Getting this b/w look

rayonline_nz · Jan 15, 2016

Hi all, I have shot Delta 100, HP5+; and Tri-X at 400 and 250. Using the standard ID-11 developer. How do I get this look?

Second photograph on this page:
http://photo.net/classic-cameras-forum/00dfCF?start=10

Is it some kind of pulling? I read that Kentmere 100 and 400 are essentially FP4 and HP5 with less silver. I haven't shot HP4 though.

Thanks.

Anon Ymous · Jan 15, 2016

I don't think you need to pull process your film to get this look. It's fairly low contrast with not very bright highlights - white parts, combined with a fair amount of true black. Or at least that's what it looks like in the screen I use at the moment (not a great one). I'd say just take a similar negative and try split grade printing. Find out what the exposure with the soft filter needs to be to get highlights like these and then do the same with the hard filter, in order to get such blacks.

EDIT: I need to stress that screen settings, calibration (or lack of) can make things look very differently. Don't be surprised if you get very different answers.

Ian Grant · Jan 15, 2016

That look is from the (litho) printing process.

Ironically in the UK a printing style arose from the multitude of books that came into the country after WWII, I'm talking about Adams, Weston, Minor White etc, few if any here had seen original prints and printed to get the same feel as the reproductions, You can do the same it's not really dependent on the film type itself just the way you print.

Ian

MDR · Jan 15, 2016

If you mean the picture of the house, simply use a yellow filter and/or develop in pyro.

pdeeh · Jan 15, 2016

I'd suggest joining photo.net and contacting the photographer who posted it to ask what his process was.

Plus you need to remember this every time you see a photo on your screen

screen settings, calibration (or lack of) can make things look very differently.

... as can the process of digitisation by the originator and any post-processing s/he applied, plus is it a negative scan or a print scan, plus loads of stuff.

rayonline_nz · Jan 15, 2016

I don't do my own printing yet, only development. I just have the option of scanning now.

I mean the wide tonal range and the smooth look. I looked at my Delta100 film mine tend to be more contrasty.

pdeeh · Jan 15, 2016

You may be making the mistake of thinking that a particular look is inherent to the negative, whereas much of the "look" of a final image will be the result of how the printer has decided to print it, or how, if the process is not wet but digital, any adjustments have been made in post-processing.

There are things you can do to change some of the characteristics of a negative, and that might include choices of developer or techniques like Sabattier (not applicable in this case of course), but you may end up being frustrated if you are chasing a "look" that has actually been achieved in the darkroom (or LightRoom) and not the developing tank.

Hence the suggestion to ask the photographer.

bernard_L · Jan 15, 2016

If you mean the picture of the house, simply use a yellow filter and/or develop in pyro.

+1. Look at other posts by Rick Drawbridge on photo.net, classic cameras forum. His photos consistently have that look. See especially:
http://photo.net/classic-cameras-forum/00daup
but beware: "Because of the pyro's ability to retain huge amounts of highlight and shadow detail, there's always a danger that things can get a little muddy, losing the "silvery" look I'm always aiming for"

I like/admire that look, but for myself I'm content with any long-scale film+dev, e.g.TX400, D-76(1+1). Plus, whether wet printing or s***g "protect" the highlight by keeping them below "paper white"

gone · Jan 15, 2016

As bernard mentioned, that's Rick's, and he generally uses Pyro and slow films, which gives a really tight grain and sharpness. You would have to discuss this w/ him, but he may have done some post work to clean up the web images. He's my favorite photographer over there, and his posts are often gems of good writing and images. Sometimes the shots look too cleaned up for my tastes though. I want to see some grain there Rick!

You should be able to put his name in the search box in the top right corner and see more of his posts. He often gives details on the film and developing.

RalphLambrecht · Jan 15, 2016

rayonline_nz said:
Hi all, I have shot Delta 100, HP5+; and Tri-X at 400 and 250. Using the standard ID-11 developer. How do I get this look?

Second photograph on this page:
http://photo.net/classic-cameras-forum/00dfCF?start=10

Is it some kind of pulling? I read that Kentmere 100 and 400 are essentially FP4 and HP5 with less silver. I haven't shot HP4 though.

Thanks.

looks like exposed at box speed and developed in Rodinal to me; nasty tones in the first image.You will do much better with D76 or ID11

JW PHOTO · Jan 15, 2016

RalphLambrecht said:
looks like exposed at box speed and developed in Rodinal to me; nasty tones in the first image.You will do much better with D76 or ID11

Ralph,
I think he's asking about the second image and not the first one.

JW PHOTO · Jan 15, 2016

rayonline_nz said:
I don't do my own printing yet, only development. I just have the option of scanning now.

I mean the wide tonal range and the smooth look. I looked at my Delta100 film mine tend to be more contrasty.

You also have to remember that these are not wet printed but scan negatives. With some films there is a big difference between scanned and wet printed results and with other films not so much. My pyro developed negatives scan very nicely, but my scanner likes slightly underexposed(thinner) negatives as compared to wet printing. I think Rick underexposes his negatives also, but not sure.

Getting this b/w look

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