Weird reflection?

[Cor]

This summer I made this 4*5 negative while beeing in Poland: it's the wooden church of Orawka. The image was shot through a 70 red filter (Cokin) on MACO IR film (At 2 ASA). Processed in PyrocatHD in a JOBO.

I used a Linhof Technika III, and an older (probably single-coated) Super Angulon 8/90mm at f 32 (max raise, camera slightly pointing up to get the cross on top in the image). Exposure around 8 seconds

It was around noon. I was standing under the trees surrounding the church and the little graveyard. There were no trees in front of me, except a small branch with leaves, uppermost right corner, sweeping around in the wind.

Nevertheless the resulting print shows branches, and a tree trunk in the upper left and right corner, which were not there. It looks almost as if I made the shot through a window, and that you see the reflections in a window of what is behind of you.

Could it be that the square Cokin filter in front of the lens is able to reflect light from behind me and thus expose film?

If I take out the filter the filter itself is perfectly capable of acting as a mirror, ie it reflects the light of my computer monitor when the screen is behind me and I look through the filter..

I made 2 shots than, different exposure times, both show the same thing, so I guess that rules out any pre-exposure of these sheets (pretty hard anyway)


Any insight?

Thanks

Cor

Find attached the image and a cloe up

 

[Poco]

I think you've nailed it -- reflection off the filter. I've had a center filter reflect the open aperture during the shutter click right back through the lens resulting in what looked like the typical lens flare artifact, only black instead of white. Sometimes weird stuff just happens.

 

[Cor]

Thanks, so it can happen. To bring the question a bit more on topic for this forum perhaps: how could I suppress these reflections during printing, without resorting to digital. The upper right corner I already burned in extensively, but the upper left corner is a problem..

Best,

Cor

I think you've nailed it -- reflection off the filter. I've had a center filter reflect the open aperture during the shutter click right back through the lens resulting in what looked like the typical lens flare artifact, only black instead of white. Sometimes weird stuff just happens.

 

[Poco]

A tough darkroom fix, but I'd first try burning with the softest grade filter possible to only get those highlights. The top right sky is close enough to black that you could just burn after shifting the easel so the sky nails the white specks but the top left would involve filter grade juggling and possibly burning through some kind of diffusion material.

Of course, if you've got the steady hand and nerve for it, you could hit the clear spots on the negative with a pencil to add density and then use burn to get you the final mile -- possibly the best solution.

Good luck with it!

 

[ic-racer]

Like they said it looks like a reflection off the filter. How was the filter mounted on the camera? Was there a way for light to strike the back of the filter?

 

[Cor]

Hi,

It was a square Cokin filter which slides in a holder which is mounted on the lens via an circular adapter. So that always means that there will be corners of the filter sticking out, making these weird reflections possible I guess..one more thing to take care of..


Best,

Cor

Like they said it looks like a reflection off the filter. How was the filter mounted on the camera? Was there a way for light to strike the back of the filter?

 

[Cor]

Thanks for the tips! One thing I do not get though: I want to get rid of those highlights, why should I "try burning with the softest grade filter possible to only get those highlights"..?

Best,

Cor

A tough darkroom fix, but I'd first try burning with the softest grade filter possible to only get those highlights. The top right sky is close enough to black that you could just burn after shifting the easel so the sky nails the white specks but the top left would involve filter grade juggling and possibly burning through some kind of diffusion material.

Of course, if you've got the steady hand and nerve for it, you could hit the clear spots on the negative with a pencil to add density and then use burn to get you the final mile -- possibly the best solution.

Good luck with it!