Hubba Hubba Negatives

[mark]

Ever flip on the lights, pull a neg from the fix, hold it to the lights and drool? I processed one the other evening, and as usual my wife had no clue what I was talking about. She did say "Neat" as it was on the light box though. Oh well. I'm off to drool somemore. You guys understand that this is a sickness.... right? :wacko:

 

[Ka]

It's light, energy, love, joy, a gift, sometimes an obsession, it's food, water, a craving, better than great, a creation, a wonder, always new, every time.... and not a bit sick. I think.

ka

 

[Ka]

And everyone won't "get" it. That's ok. You get it. That's enough.

 

[Jorge Oliveira]

Don't worry, it's Ok.

Or so I used to think before the shrink sarted to apply those electric shock
things...

ops:

Jorge O

 

[Tom Duffy]

Unfortuately, many of my negatives which look "so full of promise", to use Gordon Hutching's term, never seem to deliver that promise to the paper.

 

[mobtown_4x5]

yeah, same here.

 

[Les McLean]

In my experience an exciting negative rarely produces an exciting print but a boring flat negative often produces an exciting print. I've even tried making a negative image from an exciting negative to make the image live and that has not worked either.

 

[Dave Miller]

You know Les, you’ve put into words something I’ve experienced, but not really thought about before. I too have had negative that ‘ jump off’ the lightbox, but don’t print very well whereas the unexciting one’s often produce the best results. Is it that the first sort tend to be high contrast, and therefore difficult to print, or maybe lack shadow detail? Any ideas people?

 

[jd callow]

In my experience an exciting negative rarely produces an exciting print but a boring flat negative often produces an exciting print. I've even tried making a negative image from an exciting negative to make the image live and that has not worked either.

This is so true. But I do love the look of a beautiful neg

 

[Doug Bennett]

I think it may be a condenser/diffusion thing. I use a condenser enlarger, and yes, a very thin, boring negative works much better than those dramatic, contrasty ones.

I've yet to do the work of testing for personal film speed, but I have discovered that, for my enlarger, I can reduce dev times by 20-30% from recommended times, and not be hurt in the least. In fact, my usual practice is a 1 stop pull and dramatically reduced dev times.

 

[jd callow]

I think it may be a condenser/diffusion thing. I use a condenser enlarger, and yes, a very thin, boring negative works much better than those dramatic, contrasty ones.

I've yet to do the work of testing for personal film speed, but I have discovered that, for my enlarger, I can reduce dev times by 20-30% from recommended times, and not be hurt in the least. In fact, my usual practice is a 1 stop pull and dramatically reduced dev times.

I think this is pretty much it for B&W negs. I love the look of a tmax neg, but find they never print how I'd like them to -- experience being a large part of that.

Cross processed (e6 film souped in c41) negs can be stunning and near impossible to print for the same reason. With a crossed neg you can layer it with an unexposed but souped proper neg and make it manageable. I just wish ra4 materials came in grades.

 

[Ole]

I can often tell by looking at a negative whether or not it will be easy to produce a good print from it. It is far more dificult to guess whether I can produce a good picture from it!

 

[Les McLean]

In my experience an exciting negative rarely produces an exciting print but a boring flat negative often produces an exciting print. I've even tried making a negative image from an exciting negative to make the image live and that has not worked either.

This is so true. But I do love the look of a beautiful neg

mrcallow

I do too they are so seductive.

your avatar reminds me of someone but I just can't remember who?

 

[jd callow]

your avatar reminds me of someone but I just can't remember who?

Les, Have you been to Ferndale michigan USofA recently. Of course my avatar is always being confused with (or maybe by) people of significance.