jorn ake Posted June 28, 2005 Share Posted June 28, 2005 Went to Chicago recently and shot a bunch of Efke 25, developed in Rodinal 1:50. The film is pretty great, though highlights blow out pretty quick with sloppy metering in mixed light. Practice makes perfect & this is otherwise really great film, so I have ordered more. Nice Millennium Park in Chicago. Gardens are lovely with the skyline backdrop, and the fountains with the two monoliths of photographs of Chicago residents are terrific. The photos change every so many minutes, each culminating in a spout of water from the "mouth" of the image, followed by a shower from the top of the monoliths and a change to a new photo. Kids love it, and adults wish they were kids. All shots M7 w/50mm f2. <a href="http://www.mindspring.com/~jorn.ake/chicago/index.html">Chicago Photos</a> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtk Posted June 28, 2005 Share Posted June 28, 2005 Fun photos there, interesting architecture... Tech: I'll bet there's a lot more highlight detail than your images are admitting. If you simply set the contrast lower I'll bet you'd get a happier ratio between sky/cloud/highlight detail and facial detail. Faces are much too dark. Since this is digital imagery, even with Rodinal, surely it's no sin to do a little Photoshopping. Why do you like Efke 25 with Rodinal? Are you making big prints and seeking max sharpness with modest grain? How big are you printing? Djon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael s. Posted June 28, 2005 Share Posted June 28, 2005 While it would be very difficult for me, as a long-time (but now former) Chicagoan, to find any set of photos of my beloved hometown that I *didn't* like, I liked yours quite a bit. And I think this is less because of any particular "standout" photo than because you've managed to convey both the commotion and the comparative calm of that remarkable city. Good job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jorn ake Posted June 28, 2005 Author Share Posted June 28, 2005 Thanks both. I think that as I work with this film, I will get control of the contrast and be able to scan & adjust more proficiently. For one, I scanned these with an Epson 4880. For prints, I would do the scanning using a Microtek film scanner which does better handling a range of contrasts. I would also do more adjustment to areas such as faces, etc. though I tend to like a bit of contrast and darkness. I am playing around with Efke as I am interested in its low ISO that allows me to shoot at open apertures in relatively bright conditions, as well as for shooting portraits under more controlled conditions. Rodinal is what has been recommended, so that is what I have begun with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johns1 Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 Jorn, Squeezing an attractive female with one hand and an M7 with the other: life is sweet indeed! (Now don't ask me to prioritize further.) What? Not one picture of the Picasso sculpture in front of city hall??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCULUS New York Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 I liked the kids under the waterwall, and the "aereal" view of the lake with the smooth surface inside the breakwater and the riffled surface outside. That is a shot that should be studied for future takes by anyone visiting Chicago:It's not often that you get to see vast stetches of Mother Nature quelled. Also liked the fun house mirror bulge. But I have to relay a quick Efke 25 story: My FIRST roll through my brand new Rolleiflex 6003 was my first roll of Efke 25. I knew nothing about either, but fired away at a local architectural wonder. All of a sudden, by frame 8 or so,it was all I could do to place my eye/nose up to the viewfinder. The stench of chemicals coming from the film back was overpowering. I was terrified, but got to 12, holding my breath...literally and figuratively. Back to the car to reload, I checked all of my rollers and nothing was wet (I half expected to see the goo one gets with Polaroid) and was afraid to load a new roll of Kodak, for fear it would become polluted. So, I removed the back and drove home. I let it sit overnight, and went out the next day. No harm done, other than newbie jitters, but boy, when that stuff is fresh, it's FRESH. Nice work, have fun. (I've never used the 35mm Efke) Ray Hull Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jorn ake Posted June 29, 2005 Author Share Posted June 29, 2005 Ray - hope you're still reading this thread, thanks for the comments. Efke does have quite a chemical smell. 120 worse than 35mm. A little head-swimming. Thought it was just me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCULUS New York Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 Jorn, And my lab said they would process it "at the end of their run." I suspect there is a lot of nasty salts etc there that pollutes the chemistry used nowadays. While you do your own, I can't deal with that anymore; but finding B&W labs is getting harder and harder, especially if you hit them with 120. My odd-lot film nowadays is Agfa Scala, and I send it to NYC or FL for processing. Cheers, Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akochanowski Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 A 6003? That's unusual, by chance did you get it off the guy in the Netherlands who posts on eBay? There was a nice one there a few weeks ago that was tempting. How do you like it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCULUS New York Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 NO, I bought it new, 3 years ago from Mike at C-Trades in California. I love it. Cheers, Ray Hull Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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