A night in town with XP2

[Chris Bennett]

I was out one evening recently with small group of photographers. We set ourselves a shot list and ventured forth, some with digital cameras, myself with film and one with a phone.

I took my Pentax LX, loaded with Ilford XP2, metered for ISO 800, a Pentax M SMC 50mm f/1.4, Tamron Adaptall 24mm f/2.5 and an Adaptall 90mm f/2.5 and a tripod.

Here's what came out of the evening after the film was developed in Rodinal (1+100) for 1 hour

Light Trail

Notable Building

Starbursts

Reflections

Pedestrian Movement

Eating Establishment

 

[Gianluca Drago]

A great series, Chris! I love how these photos capture the suspended time of the night; it feels like I can sense the silence and smell the humidity. The first two are especially remarkable to me.

 

[Pete Askew]

A successful evening by the look of it. The two street scenes are wonderfully atmospheric and the ‘grain' the in the first adds to it I think. I really like the shop window display. Enigmatic and effective.

 

[Ralph Turner]

Great stuff, Chris. I particularly like those street scenes. Image no2 has a real Dali feel to it..

 

[Chris Bennett]

A great series, Chris! I love how these photos capture the suspended time of the night; it feels like I can sense the silence and smell the humidity. The first two are especially remarkable to me.

Thank you Luca. I m glad that you found something you like! The second one (Notable building) is a reflection of the Town Hall here in Lancaster and I liked the way it was only partially visible and a little distorted by the glass. I like a bit of negative space too!

 

[Gianluca Drago]

Thank you Luca. I m glad that you found something you like! The second one (Notable building) is a reflection of the Town Hall here in Lancaster and I liked the way it was only partially visible and a little distorted by the glass. I like a bit of negative space too!

Definitely well chosen negative space here.

 

[Chris Bennett]

A successful evening by the look of it. The two street scenes are wonderfully atmospheric and the ‘grain' the in the first adds to it I think. I really like the shop window display. Enigmatic and effective.

Thanks Pete. I was in two minds about the grain, but I think you are right. The shop window is my favourite of the set. There's so much going on and the reflection piles on more and more. It occurred to me that the reflection of the cobbled road had hints of the waves that the model boat might be voyaging on!

 

[Chris Bennett]

Cheers Ralph. Everybody loves a melting clock shot, eh?!!

 

[Peter Roberts]

It's been a long time since I've done any serious night-time photography. You've really nailed it here Chris!
I love those gorgeous blacks. As for the grain, it adds to the overall effect. It's what using film is all about, using grain to your advantage.
XP2 and Rodinal looks an interesting combination which I'll have to try. 1:100 for an hour; I assume that was stand development?

 

[Gianluca Drago]

I don't understand how Chris Bennett, from his position in the green woods, managed to take these night-time photos in the city. Teleportation, maybe.

But I also like the last one, the pizza one, the one with the open door. Maybe I'm simple-minded, but it seems to me that it has a richness of tone, a harmony of detail, interesting and ԀƎᴚI⅃IƆIՈS overlays of typefaces and a beautiful composition as a whole that make what could have been an overused subject something special.

And then I like... "the pizzas?"... no, the open door.

 

[Chris Bennett]

It's been a long time since I've done any serious night-time photography. You've really nailed it here Chris!
I love those gorgeous blacks. As for the grain, it adds to the overall effect. It's what using film is all about, using grain to your advantage.
XP2 and Rodinal looks an interesting combination which I'll have to try. 1:100 for an hour; I assume that was stand development?

Thanks Peter. Yes, semi-stand. 30 seconds agitation at the start and then maybe 6 seconds somewhere around about the 30 minute point.