Thanks, Jim! It was a chance to burn up some old collodion that still shot nice but had some minor artifact issues. I shot very clean plates at the event a couple of years ago, and some people wanted to know why the artifacts were missing!
"I love my Verito lens, but I always have to sharpen everything in Photoshop..."
It's not art if it doesn't have some artifacts.
Well done Jose!
Hey Jose, amazing image! In what EI did you rate that T-Max 100, and what about development time/method?
I am getting sub-par results with HC-110, though I have to admit I tend to (sometimes horribly) under-expose.
Here's from today's session, shot with the Aero Ektar on Kodak T-Max 100. I had to underexpose this one (can't get lower than 1/30 with the Speed Graphic's focal plane shutter), but then I over-developed (12 mins with HC-110B) to even things out a bit:
...and I have to say, I hadn't used this lens for quite a bit, and now I remember why. Extremely low contrast and "dreamy" look. I much prefer the modern lenses.
Hey Thodoris,
I can completely corroborate your views on T-Max 100 and I've come to consistently overexpose it by 1 or even 2 stops to avoid ending up with very thin negatives. I actually forgot to do so in the above image, and resorted to an N+1 development (the grain is virtually non existing in a 4x5 neg). I use the Film Developer Pro android app (https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...y.darkroom.pro) which allows me to compensate the development recipe accounting for the temperature of the developer and any pushing or pulling.
I really like the look of ilford DD-X but I find it can result in fairly grainy FP4, thought T-Max seems to hold up better. I hear that D-76 and Tmax is the way to go, but have no experience with this developer (maybe someone can comment?)
Really great portraits on your IG! How are you doing with colour? I'm still struggling with Portra in large format.
I've been using HC-110 for a long time now, which holds up greatly and can be used easily for any format (I shoot 135, 120, 4x5), but lately I feel that there's a little extra "pop" missing, especially in the 4x5 negatives.
I also use the Film Developer Pro application, but I have refined the developing times to fit my process. For some reason the application's times could always do with a couple of extra minutes, though this may be bad metering on my part (for the studio shots, at least) or something to do with the water.
I haven't shot any Portra in LF yet, though I'm shooting loads of it in 120. I feel it's the best color film available, as long as you combine it with a streamlined developing and scanning process. All that stuff goes out to a lab, which guarantees perfect development, and gets scanned in a Noritsu.
Instead, I've come across a huge batch of expired Fuji CDU II 4x5 duplicating film, which comes out extremely nicely when cross-processed in C-41. So, I get credible, good results, for a very low price. Hardest thing is keeping everything proper when home-developing it (on a Jobo CPE processor).
I'd say that the main problem of color in LF portraits is that it needs a hugely different styling/make-up and lighting process compared to black & white. When you get everything arranged, though, it comes out amazing.
Marko
Kodak Aero Ektar wide open on Graflex Speed Graphic and expired Polaroid 55.
Started as an 18x24 cm paper negative...
Large Goniochromatype (ca 40x47cm)
Mother of pearl paint mixed with a little coffee as backing
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