Getting ready for bw development which developer?

[Corran]

I get that most do testing of their film choice, developer, etc. I get the money aspects of testing with 35mm vs 4x5 however, using my Canon 1NRS with Tmax100 is an apples to oranges test. The optics are wholly and completely different than my 4x5 optics. It would be like learning to shoot at 1000 meters with a.308 but shooting at 50 meters with a 22 or worse a pellet gun. While certain basics are the same, the required skills tools and knowledge are completely different.

Some make test stripes, some use only 1 developer and some only 1 film ever. This is how they practice and if it works great.

I choose to practice with real thing. I have chosen a film, in this case Tmax100, and I chose to shoot darkest shadow at zone 5 for everything I have done this year. I chose to do real world photography and not test stripes nor trying to rate my film differently than what is on the box. By my using exactly the same shooting technique in the real world on real scenes, I can establish what works for me and my style, not what works on test strips.

My intent here on this post was to get a feel for the developer I should use as my baseline and whether I should just do standard development. I have done and lean towards 2-bath, and semi-stand. I will eventually experiment with slimt in the future. For now, I am trying to determine my style for developing and exposing for a typical scene I shoot. From there, I will then experiment to refine my developing and exposure techniques.

I do appreciate all the comments and advice so far.

Steven,

You certainly are free to approach b&w film developing any way you choose. And if it gets you where you need to go, that's great - for example, I have a methodology for exposing at basically any EI and developing to a "usable" negative that I came up with for using odd and/or very old film. I would not recommend it for general use.

Anyway, in my methodology, exposing T-Max 100 with the darkest shadows on Zone 5 (on my meter!) would be 2-3 stops overexposed, and no matter what hoops you jump through, getting reasonable densities for your higher tones will be exceedingly difficult, if not impossible. But, I certainly wish you luck and hope you find what you are looking for in terms of methodology.

[Peter De Smidt]

I too certainly wish Steven well. This, though, is my impression of this thread, along with many of his other threads:

"I'm not getting the results I want. Please help."*

Help is given, which requires very simple tests that people have known about for decades, and which would only take an hour or two to do.

"I"m not going to do any of that."

What this says to me is that it's a waste of time trying to help.

*These are not actual quotes. They're meant to be summaries of what's gone on in the thread.

[jnantz]

best of luck steven,
john

[Steven Ruttenberg]

Yes, that's it. I do not want help. I am not looking to be a professional and my my thought process may be different than everyone here. It does not mean I do not take to heart what is written. Feel free to ignore any and all posts I may put if it is a waste of your time I do not want to contribute to that.

[Peter De Smidt]

Will do.

[Steven Ruttenberg]

And since I shot all of this bw film exactly same method, I am using Tmax Developer at 1:4 68F 7:30 for everything. Then I will know what to do with my exposure. If necessary I will then do testing and hope I don't run out of film.. The best part is it gives me an excuse to go back to the Grand Canyon and other places often.

And I work in the test world establishing test valuesbandballowablesbfor metallic and composite materials. So I full well know the value of testing. So do not think I do not understand the value of testing.

[wclark5179]

Hi Steven,

My wife and I are taking a short tour of the Grand Canyon the middle of September. We’re on a Road Scholar tour. Looking forward to the trip.

Film developing has a lot of different variables, with a lot of slush built into the system. I like that. I’ve used many developera over the years, finding good features with most all of them. I was stand developing some 35mm film the other day and fell asleep. I found the negatives turned out fine.

I find with this film and photography system, I go with the flow. That doesn’t mean I’m care free, cavalier and casual but I don’t fuss too much as I spend more time getting it correct in camera during the making stage of photography. That includes composition, lighting and posing as three of the basics I subscribe to.

[Steven Ruttenberg]

Hi Steven,

My wife and I are taking a short tour of the Grand Canyon the middle of September. We’re on a Road Scholar tour. Looking forward to the trip.

Film developing has a lot of different variables, with a lot of slush built into the system. I like that. I’ve used many developera over the years, finding good features with most all of them. I was stand developing some 35mm film the other day and fell asleep. I found the negatives turned out fine.

I find with this film and photography system, I go with the flow. That doesn’t mean I’m care free, cavalier and casual but I don’t fuss too much as I spend more time getting it correct in camera during the making stage of photography. That includes composition, lighting and posing as three of the basics I subscribe to.

I would agree with this approach. Are you going north or south rim? I go to both several times a year. South rim take bus to west points. Mojave and Powell are favorites Lipon point is a good one as well. North is harder, but Angel's Window Cape Royal as well as Point Imperial. Just west of Cape Royal you can park, walk across the road and be on the edge, literally.

[Steven Ruttenberg]

Here is a lightning shot. 1 hour 15 min exposure. 2-bath pyro. The second is looking out at Alstom Point. Ev=1 on darkest shadows. With yellow filter and reciprocity I came to a 16 min exposure. Also 2-bath pyro.

The next negatives were also metered at z5 and developed in Tmax at 1:4, etc. These are much denser. When they are dry, I will post up. All are shot with iPhone on light table using PS express and LR for iPhone to quickly process.

[Corran]

Long exposures, really long exposures, muddy things a lot in this discussion.

The next negatives were also metered at z5 and developed in Tmax at 1:4, etc. These are much denser. When they are dry, I will post up. All are shot with iPhone on light table using PS express and LR for iPhone to quickly process.

I bet. T-Max Developer, especially at 1:4, always gave me waaaaay too much contrast.

I wish I had the opportunity to shoot lightening like that. It simply doesn't happen like that here, and/or there's very few / no places to see it (the places I know, are a mile or more out, so no protection + storm = not good). Too many trees. Scan that puppy for real please.