Interpretations of a negative

[Shawn Dougherty]

Hi Shawn,
Thanks for the detailed post, very informative. Very nice b/w print too. thanks for sharing.
I have a quick question on your negative development process - could you please share the developer you use. (I currently use Rodinal Stand and tried HC-110 but having over development issues, but the 1:140 dilution could be useful. Will post some sample scans and print interpretations to the thread shortly).
Regards,
Arun.

Thank you! =) If you are referring to my last post, Skunk Run Falls, the developer was Rodinal (Adox Adonal). I've found at very high dilutions, changing the time brings up the shadows more than the highlights and changing the dilution brings down the highlights more than the shadows.

I've gotten away from stand development for a variety of reasons but that is another issue which has been discussed to no end here on APUG. =)

 

[aruns]

Hi Shawn,
Thank you and yes, I was referring to the Skunk Run Falls post.
You make two very interesting observations here on the relationship between developer dilution, time, and shadow/highlights.
I am very curious about your other experiences and observations with Rodinal, such as this. If you have posted them anywhere, please do share the link.
Also, if you aren't doing stand, may I ask you what approach you use these days.

Thanks,
Arun

 

[Shawn Dougherty]

Hi Shawn,
Thank you and yes, I was referring to the Skunk Run Falls post.
You make two very interesting observations here on the relationship between developer dilution, time, and shadow/highlights.
I am very curious about your other experiences and observations with Rodinal, such as this. If you have posted them anywhere, please do share the link.
Also, if you aren't doing stand, may I ask you what approach you use these days.

Thanks,
Arun

Arun,
I sent you a PM with some additional information. =)
Shawn

 

[Black Dog]

I'm quite keen on PCAT for semistand development, but YMMV.

 

[Oscar Carlsson]

Time to contribute to this thread!

Picture taken in Porto, Portugal during a business trip there early 2015. I really wanted a picture of the stonework on the facades, so I went up early one Saturday morning to shoot it. The contrast was pretty high, I used (for some reason...) #8 filter and development was normal. The contrast in the negative is pretty high.

First proof, trying to have some coverage in the shadows, using the #00 filter.



Pre-flash, two cut out masks and several stages of burn-ins with a card resulted in this:



The print is on old, expired and fogged Ilford MGIV FB but the print came out anyways. I've toned it in sepia and framed it since scanning it.

 

[Pitotshock]

So I had a good read through this stellar thread and thought that I would revive this discussion and add in something from a color world perspective as well.
Here is a shot from my Nikon F6 & 24-70f2.8 on Kodak Gold 200 filmstock, developed in Cinestill Cs41 1quart powder kit.

• I have shown the raw negative, digitized by DSLR with macro lens, as well as my attempt at adjusting it in Lightroom (I am not an expert at doing this, so that was my attempt, others that do hybrid workflows regularly can probably do much better)
• First off, I flipped the negative in the carrier to get a mirror image. I just liked the subject going the other way; my preference and each person may have their own opinion and interpretation. There were no letters or writing in the shot that would have given it away, so I reversed it.
• Next, cropped slightly from the original shot. As with most 135 film shots, the aspect ratio doesn't fit the standard print sizes so there is generally some cropping to do. I did perhaps a hair more than just the aspect ratio.
• Final print has a gradient burn from about 3/4 a stop on the outside edges to 1/4 stop by the subject, using my right hand as the tool

Some other notes

• As with most RA4 printing on the enlarger, the work starts with exposure time and color correction, so I would have had a few test prints to adjust color balance as necessary, this one came out at 47M, 42Y and 0C on my Omega C enlarger
• this paper is Kodak Endura glossy, so getting an image (here just shot with my cell phone) without any glare is a bit of a challenge, especially if the paper doesn't sit flat.
• the paper is also long expired giving it a slight yellow/green fog, which I think works with this scene
• paper was developed in Unicolor rotary drums, on a roller base with replenished Kodak Ektacolor chemistry at room temperature (with a stop bath and wash between Developer and Blix)
• Pushpins through a final print? Ahhh, Heresy! Relax, I do this for my enjoyment...

Raw, unadjusted negative

digitally processed (as minimal as possible) to get an idea what was on the negative

Final print as 16x20inch