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

[seezee]

Kodak CSG, 8x10, Rodinal 1:125 in rotary, 12m

Svetlana by Sergei Rodionov, on Flickr

Great portrait. Has that 1930's movie star look. Love the lighting.

Thanks octabox on the left, bare bulb with cone on the right. (well reversed )

Can you clarify what you mean by 'cone'? A cone shaped reflector? A snoot?

Agree with Premortho; this has that classic 30s/40s Hollywood glamor look. One of your best, and that's some pretty stiff competition. I just picked up a crummy POD facsimile of Mortensen's Pictorial Lighting & aspire to learn this technique.

I live about 2½ hours away from you; I hope I'll meet you someday & some of your magic will rub off on me!

[Andrew O'Neill]

This thread is for images as well as discussion... of xray film!

[Tin Can]

This thread is for images as well as discussion... of xray film!

Ok. X-Ray film is fun.

[Thodoris Tzalavras]

Wow!!!

Thanks!

Saying goodbye to 2015 with the first successful contact print from the new 18x24cm pinhole camera that I built.

--
150mm focal length
0.5mm pinhole
8sec. exposure

Agfa CP G+ (x-ray film) at 100asa.
Tray developed by inspection in Ilford MG 1+100 at 22C for 7min.

Scan from contact print on Ilford MG Warmtone RC Pearl.

[Jim Noel]

Thanks Jim, and as usual a terrific image.

[Andrew O'Neill]

Ok. X-Ray film is fun.

I disagree. IMHO, X-Ray film is really, really fun.

[premortho]

I don't use a stop bath on large format film. I use a water bath. I leave it in there for 4-5 minutes. I also use a water bath with 120 film if tray developing. I use a stop bath with 35 and 120 in a daylight tank developing sequence.

Premortho, how long do you usually leave the negative in the stop bath before fixing?

[premortho]

Mortenson is good to study, but he is more of a highlight type of portraitist. This is more in the Rembrant van Rijn style. It is also a prime example (as is Rembrant's portraits) of chiriascuro. If you like this kind of lighting, I suggest you go to the local library, and peruse some of Rembrants work. You can learn this technique by shooting a mannaquin with a 200 watt photoflood up high on your right, and a reflector on the left. Keep moving the reflector closer, and farther to get the look you want. I use blue photofloods with ortho film, as all you do is read the highest highlight ( I use a Weston Master meter, because it is the easiest to use) put the highlight reading on zone eight, read the dark side to see if it is zone three or four, and shoot it. Try that, it should get you into the ballbark.

Can you clarify what you mean by 'cone'? A cone shaped reflector? A snoot?

Agree with Premortho; this has that classic 30s/40s Hollywood glamor look. One of your best, and that's some pretty stiff competition. I just picked up a crummy POD facsimile of Mortensen's Pictorial Lighting & aspire to learn this technique.

I live about 2½ hours away from you; I hope I'll meet you someday & some of your magic will rub off on me!

[Thodoris Tzalavras]

Guy Slacklining Between Two Palm Trees

It was late afternoon at a beach in Larnaca, and I was looking for something interesting to shoot with my newly made 18x24cm pinhole camera.
This was definitely not the best subject matter for it, but I thought why not; let's give it a try.

So I made a couple of 8sec. exposures with the young guy balancing on his slackline. He seemed happy and at peace.

Happy new year!

--
18x24cm pinhole camera
150mm focal length
0.5mm pinhole
8sec. exposure

Agfa CP G+ (x-ray film) at 100asa.
Tray developed by inspection in Ilford MG 1+100 at 22C for 7min.

Scan from negative, finished in PS.

[senderoaburrido]

Just developed my first four x-ray EB/RA shots, and they came out okay. Problem is that they are scratched to hell. I knew they were fragile, but man, not this fragile. I'm not sure where I messed up. I always rigorously agitate by lightly rocking the tray. I use my fingers to switch between trays. Only other place I can imagine they were scratched was in the cutting process.

Should I wear nitrile gloves during development, and cut it over a cushioned surface instead of right on the wood art-scythe-board thing? Do you guys have any tips for keepin' 'em scratch free?