Critique Welcomed Newport Beach Last Sunday Morning

[Brian Moore]

Voigtlander Bessa (1938 vintage) and Arista EDU Ultra 400 film (re-branded Fomapan I think) processed in Rodinal.

Although I like the picture I'm not happy with the development. Don't know what caused it. I did a two hour semi-stand at a 1+100 dilution. I don't normally allow the film to sit that long in the developer. Still, I don't think that caused the problem.

I know my fixer was near exhausted and in fact I respolved that this fix would be its last. However, I left the film in the fixer for what I thought was plenty long.

Another possibility,...I did not bother to check the water temperature. Typically out of my tap the water temp is usually close to 68 degrees.

Any thoughts @Pete Askew? @Hamish Gill?

 

[Hamish Gill]

More Pete's area I think ...
You used to shoot with that camera when you first joined

 

[Brian Moore]

More Pete's area I think ...
You used to shoot with that camera when you first joined

Thanks H. Yes I posted a few images a long time ago. I haven't shot with it a lot. Maybe only 3 or 4 rolls in the several years I've owned it.

 

[Ivar Dahl-Larsen]

Definately the temperature, and speaking about it, it seems refreshing, wish I was there. The image is not bad withe the curvy content.

 

[Brian Moore]

Definately the temperature, and speaking about it, it seems refreshing, wish I was there. The image is not bad withe the curvy content.

Thanks Ivar.

 

[Ian Grant]

Looks like surface reticulation, it's important to keep every step within +/- 1ºC including the wash

Rodinal is not a good choice with faster films and it contains free Hydroxide which softens the emulsion surface making good temperature control even more important. It is Fomapan 400 and Foma films aren't as well hardened as Ilfords.

Ian

 

[Brian Moore]

Looks like surface reticulation, it's important to keep every step within +/- 1ºC including the wash

Rodinal is not a good choice with faster films and it contains free Hydroxide which softens the emulsion surface making good temperature control even more important. It is Fomapan 400 and Foma films aren't as well hardened as Ilfords.

Ian

Thanks Ian. Normally I pay attention to the temps including the wash, and usually process at between 67 and 70 f. This time I was lazy, just using tapwater temps.

 

[Pete Askew]

I think Ian's diagnosis is probably right especially with what can be seen in the upper areas of the sky. There are also some marks that don't quite look like drying ones and a slight muddiness in some areas which might be attributed to the extra development and near-exhausted fix I guess. Can you see reticulation when you look at the negative using hand lens?

 

[Rob MacKillop]

I can only talk about the shot, which I like a lot. There seem to be a lot of people in photographs these days who seem to be praying like Muslims, with hands out in front, palms towards their face. Or it could just perhaps be a phone...I like the other guy sitting, looking at him.

 

[Brian Moore]

I think Ian's diagnosis is probably right especially with what can be seen in the upper areas of the sky. There are also some marks that don't quite look like drying ones and a slight muddiness in some areas which might be attributed to the extra development and near-exhausted fix I guess. Can you see reticulation when you look at the negative using hand lens?

I'll have to check for the reticulation with a magnifying glass, Pete. I have one around here somewhere I think. Thank you.

I can only talk about the shot, which I like a lot. There seem to be a lot of people in photographs these days who seem to be praying like Muslims, with hands out in front, palms towards their face. Or it could just perhaps be a phone...I like the other guy sitting, looking at him.

Thanks Rob. The "guy" in the water is a girl,...probably about 14. I think the two of them are sisters. They were clowning around snapping photos for a while. I think the standing sister is holder her phone/camera. The girl in the water is actually looking at me. She was probably thinking, "what are you looking at you creeper!"

 

[Ian Grant]

I think Ian's diagnosis is probably right especially with what can be seen in the upper areas of the sky. There are also some marks that don't quite look like drying ones and a slight muddiness in some areas which might be attributed to the extra development and near-exhausted fix I guess. Can you see reticulation when you look at the negative using hand lens?

Micro-reticulation also known as Incipient Reticulation is the early onset of reticulation before the emulsion cracks right through, the surface of a film (or paper) will have a dull sheen, it happens more than some will admit but just gives more apparent graininess in prints or scans.

I really noticed it first when a friend shot some images of me for a magazine article, I supplied the 120 Tmax 400 film and he used my chemistry to process the 2 films, I was appalled to see he didn't use the thermometer after the development stage. The 120 Tmaz 400 he'd shot with his Mamiya RB67 were excessively grainy, my Leica M3/Summicron shots (35mm) on TMax 400 in exactly the same chemistry a few minutes later (replenished Xtol) were excellent.

Ironically it can be worse with 120 film as there's an anti curl gelatin layer on the back of most films, and this can suffer as we. When I first started processing films FP3/HP3 etc were prone to full blown reticulation, now most films are so well hardened that doesn't occur. Neopan 400 in Rodinal is one combination were it's easy to reticulate. and in some cases bits of emulsion lift off the film base, FKE films were ll very soft, Foma are about half way between EFKE and Ilford in terms of hardness,

Ian

 

[Ivar Dahl-Larsen]

I'll have to check for the reticulation with a magnifying glass, Pete. I have one around here somewhere I think. Thank you.


Thanks Rob. The "guy" in the water is a girl,...probably about 14. I think the two of them are sisters. They were clowning around snapping photos for a while. I think the standing sister is holder her phone/camera. The girl in the water is actually looking at me. She was probably thinking, "what are you looking at you creeper!"

And she was pretty right, eh Brian?

 

[Pete Askew]

Really interesting stuff @Ian Grant. I have never experience reticulation during processing but then I have always had access to (and used) very close control of temperature at all stages.

 

[Brian Moore]

And she was pretty right, eh Brian?

I was defo looking for an interesting image, Ivar!

 

[Julian de'Courcy]

I cannot coment on what went wrong,but if not mentioned I'd not have thought twice about it. Another excellent image Brian

 

[Brian Moore]

I cannot coment on what went wrong,but if not mentioned I'd not have thought twice about it. Another excellent image Brian

Thank you, Julian!