 'blad and get back to it.

[tuco]

John, if Mr. Olsen and I can throw some salt on the wound, all the better... just kidding.



P.I.P by tuco, on Flickr

500C/M, CF 100mm, Expired Acros, D-23

[austin granger]

I've never used a Hasselblad, but I do enjoy the square format.

Lewis and Clark, Irrigon, Oregon by Austin Granger, on Flickr

Mr. Leon's School of Hair Design, Moscow, Idaho by Austin Granger, on Flickr

Tekoa, Washington by Austin Granger, on Flickr

[Willie]

John,

As you go to the Matz Farm are you playing the Cowsills hit on the radio or singing it as you photograph?

(At the Matz farm, Indian Lake County Park. TriX film.)

So some will understand it - two links below. Age appropirate & early version.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMynhMyzuS8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoAsJZJwOYk

[Bernard_L]

That certainly brings some contrast to the scene and I agree that it was soft (though an accurate representation - it is gloomy up here right now ).

Can you explain what you did if you don't mind, I would love to learn.

That's easy. I used the levels tool, in FastStone (Windows, free, takes care of 98% of my adjustment needs), but such a tool is present in any image software. What you see below is the histogram of the values, meaning how frequently does a given grey value occur in your picture. In the first screen capture the peak at the right is the sky values; and to the right of that, just a few specks above the horizontal axis; probably coming from dust specks on the negative. Likewise, there is a range of dark values at the left of the histogram that presumably do not convey much visual information.



There are two sliders for the "black point" and "white point" that allow you to declare "anything darker than this just treat as pure black", and similar for white. Slide them inwards to the "first significant dark value" and last significant light value". Do not touch the other two sliders, called output values, unless you want to create a gloomy picture from a sunny scene (try!). See below.



You can see the effect "live" on the image at left. When satisfied just click OK, or Done, or whatever. Now, just for information, re-open the levels tool. See how the histogram has been stretched left and right. Accordingly, the middle, significant values are more spread apart, improving so-called "separation". The white vertical lines in the histogram are something that aficionados make much fuss about, but have no practical importance, especially if the image has some noise (grain).



Furthermore you can experiment with the middle slider, that re-defines where the middle gray will be rendered. You can make a picture "airy" or "heavy" to your taste.

Final comments.

• The levels tools is likely to exist also in your scanning software (maybe just in expert or advanced mode). Not recommended, because the decisions made at that stage cannot be undone.
• Use digital tools with moderation. If it is too obvious in the final result, it meant it's been overdone.

[Bernice Loui]

Quarter century plus and a few thousand rolls of 120 film in then out of two Hassy 2000FCWs, 50mm f2.8 Distagon, 60mm f4 Distagon, 100mm f3.5 Planar, 150mm f2.8 Sonnar, 180mm f2.8 CZ Jena Sonnar (converted), 2x Mutar and many others (30mm fisheye, 40mm FLE, 180mm f4 Sonnar, 250mm f5.6 Sonnar, 250mm f4 Tele Tessar, 120mm & 135mm Planar and...) before settling in to this lens set, three A12 backs, two A16 backs, PME prisims.. never do the Hasselblad thing again. Lens performance is good, user experience was good and yes the bodies and lensed needed work as they died unexpectedly. Overall, good system but there are IMO better alternatives at far lower cost and better performance.


While the muscle memory has been extensively trained and ingrained to use a classic Blad, they will rest going forward.
Bernice

BTW, images out of the Linhof TK 23s to come.

jeeesh...John and Tuco - you guys are causing me to be missing my 'blad! There is so much visual/muscle memory in this - I can feel it...like a phantom limb...the phantom Hasselblad syndrome!

[John Layton]

Had some really nice Rollei's through the years also - maybe another Rollei (3.5F preferably) would be the simplest way for me to facilitate further thoughts and manifestations of the square...would help to keep my aging brain fresh I think.

[Martin Aislabie]

New Year's Morning, 2022, Eastern Washington by Austin Granger, on Flickr

This is great.
The tones are just spot on.
Martin

[John Layton]

Austin - William Clift (met him awhile ago in Santa Fe) had some square images...years ago in a book called "Landscape - Theory," with broad sky areas, and to get these skies even, he'd tape the 120 films (using the existing film to paper tape) into large loops, which he'd then lay down into long plastic open processing tanks - and simply flip them over and over to agitate. Was wondering if you'd heard of these tanks. (not that you need them, mind you...as your skies look great!).

At any rate, I've got some of these tanks stashed away someplace, and will try them out at some point if I can find them. But if it turns out that I won't end up using them, I'll pass these along to you if you'd like them.