steve_robb1

This is a super-simple thought taht probably isn't ideal, nor in the vein of what you're after, but... after pumping up yoru contrast, have yo utried using an 'undo brush' to 'paint in' the eyes? Sorry, just making the assumption here that you're using PS or something of the sort.

I haven't used Diafine or acufine, but I use good old Xtol as my regular developer. With that I've successfully pushed tri-x to 3200, and pulled it to 100. From memory, it was pretty nice at around the 200 mark, but I still prefer it at box speed... but that's just my opinion.

 

Good luck mate!

Ha Ha! Yeah, sorry about that, I've got a new computer here at work, and I don't know what's up with it, but some of the keys feel a bit sticky and I'm forever fixing "yoru"s and "teh"s, very frustrating!

Thanks Randy,

 

I've still got a semi-decent stash of 160S in my freezer, in 35mm though (good excuse to take an old rangefinder :P ). Do you shoot 'true' black and white while you're out, or do you find that converting the colour neg does the job well enough for you?

Hi everybody!

 

This is something I've been thinking about a bit lately, I've never really travelled too far from home (never more than a

couple days drive), but I'm toying with the idea of branching out a little next year. I'm able to access my long service

leave in 2009, and my head is buzzing with the thought of taking three-six months off and just doing something

completely different! I've got my brother getting married up in Queensland (I'm currently based in Victoria, Australia),

I've also been invited to the Ukraine, so there's all sorts of potential for the new year.

 

The thought that I've been pondering, is on which films to take. Not having put too much thought into it, what ever I

end up doing I'm thinking of taking my Pentax 645 kit, and either my trusty Yashica Lynx, or maybe even buying a

slim digital P&S to keep in my pocket. So, my two main thoughts are, Velvia 50 and Tri-X, possibly some Provia for

the wedding too (that's one event that I KNOW I'll get to), however, the thought did cross my mind, imagine having

travelled a great distanceo nly to get home and develop your tri-x and think "Damn, I wish I'd taken that particular

shot in colour!". So I thought, would it be feasable/reasonable/totally rediculous to carry just a colour positive film,

that way anything that 'should' be in b&w can always be scanned and converted upon returning home?

 

As I mentioned, this is just a floating thought that I entertained and became curious on. I'd love to hear any thoughts

from others out there. I guess, really, that's the beauty of digital, isn't it? ;)

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Steve

I use 1:3 most of the time, from what I've read, the reason people were having problems is because in mixing up 1:3 for a small batch (say, for one roll of 135) there would be less than the minimum (100ml) amount of stock xtol in the mix, if you're doing at least two rolls at a time, you're probably using about 500ml, which at 1:3 is 120ml of stock. That's about what I usually use (either for 2x135's or one 120) and haven't ever had any problems.

 

Diluting will also lower yoru contrast (have I got that the right way around? I think so!), so if you've been shooting in bright sunlight, or pushing the film a couple stops, then diluting can tone the contrast down a tad... or so I've found anyway.

"The entire 645 line from Pentax has built in metering (average, spot, and center weighted)."

 

Just a note, the original 645 (ie, not the N or NII) just have center weighted metering... unless there's a spot metering button I've been overlooking on my 645 all this time :P

That's true, if you're pressed for time, you don't want to be firing away thinking "Hmmm... just how WILL this turn out?"! You can't really go too far wrong with something like Portra I guess, even if you do happen to have colour shift problems, they can all be fixed in the printing.

 

...I hear you on the stockpile of Velvia, I just loaded up on the 50 last month, hopefully it'll last me a while!

 

I'd love to see how some of your test shots came out, and what you decide to do regarding gelling your strobe. Just an incling, but if it were me, I suspect I'd leave it ungelled, just to know I've got that little bit of extra power available, just in case... although, having said that, with a 522, you probably won't have that sort of a worry ;)

Personally, I'd try a belt :P

Hi Steve,

 

If you still want to go the transperancy way, why not run off a roll each of Provia and Astia, and see which you like best?

Ha ha! on a couple of those side links, weird news stories from SA (where I come from)... looks like it's becoming

the new TAS! (Sorry to the non Aussies that won't have a clue what I'm talking about :P )

I had a couple rolls of Velvia in the freezer for a few years before I got around to developing them. I just popped them into a zip lock bag, squeezed all the air out before I popped them in. They then sat out of the freezer just on a shelf for a good couple months longer before I got around to developing them. they came out fantastic, colours and tones looked just the same as the few fresh rolls I dropped in at the same time.

 

Just my experience...

Great post William, very insightful, thanks! (...and I'm not even the thread originator!)

Hi John,

 

You said you were after basic, I think that's the absolute best way to start, have a look at Lloyd Erlick's portraits, I got lots of inspiration from him: http://www.heylloyd.com/toc.htm

 

You don't get much simpler than using a window!

There is a small cup for the P645 isn't there? Never actually SEEN one myself, but I know they exist

"If your work isn't selling, double the price".

 

Ha Ha! I love it!

That's really interesting. I'm planning on spending some time as a 'blind' person in and around town, just to experience it, and also to get a feel of peoples reactions, the way you're treated etc. One thing I want to do while I'm doing this is to take a few rolls of 'blind photo's', I have no idea exactly how that'll work! I'm imagining taking an old rangefinder, sling it around my neck, and listen out for interesting things... we'll see...

"If you buy one roll, i can call my self a manufacturer:)"

 

...and no doubt get some great tax breaks!

...as to the colour, I've used Ilfosol once and mine was yellow too, so that's normal. Although a lot of people relate stories of it dying off quickly mine actually lasted a good while, from memory I stretched it beyond it's recommended shelf life and was still getting good results with the last roll I put through it. Just luck perhaps =D

G'day Ken,

 

I've made some great portrait images using lighting very similar to what I imagine you're doing. for years I didn't like using flash for two reasons, one, no idea where the shadows would fall, and two, I couldn't get my head around it at the time!

 

What I'd suggest, instead of aiming your floodlights straight at your mate, point one straight up at the ceiling, that'll make more of a soft, bounce flash-ish light. the other one, pop it slightly behind him, and between him and a side wall, and pointed to that side wall... does that make sense? So it's pointing away from him. because it's a tad behind him, it might help to kill off some of the shadows on the back wall. Get him to hold something light (idealy a reflector, or piece of foam-core, but you can get away with a white shirt or sheet over something like a big book) to kick a little light up into the hollows of his eyes.

 

Hope that makes sense, I did a few portraits for friends this way, way back when, one is actually still one of my favourite portraits I've done, it's still hanging in my lounge.

 

Good luck mate, let us know how you go.

 

By the way, you can also get lower wattage bulbs for those floods at hardware stores.

Wow... that's all I can say... Emil's images are amazing, a great example of "rules are made to be broken". Thanks for linking to his profile Lex.

I read something from a guy a few years back taht used 110 film, and he would boil it, then let it cool, then shoot... he sure captured THAT look pretty well.

"Put an old guy like me in it. I'm already grainy."

 

 

Ha Ha!

G'day Adam,

 

I've never tried food photography, but I was a cook at a resort many years ago when it was first opening up and getting running, so I had a bit of a say as to which shots of dishes and wotnot got included in advertising material and art around the place. The first thing I noticed about your pics, is that they look just like my "product" type shots! I think I always go a little too minimalist, you know, product on an infinate background. What really stood out about the product shots at the resort, if that they were all put into context. One idea I'd suggest (and am thinking I'll have a go at myself now, just for fun!) is perhaps get a somewhat ornate looking tea cup and saucer from a thrift shop (if you don't have them around home), and set it in the background, and slightly off to the side, so it's just out of your depth of field, then set the choccies on a matching side plate, or even the saucer. ...know what I mean?

 

I'm just thinking of what chocolate means to me (self confessed chocoholic here...), it is warmth, comfort etc etc, and elegant chocolates like your sister is makeing look like they belong at the end of an exuisite meal. So perhaps set up a table as though yuo've just finished dinner in a nice restaurant, I'd even lean your colour balamce slightly to the warm side (indicative of low lighting, and an open fire).

 

Anyway, like I said, at this stage, your pics look just like mine would have if I were to have given it a go, so take my suggestions with that in mind!

 

 

...hmmm, if I can 'visualise' all this, why the heck can't I SHOOT it?!

That's true. I usually use manual mode, but on occasions, say in the street, where I'm using auto, purely because of the quick changes in locations, light etc, I find it a bit fiddley to press the tiny white button to turn the dial to "M", then 'up' and 'down' until the shutter speed is where it should be etc... it'd be great to point, lock, re-compose. ...but then... I guess, does it really matter? My main street shooter is an old Yashica Lynx, I just set the exposure, and run amok. I might re-check what's going on if the weather has changed significantly, otherwise...