Paper negatives

[stawastawa]

ohhh nice eye and execution oldParson.

[T.Chabry]

Today I used the spot lightmeter from a digital camera instead of the vintage analog lightmeter and the exposition was a lot better. For once, I'm quite happy with the paper negative.
Now I just have to learn how to better clean the scanner.


River by T. Chabry, on Flickr

Silver waterfalls in Saint John, NB, Canada by T. Chabry, on Flickr

[Oldparson]

Well done! These look wonderful. I use the Iphone app Lightmeter and spot-meter with it.
I would only usually do a max of 10 images in a trip ( 5 double dark slides). I can reload with a changing bag - but after 10 images I need a rest!!

[Oldparson]

Thank you - this was one a series on one trip that made me feel I was getting the hang of this ��

[T.Chabry]

"I usually come home with 8 out of 10 images well exposed"
Out of how many?

Sorry for my question. My eyes must have been out of focus.

I had a light meter app on my phone but it didn't have a spot meter. I have now found one that does, thank you Oldparson.

[James R. Kyle]

Thank you - this was one a series on one trip that made me feel I was getting the hang of this ��

Nice work...

The use of a Spotmeter is the only way I get good images from the Paper Negative process. I use my old Pentax. The way I do this is to meter the highlights of the clouds in the sky, and mid-tones of any given area, and the shadows. IF there are clouds, I will use a Yellow #2 filter. If in shade no. If in bright full sun, I usually choose ISO-6. When in shade ISO-3.

After my three to five readings with the meter, I most often choose an area of Zone five to make my exposure settings. Sometimes I "calculate" from the three to five readings and "average" these together for use with a filter. (A Yellow #2 will lose 1/2 f-stop... Darker filters - i.e.= Orange = I figured that I will lose one full f-stop, and adjust accordingly.) Later on, when I scan on the computer, I can adjust the lighter mid-tones and calm the overly highlights. (I use Photoshop CS-5 with NIK software's "Silver E-fex pro"."

Using a digital camera as a spotmeter is a good idea as well. Good thinking on that part. I will give that a try sometime.

Attachment 221050Attachment 221050

[T.Chabry]

I downloaded your Guidebook For Paper Negative Making on Facebook James, it's very usefull and I will try a yellow or orange filter for next time I shoot a sky. Your sky is very nice on that photo.

[T.Chabry]

What kind of filters do you use? I tried an orange Ilford contrast filter in front of the lens from a window today but the sky is nothing like yours.

The sky was blue and there was some white clouds in the horizon but everything turned out white.

[James R. Kyle]

I downloaded your Guidebook For Paper Negative Making on Facebook James, it's very usefull and I will try a yellow or orange filter for next time I shoot a sky. Your sky is very nice on that photo.

Thank you = I wrote it to help others in their experimenting with Paper Negatives.
(Also try a "Green Filter" = I think that you may lose 3 perhaps 4 f-Stops. You can meter through the filter as well. I personally like the "mental workout" that the calculations give to my mind. (At my age (74) I require ALL the exercise I can get, from ANYTHING.) ;-))

[James R. Kyle]

What kind of filters do you use? I tried an orange Ilford contrast filter in front of the lens from a window today but the sky is nothing like yours.

The sky was blue and there was some white clouds in the horizon but everything turned out white.

Are you Contact Printing? or Scanning? === I scan the Negative, invert, and edit the Positive in Photoshop (CS-5) with some help of NIK Software "Silver E-Fex Pro". It is in the editing where one may find the balance that you would desire for the better gray areas.