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Post by GeneW on Sept 17, 2008 9:16:23 GMT -5
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Post by nikonbob on Sept 17, 2008 10:38:00 GMT -5
Gene
You make me want to try and develop at home but it is still on the to do list.
Bob
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Post by John Parry on Sept 17, 2008 14:23:28 GMT -5
Gene
Hadn't realised Hexanon made Leica mount lenses. I would recommend the Hexanons (with their associated Konica cameras) to anyone, but you've already done that with these photos...
Well done!
Regards - John
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Post by GeneW on Sept 17, 2008 15:35:41 GMT -5
Thanks John. Yes, Konica had its Hexar RF on the market for a number of years, in M mount. The Hexanons they produced for it are highly sought after. Some photographers prefer them to Leica lenses.
Bob, it's not hard to develop B&W film, but increasingly I'm finding the process tedious. It takes time to do it, dry it, sleeve the negs, then scan them. Then comes Photoshop or NX2. Digital has spoiled me with its convenience. I'm beginning to wonder how much longer I'll keep at it with B&W film. I like the results, but I'm learning how to produce decent B&W images with digital...
Gene
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Post by nikonbob on Sept 18, 2008 6:45:43 GMT -5
Gene
Your use of the word tedious reminds me of why trying to develop film at home is still on the to do list.
Bob
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SidW
Lifetime Member
Posts: 1,107
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Post by SidW on Sept 18, 2008 17:04:11 GMT -5
Gene, do you do your digital B&W in the camera, or converting from colour at the computer? The advantage of the latter is that you can tweek various parts of the process, try different filters etc.
Regarding the tediousness of developping at home. Like so many others, I never had a permanent darkroom, but got everything out for a session, hung blankest over the window, and then put it all away again. For developing, I would start on the bed with a black bag for loading, then migrate to the kitchen when no-one was looking, and then hang and dry in a quiet room. What finally made me give it up was the drying marks. I tried everything offered in the shops to prevent it, but nothing seemed to work. Now there's no point in starting again. Photographic chemicals are classed as hazardous waste and have to be handed in at the local dump (sorry, "environment centre").
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Post by GeneW on Sept 18, 2008 20:03:10 GMT -5
Gene, do you do your digital B&W in the camera, or converting from colour at the computer? The advantage of the latter is that you can tweek various parts of the process, try different filters etc. I always convert from colour, for the reason you give. You can influence the tonality of a shot quite a bit if you have all three colour channels. And the latest versions of Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, Lightroom, and Capture NX2 all have very sophisticated B&W conversion tools. The other reason is that a shot sometimes looks better in colour and sometimes in B&W. By shooting in colour, you can decide after the fact. Besides, the B&W mode of most digitals is less than optimal. Developing B&W film at home is pretty easy and the only two chemicals you need are developer and fixer. Most developers, once diluted, are not especially toxic. (There are exceptions of course). Fixer begins to fill with silver and shouldn't be disposed of down the drain. One thing you can do though, with spent fixer, is to store it in a container in which you put some steel wool. The silver will precipitate out and clump to this and form a sludge. You can decant the liquid on top and use it as a harmless fertilizer on your plants, saving the sludge for the chemical waste centre. I use a very tiny amount of Kodak PhotoFlo in my final rinse and my films dry without any spots. Gene |
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Post by cyclops on Sept 24, 2008 14:29:12 GMT -5
Gene, I'm really liking that drain pic! I love high key B/W shots like that, its why I love b/W!
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Robert
Contributing Member
Posts: 21
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Post by Robert on Jun 16, 2009 12:18:52 GMT -5
Gene, you've a great eye for subject, I like your frames a lot!
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