Support our Sponsors, they keep FADU free:   AG Photographic   The Imaging Warehouse   Process Supplies   RH Designs   Second-hand Darkroom Supplies  

Notices

Go Back   Film and Darkroom User > Monochrome Work > Monochrome Film

  ***   Click here for the FADU 2015/2014 Yearbooks   ***

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1  
Old 4th June 2013, 08:57 AM
Guille Zoom Guille Zoom is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 13
Default Problematic Skies

Hi everyone,

I'm just writing to request help about skies...

It seems to me that since I've started printing in my darkroom the thing that it's always missing on my pictures are the skies. I always seem to get this massive undefined whiteness (I know, I live in North England but still) even if it is a blue sky in the background of my subject. What am I doing wrong? is it the way I shoot? or print? do I need filters?
It just makes my pictures empty....

thanks!
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 4th June 2013, 09:25 AM
Carl V's Avatar
Carl V Carl V is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Northwich, Cheshire
Posts: 312
Default

Personally, I always leave a medium yellow filter on all the time when shooting in black & white and this has the effect of darkening a blue sky, and at the same time it makes the clouds stand out nicely - ideal for landscape photography. However, I do also use an orange filter for a more dramatic effect and for architectural photography. A red filter is the more extreme of all, and I only ever use this on the odd occasion.
__________________
Carl.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 4th June 2013, 09:35 AM
alexmuir alexmuir is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Glasgow, Scotland.
Posts: 2,668
Default

I also use a yellow filter with good results, and more recently, an orange one. I tried red, but my results didn't look natural. You can meter through the filter if you use the camera meter, but you have to make a correction if using a seperate meter. I prefer to achieve a printable sky at the picture taking stage as I find it very difficult to burn in sky detail when printing, especially if there are trees, etc above the horizon. Alex
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 4th June 2013, 09:49 AM
MarcAeonDELETED MarcAeonDELETED is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 227
Default Yellow and split grade and cheat

Hi,

As above I too never leave without a yellow filter. I have them for all my lenses.

The next step is to split grade your prints and burn in the sky a little. I use a card with a sort of see saw cut on it to feather the effect.

Going on from that you can mask the sky and cheat another sky onto the paper from another negative. I shoot quite a lot of "skies" when out and about.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 4th June 2013, 09:51 AM
peterlg peterlg is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: living in Luxembourg
Posts: 507
Default

Guille, maybe it would help if you expose the film a bit more and develop it a bit less? that has worked for me and for others I beleive.
Peter
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 4th June 2013, 09:55 AM
MarcAeonDELETED MarcAeonDELETED is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 227
Default

Or, get a Cokin graduated filter in orange or yellow, is another option.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 4th June 2013, 10:02 AM
Lostlabours Lostlabours is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: West Midlands/Aegean
Posts: 1,988
Default

I agree ewith Peter, if you skies are always burnt out it's usually a sign your negatives are too contrasty.

Flashing is the best way to help bring out the sky detail/tone, along with maybe some slight burning in.

Ian
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 4th June 2013, 10:24 AM
Kaouthia's Avatar
Kaouthia Kaouthia is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Lancaster
Posts: 104
Default

Yellowgreen and/or a polariser for me.
__________________
To me, photography's photography. The medium upon which it's captured is of no concern as long as it can do the job demanded of it.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 4th June 2013, 10:33 AM
Guille Zoom Guille Zoom is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 13
Default

Thanks,

This kind of confirms what I suspected it. Too contrasty negative but I like the rest of the image that way so maybe the filters is the way to go.

how do you flash the paper?
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 4th June 2013, 10:37 AM
MarcAeonDELETED MarcAeonDELETED is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 227
Default

Put head on max ( right to the top of the column )

As if doing test strips, get a bit of paper and expose a sheet for tiny amounts of time but not the first bit of paper, keep one section masked off.

Then develop, and DRY the sheet of paper. One of them will show a bit of change, use the time setting of the one before that one. I think someone else might explain that a lot better
Reply With Quote
Reply
Support our Sponsors, they keep FADU free:   AG Photographic   The Imaging Warehouse   Process Supplies   RH Designs   Second-hand Darkroom Supplies  

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
In defence of featureless skies MartyNL Monochrome printing techniques 14 10th September 2010 04:38 PM


All times are GMT. The time now is 05:36 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.