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 printing techniques

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

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #11  
Old 16th February 2019, 11:12 AM
longhouselife
guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard Gould View Post
When \i was starting out, 60 years ago, I learnt more from simply taking photographs and printing them than any amount of testing or books, one very simple book to learn the bascics of using a camera and then developing and printing, I have done basic tests, such as testing various film developers against Rodinal, or sometimes different papers in warm tone or standard paper developers when I try a new paper, but being a Jerseyman, I don't like wasting money and as soon as I find out what happens I simply get on with it, just get to know your film/developercombos by using them untill you know exactly what it does, printing the same, no amount of reading in the early days, or running tests or anything else will help you, it only come from experiance and trial and error, you can learn more from prints that go wrong or films that don't quite work out as you think they should than any amount of formally testing this and that my advice is if you want to learn how to get the best out of your photography is simply takeing and printing photographs, leave testing Ect alone until you know your film developer paper backwards, then if you want to start testing, but I would bet that you won't need to conduct that many tests unless you become a photographer that finds this more interesting than actualy taking photographs, no offence intended but I know and have known many photographers that spend all their time conducting tests and never making actual photographs,
Richard
Yes, I agree.

I know many in my world of Outdoor Adventure that can tell you everything about a Canadian Canoe, this stroke and that stroke etc but have never really used one for its purpose... Going places. That is what I do/did/shall do again..!

Your style is probably how I am working now in the darkroom at least. I understand the correlation between light and exposure/aperture, can tell a flat/contrasty, under/over exposed print from each other, know about dodge and burn, a little about split-grade... I make some test strips, adjust where needed to get a ball park exposure, check contrast - adjust as required to taste, make a print, think about what I could do to improve to taste - consider what process I need to change ar add/deduct to make those 'improvements', make another print or consider how to get one from the limits I'm bound by....

Look at the empty pack of paper...! Think 'bu**er' I just ordered materials, now I need to order again
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 16th February 2019, 11:26 AM
MikeHeller MikeHeller is offline
Print Exchange Manager
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: North Wales
Posts: 1,280
Default

I would echo Richard's comments above. Take photos. Experience is the best teacher - you win some and lose some. I still do.

Running tests is fine if you enjoy doing them but if you want to TAKE/MAKE photos - Takeing and makeing them is the best teacher. Do not overcomplicate this by having too many variables - different films, developers, paper etc.
Mike
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 16th February 2019, 11:50 AM
Richard Gould Richard Gould is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Jersey Channel Islands
Posts: 5,433
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by longhouselife View Post
Yes, I agree.

I know many in my world of Outdoor Adventure that can tell you everything about a Canadian Canoe, this stroke and that stroke etc but have never really used one for its purpose... Going places. That is what I do/did/shall do again..!

Your style is probably how I am working now in the darkroom at least. I understand the correlation between light and exposure/aperture, can tell a flat/contrasty, under/over exposed print from each other, know about dodge and burn, a little about split-grade... I make some test strips, adjust where needed to get a ball park exposure, check contrast - adjust as required to taste, make a print, think about what I could do to improve to taste - consider what process I need to change ar add/deduct to make those 'improvements', make another print or consider how to get one from the limits I'm bound by....

Look at the empty pack of paper...! Think 'bu**er' I just ordered materials, now I need to order again
Looks like youv'e got printing down, just more practise,with film developing don't be surprised if with FP4 you get slightly thin negatives with Rodinal, I have found Ilford film sometimes needs a minute or 2 more than the suggested times, with Rollei I have only tried Retro and all my experiance with it was bad, I stick to Fomapan, after 16 years of using Fokmapan and Rodinal I have preety much got it nailed, but even after 60 years things still go wrong, for instance last Tuesday I developed 2 rolls of 120 one from one of my Rolleiflex's and one from a Voigtlander 1936 baby bessa, followed my normal procedure, new bottle of Rodinal, and both films were very thin, not developer as the edge marking was nice and dark, yesterday I developed 2 rolls from the same cameras, pretty much same light,same metering(Rollei built in meter tested against a Weston Master 5 Voigtlander using Weston, same bottle of developer, same way,time everything same and this time lovely negatives, so it happns to the best of us and I still don't know what happened plus it is surprising how quickly film and paper goes, but in the grand scheme of things film and paper are still fairly cheap
Richard
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 16th February 2019, 04:58 PM
JimW JimW is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Worcestershire
Posts: 844
Default

Quote:
Experience is the best teacher - you win some and lose some. I still do.
Guided experience might be even better. I had a lot of 'experience', but wasn't making any real progress. I then went out again with a notebook, and noted everything. I noted what I was trying to achieve, what I did to move towards that goal, and what actually happened. I could then look back and 'guide' myself to a better process next time.
If I had had a tutor, that would have helped too, but books and forums (fora?) are a great help too. Best piece of photo kit I have ever bought? A notebook. Best technique? Joined a forum.
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 16th February 2019, 05:40 PM
Brock's Avatar
Brock Brock is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: St Andrews
Posts: 698
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by JimW View Post
Guided experience might be even better. I had a lot of 'experience', but wasn't making any real progress. I then went out again with a notebook, and noted everything. I noted what I was trying to achieve, what I did to move towards that goal, and what actually happened. I could then look back and 'guide' myself to a better process next time.

If I had had a tutor, that would have helped too, but books and forums (fora?) are a great help too. Best piece of photo kit I have ever bought? A notebook. Best technique? Joined a forum.


I agree with Jim. I’m not a great one for pure testing but a lot of time, materials and money can be wasted in learning from your own mistakes. In most cases, mistakes don’t tell you anything unless you already know what you’re doing. The information contained in good books can be a great short cut - a personal mentor even more so.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
__________________
The Online Darkroom
www.onlinedarkroom.blogspot.com
Reply With Quote
  #16  
Old 17th February 2019, 04:53 PM
JimW JimW is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Worcestershire
Posts: 844
Default

Quote:
a personal mentor even more so
You offerin' to help me? Anything on paper negs would be useful, and X-ray film in Large Format is my next personal project....
Anything I can offer in return?
Reply With Quote
  #17  
Old 18th February 2019, 01:06 PM
Terry S Terry S is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Southend on Sea, Essex, England, UK
Posts: 3,797
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by JimW View Post
You offerin' to help me? Anything on paper negs would be useful, and X-ray film in Large Format is my next personal project....
Anything I can offer in return?
You should be able to find lots about paper negs, as they are very popular projects. A good place to start would be to check out the following website:

https://www.andrewsanderson.com/

And then not quite as much info about X-ray film in pinholes etc. but there is still quite a lot dotted around. I've been reading here and there as it is also a project I'm hoping to get off the ground soon.

Terry S
Reply With Quote
  #18  
Old 18th February 2019, 04:00 PM
Brock's Avatar
Brock Brock is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: St Andrews
Posts: 698
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by JimW View Post
You offerin' to help me? Anything on paper negs would be useful, and X-ray film in Large Format is my next personal project....

Anything I can offer in return?


Haha. I need mentoring in those areas as well!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
__________________
The Online Darkroom
www.onlinedarkroom.blogspot.com
Reply With Quote
  #19  
Old 19th February 2019, 01:16 PM
JimW JimW is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Worcestershire
Posts: 844
Default

Quote:
And then not quite as much info about X-ray film in pinholes etc. but there is still quite a lot dotted around. I've been reading here and there as it is also a project I'm hoping to get off the ground soon.
I went here....
https://www.largeformatphotography.i...ght=X+ray+film
Hope it helps.
Reply With Quote
  #20  
Old 19th February 2019, 01:41 PM
Terry S Terry S is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Southend on Sea, Essex, England, UK
Posts: 3,797
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by JimW View Post
Thanks for that Jim. I've seen this link before and only skimmed through the majority of the 522 pages (to date) of comments, to give me a few pointers. I'm sure it could be condensed right down if able to give it the time to do it...

Terry S
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
Gene Nocon on shooting different ASA on the same roll of film. Thoughts? IanMarshall Monochrome Film 25 7th November 2017 07:46 PM
Zone map for film testing peterlg Top Tips 5 28th April 2013 11:27 AM
Thoughts on 120 film offerings. MPerson Monochrome Film 6 23rd May 2010 08:45 AM
Fixer for film testing Mike O'Pray Darkroom 2 23rd February 2010 07:22 PM
Film Testing Bill Ask Les 2 10th February 2009 03:47 PM


All times are GMT. The time now is 10:28 PM.


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