this is a scan of a 5x7 pinhole neg ..... 10 minute exposure on an overcast day .... the gargoyle was in a low concrete retaining wall around the front yard of a late 1800s house in astoria
thanks for your compliment --- the answer to your question is strong development (12 minutes in straight d76 at 74 degrees) ........ plus i think reciprocity failure played a role (by that i the buildup in highlight densities that you normally get with extra long exposures, and which i would normally have shortened development to compensate for, but didn't this time) ...