White sky with HP5+

[pschauss]

In most of the pictures I take with this film, the sky comes out white. I normally use a yellow #8 ( or equivalent) filter. Would a darker filter or one of a different color make a difference?

 

[BradS]

In most of the pictures I take with this film, the sky comes out white. I normally use a yellow #8 ( or equivalent) filter. Would a darker filter or one of a different color make a difference?

It depens, I think, more on your exposure than on the film. Over exposure tends to lessen the effect of the filter and under exposure can sometimes, enhance it.

 

[Amund]

Sounds like overdevelopment to me, try reducing your development times...

 

[Donald Miller]

In most of the pictures I take with this film, the sky comes out white. I normally use a yellow #8 ( or equivalent) filter. Would a darker filter or one of a different color make a difference?

A number 8 yellow is a fairly weak filter to darken skies. A number 12 or 15 would have a greater effect. For a still greater effect you might try a 25 or 29 red. Another filter that would give you darker skies would be a polarizer. However watch for uneven effects when using the polarizer.

Considering the latitude of this film, I would think that your problems are more of filter selection then over development.

 

[juan]

For a filter to do much at all, remember that you have to have a generous area of really blue sky. You don't say where you are, but where I live, there's frequently so much humidity and wispy clouds, a good, dark sky is impossible regardless of filter.
juan

 

[david b]

I did some shooting this past monday here in NM and the sky was so blue that it actually looks like I was using a red filter, but I was actually using a light yellow 021 filter.

 

[Woolliscroft]

I tend to use an orange, or a polarizer.

David.

 

[gnashings]

pschauss -

I dont know your level of experience, so please take no offense at what I am about to write if its something you already know. I have had the blown our sky problem quite a bit when I started, and it was a matter of over-exposure and metering for the wrong part of the scene. You may also want to look at the level of contrast you areprinting with, if this is occuring in print - you may want to look at that as well.

Best of louck with this!

Peter.

 

[lee]

quick rule of thumb might be to double the exposure (one half the box speed) and reduce the development time by say 20% then look at the skys.

lee\c

 

[Muihlinn]

You should try several options like rethinking the exposure (a good exposure of the ground will wash the sky almost always), using a red/polarizer/orange filter or a combination of some, a degraded ND filter and change the developing scheme to maximize the effect.

 

[pschauss]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. Your comments have pretty much confirmed my own observations shooting HP5+. FWIW, I have found that skies look much better with slower films like PX, FP4+, and APX100.