Do I HAVE to underexpose if I want to overdevelop and keep the subject's face detail?

[shawngibson]

I just purposely exposed Delta 400 (120) at my normal ISO, and then developed the shit out of it (13 minutes in pyro at 80deg.). I have a practically 2-tone negative from the mids up. It's gross! I was going for grain, and I figured Delta could handle the extra time, but my model's face looks like Tech Pan at 15 stops over exposure. I wanted to try it with Delta because I love it normally...maybe should'a used old tech.

 

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Any similar experiences and (hopefully) fixes for the next time...?

 

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crap

 

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shawn

[shawn_stupidpost]

A bit more info might help: my normal time is 8-9 min depending on

what I've shot. And I was doing this because I've heard that some of

the images I really like are over-exposed+overdeveloped Polaroid

material. I figured I might be able to get something remotely

similar...

[barry_schmetter2]

Shawn,

 

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From my experience, the T-grain films (Delta, TMAX) do not overdevelop

gracefully. Even underexposing and overdeveloping will rapidly

increase the contrast to the point of blowing out a lot of detail. I

think the conventional grain films are a better bet for grainy, but

detailed effects. Pyro is also probably not a great bet for extended

development times. Maybe Rodinol would be better. Maybe you should

either shoot Polaroid or use Photoshop.

[shawn_stupidpost]

You're probably right. Why else would the emphasis be on 'Polariod'

rather than the a simple technique? One of my biggest problems is

I'm always trying to use someone else as a starting point,and of

course I never get it the same, but I do end up with something of

my own (sort of my own, I guess, or merely a bastardization of

someone else's work?--that's frightening...) if I work at it long

enough, and give up on trying to match grain-for-grain,

light-for-light, people eventually say, nice photo, and when I show

them the original idea from a mag or whatever, they don't see the

connection unless i point it out, which is good I suppose. Anyways I'm

babbling. I've come to accept that I'm part creator, part synthesizing

thief...

 

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And speaking of Photoshop, a friend at work just offered to burn my

whole portfolio onto cd in exchange for some actor-shots...looks like

I'll have to put my money where my mouth is. ooo the pressure...can't

wait actually; I'd love to find out how to make my pictures better,

and these forums are pretty good I've noticed at telling opinions of

what is good and bad...

[david_hou]

Hey Shawn,

 

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As mentioned above, T-grain films are not the best for overexposure.

One way (time consuming) to save the day may be the use of different

graded filters to burn in different areas of the image.

 

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David Hou

[andy mcleod]

Without a doubt, if you want grain, use Agfa Rodinal. As it was said

to me, 'it will put grain on toast'. It gives big a beatiful grain,

w/ moderate contrast at a bit over the recomended develop time.

 

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You can get it from B+H for about 5 bucks. It is a liquid concentrate

that you dilute about 25:1, so you might want to get a plastic

syringe to meter out the 10 CC's or whatever that you need. You can

look on the shelf at a drug store- some are made for dosing childrens

liquid med's from a bottle to a spoon or whatever. If you ask the

pharmacist, they will think you are a junkie after you say "syr..."

and freak out.

[shawn_stupidpost]

I shot D400 in Rodinal last night. Developed some rolls at 1:25 . I

developed some at 1:50, and some 1:100. It's hard to see with the

loupe, but it seems the difference in ratio does really make a

difference as far as grain is concerned. Ironically, the 1:100 seems

the <i>least</i> sharp of the three dilutions.

 

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...and I shot a few rolls of D100 at 1:25 at 75deg for 6min; and those

rolls are extremely sharp.

[shawn_stupidpost]

I just looked over my notes. Actually the Delta 100 was at 68deg.

sorry.

[glenn_travis2]

For whatever it's worth, at one time, I shot a lot of 72 exp HP5

which is not longer available. I even had a special Ilford tank for

it. I used to use, I think it was, XP-15, which I got from Freestyle,

although it's no longer listed. I deluted the crap out of it until I

figured I should develop the film for 30 to 45 minutes.

Whether you'll like this technique or not, I don't know, but try it.

I leaned about it from someone who was supposed to work for Life labs

during WWII. Apparently they got a lot of horrendous film which they

developed by extented development just to try and get something on

the negative. I've gotten some really interesting effects. Now I just

do T-Max400 in Xtol 1:1.