Re: Shooting big

tomf2468@usa.pipeline.com
Wed, 1 May 1996 23:11:48 GMT

On Thu, May 2, 1996 4:07:32 AM, Clyde Soles wrote:

>Re: Enlarged negative methodology
>
>I'm just starting to shoot big (7 x 17) and am on my first box of HP5+.
Prior to
>this, I hadn't used Ilford film much. Currently I am shooting at 800 and
>processing for 13 min (double time) in TMAX RS developer using BTZS film
tubes.
>All of this based on Fred Newman's advice -- the negs are definitely
contrasty.
>My goal is negs for pt/pd (at which I am a complete beginner).
>
>I would appreciate any recommendations you might have for film/developer
combos.
> CLIP

Hello, I too use HP5+ for my large format (11x14 camera) platinum work. I
would suggest that you are underexposing your film badly. I shoot my HP5+
at an EI of 160 in daylight, 125 in tungsten. That is about 2 1/2 stops
more than you. Alternative processes tend to require more contrast in the
low values than silver gelatin, because they are so often "self masking".
The best way to do this is to overexpose, moving the low values up onto the
strait portion of the film curve. My spot meter, incident meter, flash
meter, Nikon F-2 meter, and Pentax 67 meter are within 1/3 stop of each
other, so I think my numbers are close to right.

I based these numbers first on actually printing different negs, and then
came up with a "rule" for "alternative process". Print a few of your negs
that have a lot of zone 3,2,1 info. I suspect you ll find you get either
smoke (weak blacks) or mud (good blacks but no definition in them). If so
try my rule : I shoot a zone zero neg at the manufacturer's recommended
ASA (basically you get film base plus fog), then shoot a series of zone 2
negs at different EI's. The EI that produces .3 density units above the
zone zero is my "baby". For "alternative process" work I find zone 2 a
better standard than the usual "silver gelatin" standard of zone one. Zone
2 is "equal" to zone 8. They are both the threshold of detail, rather than
just barely being tone.

As for developing, I'm very happy with my HC-110 at 30ml of pure to each
liter of water, 10:15 at 70 degrees F, in trays (well I'm not so happy with
that, but I always find something else to spend my money on rather than a
Jobo!!). This puts my zone two at 0.5 density units (HP5+ has a lot of
FB+F) and my zone 8 at 1.7 density units. This prints as normal for me
with 50/50 plat/palladium and 50/50 #1 and #2PD. Hope all of this helps.