Toned print developers.

Print developers add another layer of creativity to the analogue experience. Most of us start out using the manufactures suggested developers and do not move on from this but there is life beyond this with a whole range of cool and warm tone developers to enthrall the eye. You don't have to use these developers with the respective papers but they do add warmth to a cool paper and vices versa.

 

Please don't get me wrong! I started my printing journey with Ilfords Multigrade developer, it still has a well earned place on my print developer shelf. It sits along side a number of other manufacturers toning developers. You need not stop here, for there is a range of powdered developers to consider as well. The choice can be mind boggling so it is a case of picking one that catches your eye and giving it a try.

 

I did this with Moersch 6 blue and it has become a favorite. It has been used with warm, natural and cool tone papers. It produces rich blacks and the highlights have a hint of blueness to them. That's the thing with toning developers they are subtle in their colour. It opens up another way of communicating with the viewer. The thing with these types of developer is the more tone you want the longer the development time and the weaker the mix needs to be. The type of paper being used also influences what sort of tone is produced.

 

Technical data:

All the pictures here were made with medium format film, FP4+ and Foma 100 from a 6x6 negative printed on Silverproof matt paper.

Increasing depth of field (DOF)

Hyperfocal distance is not something that trips off the tongue in this modern age of auto focus. In fact digital camera lenses do not have the facility to take advantage of this compositional tool. You just have to compare today’s lens with yesterdays they don't have aperture settings and therefore you can not play with hyperfocal distance settings.

So what is Hyperfocal distance?

When a lens is set to infinity, the depth of field (D.O.F) closest to the camera is known as the Hyperfocal distance for that aperture. If you have an older lens its barrel will be marked with these distances.

How to change the Hyperfocal distance.

Set the lens focus to infinity, and then read the lower mark for whatever aperture you have set. If you then refocus the lens to the lower mark known as the optimum distance you will increase your depth of field by fifty per cent of the optimum.

For example:

This was made using a
 telephoto lens at close distance.
 The use of hyperfocal distance has
 pulled the area of sharp focus
to the front of the ball.

I have used an old 50mm Nikon lens (pictured) to show how it works. I have set the focus to infinity and the aperture to F16. The good thing about this lens is that it shows the upper and lower limits of each aperture with lines on the lens barrel. Looking to the right (marked A) you can see that the last line on the lens barrel is opposite the five meter mark (about fifteen feet). By resetting the focus to optimum in this case five (A). Then look at the lower limit (marked B) for F16, it is about two and a half meters (eight and half feet). The resetting will extend the overall sharpness of the picture by an extra two and a half meters which is 50 percent of the optimum.

The longer the lens the greater the increase is. For argument, an 80 mm lens with an aperture of F22 set, would have a depth of field from 2.8 meters all the way to infinity when optimum focus is used. Instead of 5.6 meters to infinity.

If  hyperfocal distance had been
used with this picture the
 front post would be sharp.
 

In some cases where you do not have aperture lines on the barrel of the lens some cameras and lenses have a shut down button. This allows you to see before you press the shutter where the hyperfocal distance ends. So you can adjust it if needs be.

Being able to increase the depth of field (D.O.F) can be very useful when using medium and long telephoto lenses for subjects close to the lens, allowing narrow fields of sharpness to be moved. This makes sure the front of the item is in focus.

Street Photography part 3

 

It was a wise decision to use the look down viewfinder. It has aloud me
to make some extreme angle and candid images without to much fuss. If
someone catches my eye after making an image of them I always offer a card
so they can get in touch if they would like a copy of the image.

You get some looks when people suddenly realized that you may have included
them in a picture and or have a camera in your hand. You become a demon
that needs a scowl to keep you at bay so they can carry on their way with
there soul intact . I'm pleased to say there are others only to happy to chat.
But here is the rub I do not always print my images to include all the detail and
therefore they may only be a shadow.

 

I have found that the longevety of a project can be dependent on the kit you
use. Which bring me onto the camera system this can help or hinder the
possiblities in some cases. I know some people think I'm cracked to be lugging
a round a Bronica SQAi and that it is film based. You have to remember that it
is a pro set up meaning by changing the viewfinder I have a new angle of view
and therefore a different composition with the same lens, film combination. By
doing this it keeps the possibilities fresh. Likewise a change of lens would do
the same along with a change of film format from 120 to say 35mm.

 

The Bronicas look down viewfinder shows the picture back to front where left is
right, right is left. This can change the look of the compostion making it or
bracking it. It can also be frustrating when it comes to deal with a fast moving
street scene. This is where familatery with the way the camera works comes
into play.

 There are no rules to street photograph you do not have to use the same kit all
the time as hinted at above it is good to mix it up by doing so it keeps it fresh.
Oh! And Keep an open mind.

 

 Time moves on and so do I with camera in hand scouting for the next picture.

 

 

 

Techinal Data:

Monochrome images scanned from prints using flat bed scanner.  Ilford multigrade RC paper.

Pictures and article are the copyright of Mitch Fusco 2023.

Here are links to Preivious posts  on Street photography project if you have missed them.

Street part 2 

Street part 1 

 

The soviets answer to the panaramic camera.

I used to have a twitter feed, Photomi7ch, during the middle part of the other year. I
started to see references in my feed to a camera call FT2. My first thought was
they were talking about Nikon's Nikkormat FT2 as it was the only camera I knew of by this designation but the tweets did not make sense. I had some
how missed part of the plot.

 It was a wired sensation to note that the internet search suggested what I
stated above. In among all the Nikon references was a single mention of a
Russian camera call the FT2 panoramic things were starting to make sense.

On further investigation there is a whole world of soviet cameras that I was not
aware of. Obviously I knew that the eastern block produced cameras but not
such a plethora, the most well known being Zenit, Zorky and Prakticar The
dismissive way people treat these cameras from the soviet era in general is
unfounded. They are well made in what could be called an agricultural way and
do the job simply in comparison to the finesse of western offerings. I think
we spend to much time comparing and not enough time using them to there
best. It is a hang up of an art form that requires tech to produce the art work.
Loosing sight of what is important. The photograph.

The FT2 was produced between 1958 and 65 producing 16,000 of them during
that time. They made two main models series 1 and 2 the difference between
them was a leaver on the base plate that allow you to adjust a spring that
calibrated the shutter speed.

 The FT2 is a swing lens panorama camera with a fixed length 50mm f/5
industar. The turret moves from right to left traversing the image across a
curved film plan. The shutter speeds are set by the positioning of two brake
leavers on the top of the body. This allows the lens to swing at 1/60,
1/100,1/200 and 1/400 of a second. These are set independently of the film
advance. Uses 35mm film set for use with 36 exposure canister's. This gives
the user twelve exposures of 110 mm long.

 

Now we know what the box does, what is it like? It has a substantial feel to it
weighing in at 643 grams empty. It is a flattened cube measuring approx.
120mm long, 85mm wide and 50mm deep with a simple fold up view finder.
When you are looking down at the top of the camera in both hands it reminds
me of those wind up cine cameras . A definite feel of purpose when being used.

The camera has been sitting around for sometime waiting for me to come up
with a plan of action. It is not straight forward to use film wise. It comes with
four special film containers that you have to load with film. That cannot be
loaded from a bulk film loader. As the canisters have a different wind on
connection.

 

 

I decided to play it safe and unreel a loaded film. I say safe it was a very out
dated roll of Agfa APX 100. I came at it from the point of view that if I balls it
up completely it would not matter so much as if it had been fresh film stock. In
a blacked out darkroom I transferred the film into the FT2 film canister's. It

went surprisingly well including the loading of them into the camera still in
complete black out. By doing this you don't not loose a frame to daylight which
would suggest thirteen frames instead of twelve.

With the camera challenge fast approaching I was ready to take part camera
check, black and white film check, topic season.
It was a bright early morning with the sun not that high off the top of the ridge
at south common with some wonderful mottle cloud against a blue sky. As
suggested I used the camera hand held, pointed it in the direction of scene I
wanted to capture and pressed the shutter button. In the blink of an eye the
lens had traversed a 120 degrees of view clonk I don't know what I was
expecting but was a little disappointed with the action.

It takes three and a half turns of the winder to pull the next frame into place. I
noticed straight away that it felt like the film was slipping, that maybe the spool
was not holding the film firmly enough? Now't I can do so carried on.

 
Before I new it the film was finished.

To the darkroom, it was a little bit of a struggle to relice the back from the
body of the camera. Apart from that the rest went smoothly. Three quatres of an hour later the wet film was hanging up drying.

 I had nine good looking negatives I think that maybe the three and a half turns
was to much and the slipping did not help. Next time I will allow for it. Under
the circumstances it was a good result.

 I have always enjoyed the panoramic format of image making. It is more in
tune with the way we see the world but more detailed.

 

Techinal data:

Agfa APX 100 developed at box speed in HC110 for 6 mins 1+37. 

Pictures and article are the Copyright Mitch Fusco 2023