Good idea to add a toilet to your new darkroom. That way, you can do your business while doing your business and not get everything overexposed. I just skimmed this as it's a bit technical for someone who has just waken up (New Zealand gets up earlier than other countries). But I'll come back to it.
I'm a big believer in the usefulness of constraints, and the need to create them for yourself if you lack a client or customer to provide them. Years ago, I took a trip to attend a conference in London and I made a lot minute decision (as my departing plane was about to board) to take 140 photos (that was the number of characters allowed on Twitter at the time) and post them to Twitter, Instagram, and a Tumblr blog along with a Haiku inspired by the location. It was good fun. Constraints can be very enabling. Only our chains can set us free.
lol. The toilet's my secret weapon. That's a very imaginative idea re: the 140 photos - as you say these self-imposed constraints can be forcing functions for a lot of creativity. Constraints and Process, that's my current mantra.
Print Comparisons 1, 2, & 3, overall and in general, show more valuable, important shadow detail in the 3 left prints. And all 3 prints on the right show burned-out highlights in the horizontal wooden rail on the bottom right of the print.
The golf course shot is a beauty. Wonderful tonal qualities throughout the entire tonal range. Keep the bush by the tree trunk in the lower left. It camouflages the pond's highlights there just enough to maintain the viewers gaze on the unblocked view of the pond to the right of the tree trunk!
Good work with all of your notations, which is always a must.
Erle, thanks for the comments - I really appreciate them. As you say, the digital prints show more detail and are the target I have to aim for with the silver print. Still some dodging and burning to do before I have a final print. I really appreciate your kind words on the golf course shot and your perspective on keeping the bush - I hadn’t thought about it that way and you’re right. Thank you!
Your welcome! And like the 'ghost' tree image, the golf course shot is loaded with apparent sharpness from foreground to infinity, being shot at F16, which is just what this subject requires. A soft focus tree trunk or a soft line of trees in the background would not be appropriate in this composition.
As soon as you said you put the film in the jobo tank and put the lid on I was panicking and thinking about the core. Glad you only lost a few frames. I did the same thing once with a metal tank, popped the lid on, turned on the lights then noticed the light baffle was missing. Glad you only lost a few frames.
Thanks Carl. A heart in the mouth moment for sure. I thought I had film developing down pat only to have it bite me through inattention to detail. A good lesson about the dangers of over confidence!
Great to see your darkroom up and running. I nice set-up. Looks like you're getting excellent results right from the starting blocks. Great stuff! I recently made the decision to (digitally) print at least one pic from each roll of film I shoot. I've not done a great deal in this regard up to now, which is a shame, as there's nothing quite like a physical print (even better when it's a silver print, as you've demonstrated). The results from mine wouldn't be up to gallery standard as I've only got a humble Canon G650 all-in-one but it does a pretty fair job. I've got a Heath Robinson workaround in photoshop by implementing slight adjustments to the separate rgb channels in levels that gives a fairly decent neutral b+w image (and, of course, all the convenient image control that comes with a hybrid workflow).... but it's still not the same as a proper silver print. Horses for courses I suppose. I wish you every success, Sir.
Thanks Ralph. It’s great to hear that you’ve started regularly printing. As you say, there’s nothing quite like a physical print and it’s so satisfying to print your own work and hold it in your hands, irrespective of the quality of the print or the printing equipment. Sounds like you have a good process in place for B&W and getting a neutral print with digital B&W is 90% of the battle. Keep printing!
Good idea to add a toilet to your new darkroom. That way, you can do your business while doing your business and not get everything overexposed. I just skimmed this as it's a bit technical for someone who has just waken up (New Zealand gets up earlier than other countries). But I'll come back to it.
I'm a big believer in the usefulness of constraints, and the need to create them for yourself if you lack a client or customer to provide them. Years ago, I took a trip to attend a conference in London and I made a lot minute decision (as my departing plane was about to board) to take 140 photos (that was the number of characters allowed on Twitter at the time) and post them to Twitter, Instagram, and a Tumblr blog along with a Haiku inspired by the location. It was good fun. Constraints can be very enabling. Only our chains can set us free.
lol. The toilet's my secret weapon. That's a very imaginative idea re: the 140 photos - as you say these self-imposed constraints can be forcing functions for a lot of creativity. Constraints and Process, that's my current mantra.
Your set up looks excellent! And it makes me happy to read you are satisfied with the progress and the results! It is inspiring!
Observations:
Print Comparisons 1, 2, & 3, overall and in general, show more valuable, important shadow detail in the 3 left prints. And all 3 prints on the right show burned-out highlights in the horizontal wooden rail on the bottom right of the print.
The golf course shot is a beauty. Wonderful tonal qualities throughout the entire tonal range. Keep the bush by the tree trunk in the lower left. It camouflages the pond's highlights there just enough to maintain the viewers gaze on the unblocked view of the pond to the right of the tree trunk!
Good work with all of your notations, which is always a must.
Erle Grubb
Print Design & Production
Jackson Heights, NY
Erle, thanks for the comments - I really appreciate them. As you say, the digital prints show more detail and are the target I have to aim for with the silver print. Still some dodging and burning to do before I have a final print. I really appreciate your kind words on the golf course shot and your perspective on keeping the bush - I hadn’t thought about it that way and you’re right. Thank you!
Your welcome! And like the 'ghost' tree image, the golf course shot is loaded with apparent sharpness from foreground to infinity, being shot at F16, which is just what this subject requires. A soft focus tree trunk or a soft line of trees in the background would not be appropriate in this composition.
As soon as you said you put the film in the jobo tank and put the lid on I was panicking and thinking about the core. Glad you only lost a few frames. I did the same thing once with a metal tank, popped the lid on, turned on the lights then noticed the light baffle was missing. Glad you only lost a few frames.
Thanks Carl. A heart in the mouth moment for sure. I thought I had film developing down pat only to have it bite me through inattention to detail. A good lesson about the dangers of over confidence!
Great to see your darkroom up and running. I nice set-up. Looks like you're getting excellent results right from the starting blocks. Great stuff! I recently made the decision to (digitally) print at least one pic from each roll of film I shoot. I've not done a great deal in this regard up to now, which is a shame, as there's nothing quite like a physical print (even better when it's a silver print, as you've demonstrated). The results from mine wouldn't be up to gallery standard as I've only got a humble Canon G650 all-in-one but it does a pretty fair job. I've got a Heath Robinson workaround in photoshop by implementing slight adjustments to the separate rgb channels in levels that gives a fairly decent neutral b+w image (and, of course, all the convenient image control that comes with a hybrid workflow).... but it's still not the same as a proper silver print. Horses for courses I suppose. I wish you every success, Sir.
PS sorry for the long ramble...
Thanks Ralph. It’s great to hear that you’ve started regularly printing. As you say, there’s nothing quite like a physical print and it’s so satisfying to print your own work and hold it in your hands, irrespective of the quality of the print or the printing equipment. Sounds like you have a good process in place for B&W and getting a neutral print with digital B&W is 90% of the battle. Keep printing!
I miss printing in the darkroom so much. Your prints are beautiful. Love seeing this set-up. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Zachary, I appreciate your kind comments.