Boardwalk

[Liam]

Crown Graphic / 200mm / fomapan 100

Taken this afternoon when it was to foggy for anything else, I am really pleased with this as it is one of the first b&w negs I have on 4x5 which is sharp and developed correctly. But feel free to add some c&c

 

[philthejuggler]

Hi Liam

I notice that you posted this almost twenty four hours ago asking for critique and no-one has obliged. I suspect this is because you say you are pleased with it and yet in my opinion (and perhaps that of others) it is a very weak shot.

I can't comment on the processing side - you perhaps have every right to be pleased with the output - I've never tried to develop my own prints.

From a finished-product perspective the shot looks fairly low contrast, has a featureless sky, and no real focal point. The winding path had the potential to draw the eye through the shot, but it has nothing interesting to draw it to. If I'd taken that on a digital camera it would have been deleted on chimping.

I sorry to be so negative & congrats on the successful processing - hopefully the next one will be a stronger composition.

Phil

 

[Liam]

Hi Phil thanks for the crit, I remember when I first set the camera up I did feel it needed something for your eye to be drawn in to but it was to foggy. I was hoping that the curvy boardwalk would be enough but its probably not.

I have been having problems with developing this film for a while so to finally crack it must have lowered my standards a bit

 

[Matt]

the processing looks very good, i have no idea about the technical aspects of that so wont touch on it, but for the shot itself Phil is right, perhaps if you could have been further away with the path leading up to the top it may have worked better?

 

[TheBigYin]

I think you've done a good job on the developing and processing the film Liam, and I like the movement in the grasses and keeping the boardwalk itself in focus - was this just a tiny aperture on the plate camera, or some clever manipulation with the tilt mechanisms ?

I really must get hold of a t/s lens and have a play on some landscape stuff sometime - the idea of moving the plane of focus to get almost infinite sharp focus has me coming up with lists of things I want to shoot - I daren't hire a t/s lens for the 35mm (or dijikal) as I just know I'd not want to send it back, and at the moment £1600 is just a bit out of budget

 

[DrewPics]

If I remember correctly a blue filter used on the enlarger should give you better contrast?

Edit: I may not be entirely correct, here;s some much better information: http://shutterbug.com/columns/the_darkroom/0202sb_inthedark/

 

[TheBigYin]

If I remember correctly a red filter used on the enlarger should give you better contrast?

You'd normally use a red/orange/yellow filter on the camera lens while shooting to get extra contrast. If you're using multigrade paper for printing, then you'd use a higher contrast filter - the lower contrast ones start at a yellow-ey orange (00), and end with a magenta one (5).

 

[DrewPics]

You'd normally use a red/orange/yellow filter on the camera lens while shooting to get extra contrast. If you're using multigrade paper for printing, then you'd use a higher contrast filter - the lower contrast ones start at a yellow-ey orange (00), and end with a magenta one (5).

Thanks been a long time since i developed film, and that was only for a couple of years.

 

[Liam]

Thanks for the comments, the aperture was f32 which you would think would be enough but the very most foreground is just out of focus. When using a 200mm lens you need to use movements but sadly my trusty crown graphic has no front tilt

 

[TheBigYin]

Thanks for the comments, the aperture was f32 which you would think would be enough but the very most foreground is just out of focus. When using a 200mm lens you need to use movements but sadly my trusty crown graphic has no front tilt

Aahh - i'd missed that it was on a 200mm lens - I reckon you've done well to keep as much in focus as you did in that case, especially without the front tilt. I know you rebuilt/refurbished the camera - is there no way of modifying the front end to allow a little bit of tilt, or is it more problems with the image circle of the lens not allowing it, even if it did move?

 

[Liam]

Hi Mark, I bought the lens of ebay for £20 as its a bit old buts its for a 5x7 camera so has plenty of coverage. The only way I could get front tilt is by turning the front standard around which I might have a go at today. As this was taken horizontally I would actually need a bit of swing which is also possible but involves a dremel and some guts