I might not be a completely incompetent photographer
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- čas přidán 24. 06. 2024
- Landscape photography is a strange hobby. It's a great excuse to go out and explore, but it can be incredibly frustrating. Often, it's failed image after failed image before you get that one shoot that gives you hope. And that makes you feel like you're not utterly incompetent as a photographer!
For this week's video, I visit the beautiful archipelago of Blekinge in the south of Sweden. I brought my trusted Linhof Technika V and four film holders: two loaded with Fomapan 100 and two with NoColorStudio nbr. 12. The latter is an odd film, a film that uses paper as its film base. It's a recipe for something different and has intrigued me for a while. It's time to finally test it out! What could go wrong?
Enjoy this week's slightly more epic than usual landscape photography vlog-or, as the cool kids call it, large-format photography on location!
Love,
Oscar
P.S.
In the video, reciprocity is mentioned, and I want to add that 30 seconds isn't completely unreasonable for some films. Fomapan 100, for instance, calls for 30 seconds for a measured exposure of 5 seconds.
Check the manufacturer's recommendations, and ideally, do some tests before shooting something important.
I also made a blog post expanding on the concept of Reciprocity Failure, which can be found here: www.thatbeardedguy.photograph...
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Photography gear
Linhof Technika V
Schneider-kreuznach Symmar 150 mm f/5.6 (convertible lens)
Schneider-kreuznach Super Angular 90 mm f/5.6
Film: Fomapan 100 & NoColorStudio nbr 12
Fomapan rotary developed in Rodinal
NoColorStudio tray developed in Rodinal until completion
Images "scanned" with FujiFilm X-H2 & 50 mm f/2, using the Pixl-ltr film holder and a negative holder for my Durst enlarger (to hold the NoColorStudio flat between the glass, as it curled).
Video gear:
Fujifilm X-H2
Fujifilm Fujinon 16-80 mm f/4
Zoom Field Recorder w. lac mic.
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Sources:
Ilford Reciprocity failure chart
www.ilfordphoto.com/wp/wp-con...
(available: 24-06-24)
E-mail with Arnas Spaka on NoColorStudio
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Tags:
#landscapephotography #largeformatphotography #photographyonlocation #analogphotography #filmphotography
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I want to add that 30s for a 4s measured exposure isn't out of this world. Fomapan 100 would be in that ballpark. But it was very apparent that it was too long for NoColorStudio nbr. 12.
After editing this video, I jumped into the rabbit hole of reciprocity failure. If you're interested in my findings, I made a blog post about it: www.thatbeardedguy.photography/2024/06/25/about-reciprocity-failure-bnw-film/
All my film holders have a number: 1-A, 1-B, 2-A, 2-B, etc... I have a note book with a chart that I make up telling me what film is in what holders. Then when I shoot a sheet, I make a note which gives the individual sheet a SN based upon the date (Month/day/year,) a sheet shot today would be: 062524-1, then the 2nd sheet would be: 062524-2, etc... I also make notes about the exposure, where I was, what I was shooting etc. So my notebook becomes a written record of everything I do. I can also make notes about development needed, i.e. +1 -1 etc. When the chart fills up and all the film in all the holders is shot, I make a new chart on a new page. It really helps keeping the large format film straight.
And yes, the reciprocity failure of Fomapan is deadly. After 1 second it falls off a cliff. I also get a lot of hard green specs on my Fomapan, so I don't use it all that much anymore. The CAT Labs has been better for cheaper 4x5 film.
Seems like you have a quite robust system.
Thanks for sharing!
I myself slack on my notes keeping, all my film holders are marked and I do have a fairly decent system in place. But I keep forgetting to take proper notes once out in the field. Especially when I'm juggling video as well, even though it's a bit of a contradiction as that's probably when I should take extra care.
I've heard good things about CatLabs, but it's almost double the price of Fomapan here in the EU (at least on retrocamera.be). And more inline with pricing of Adox, which I do like (not shot it in LF yet though).
I like Foma for the simple reason they provide most of the different photography materials, like film, paper, chemicals etc. All have performed well enough for me. It's not as good as the Ilford stuff, but considering it's generally half price compared to ilford it's hard to beat price/value wise.
I'm going to switch over to Fomapan 200 for LF though, it's already my favourite in the smaller formats. And I just finished of my last sheets of Fomapan 100, so next order will be Fomapan 200 and some Adox CHS.
Reciprocity usually isn't a big factor for my kind of photography. It's rare I get exposure over 1 s, with a 100 or 200 -speed film.
Thanks for the support and the useful comment.
Thanks for the reference to NCS sheet "film". That looks like some cool sheet. I'll have to try a box some time soon. And as for incompetence I won't tell you how many times I've mis-loaded a sheet of film and ruined it while trying to replace the dark slide. Keep having fun and keep making videos.
Thanks for the encouragement.
We all make mistakes, it's just part of being human.
By the way, reciprocity failure only happens on Analog. This has to do with the chemicals itself and they composition of them. They can easily "worn out" on the very first seconds, meaning that a chemical with 10 second exposure DOES NOT capture light as a brand new fresh one, that's why there is this "failure".
This is very true, thank you for mentioning it in the comments!
I do go into more detail about reciprocity failure in my blog-post, as I didn't want to go into details about it in the video. However, I could have been clearer in the video that this only affects us analogue nerds and our precious film ;D
@@O.Persson funny thing. I use film for myself and digital professionally (I'm one of the photographers on one agency of the European Commission) and I never look at it as a "film nerd". I actually have a tendency to see it as others being "digital nerds". I like the way they discuss between themselves that camera X has 800 autofocus points (when in reality you just need one and the camera only focus on a specific length), or they debating themselves which photo camera has the best video...
😆 that's one way of seeing it.
And I agree it's fairly funny hearing people complain and discuss especially AF performance. And I'm like AF is to good today, it's no fun. Maybe I should just buy a bigger and slower larger format instead :D
I did photography semi-professionally for a while, a small side-thing. All on digital (of course). Then the pandemic hit, and well since I've more or less moved over completely to doing it as a hobby and only analogue stuff.
Ohh. I must add I consider being a nerd a compliment :D