Portals

[KenS]

Ian,

I will often read both 'high' and lower values but usually depend more on 'placing' the high (with texture) on ZVIII+1/3
while letting the low values to fall where they may (since higher values are usually observed 'first) but I also check for middle to low values. I have since re-scanned that negative and reduced both brightness and contrast that seemed to be greater when observing the image 'on-line' after it was posted

Ken

 

[Ian-Barber]

I will often read both 'high' and lower values but usually depend more on 'placing' the high (with texture) on ZVIII
while letting the low values to fall where they may (since higher values are usually observed 'first)

I have recently been watching a series of videos from the late Fred Picker who also adopted this approach by exposing the high values to Zone VIII. An interesting thought

 

[KenS]

The great thing about it is... that it 'works'. I used to have a bit of a 'fight' with my supervisor when I was working at the Agriculture Research Centre he always seemed to prefer the incident light meter values.. which often made it more difficult for me when 'reprints' were requested. I tried to persuade him to read Fred's writings (unfortunately,
to of no avail) he much preferred to 'do it' they way he had been taught.. and usually had to do a significant amount of burning in and/or 'bleaching'/ to the print to achieve a half decent density 'range' that could easily meet the needs of the scientists.

If I send the new file direct to you, might it be easier for you to change the files?

Ken

 

[KenS]

One other 'thought'
While at a Biological Photographic Association conference at Kodak in Rochester, my written notes at one of the presentations.. Both Ektachrome and Kodachrome had extremely 'tight' processing temperature/developing times that did not allow for any variations.
Slide films NEEDED the right exposure... or you were "out of luck". Since many of the attendees were photographing
during medical operations/procedures that had to be right-on the first time. That's where the 'white with texture' on Zone VIII came to be the only solution to being "correct" the first time. That's when I decided it would/should also work with B/W sheet film... and I have been happy to so do for those many years.

Ken

 

[KenS]

This is a scan from a 'back-up' exposure on the second sheet of FP4 for my "portals" series for a Uni. class the first was 'tray' processed as 'normal' in PMK that negative proved almost impossible to scan
"nicely". This.. the 2nd exposure developed 'beutifully' in Pyrocat HD after a few early 'tests' of my
BTZS tubes. (I stiil cannot get decent scans of a number of negatives "tray processed' in PMK (which do print very well onto silver gelatin papers).

This exposure was the base (ground level) of the south side of the University's library to 'show' the reflections in the upper levels of the windows that have a reflective coating on the inside (or in-between) the 'double glazing' to reduce the summer sunshine 'heat load'.


As of to-day, I still cannot seem find the other part of a building (to the north) whose windows are now reflected in these Library windows

The rectangular lower 'portals' are the 'air-intakes' for the university's heating/cooling system.

Ken