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| Very high contrast grade 0 |
A
recently developed set of negatives have shown themselves to be very contrasty
even by my standards.
During the summer I was on an early morning shoot, when I came across these
scenes. They were not the easiest pictures to meter, there was a six stop
difference between the light areas and the shadows in some cases. Two things
drew me to them: the way the shadows of
the leaves danced on the walls in the gentle breeze and the other was a brief
thought that they would be a challenge to split grade print.
 |
| Soft grade 0 |
It has been
suggested that split grade printing works better when the contrast stakes are
raised. In these cases they maybe unprintable. The pictures were made using 120
format FP4+ developed in ID11 for 14 mins I know this is longer than what is
recommended but I have found I have a tendency to under expose when using
medium format cameras.
I used Ilford
multigrade developer and RC paper. I tend to use RC papers in the initial
stages or until I'm happy that the picture warrants printing on FB paper.
 |
| With grade 5 added |
I started
the grade zero test print for the Gate but it became clear while I was doing
the timed segments that I may not need a grade five test because the contrast was very high even for zero. I
chose sixteen seconds for the gate picture to illustrate the degree of contrast
this negative has. The window shutter picture also proved to be overly
contrasty as well. I was quite happy with the results until I did a second
print with the grade five added which now makes the first print look soft. It
just goes to show how things change when you start to explore the subject at
different settings. None of the prints have been manipulated by dodging or
burning in which could class them as the perfect prints?
With camera
in hand I stroll out into a bright day with a gentle heat, fanned by a breeze
that shifts the leaves on the trees. Now looking at the image in the view
finder that is alive with dancing shadows I wait with finger poised touching
the trigger in growing anticipation, waiting, waiting for the right breath of
wind to push the shadows into place to complete the composition the eye so
lusts for.
Click!
anticipation spent, I turn away moving to the next flirtatious view to seduce
my eye and so the day is flirted away click by click. Before I know where I am
an entrancing morning has been teased away.
