Ortho

[Ralph Turner]

I tried a roll of Ilford Ortho Plus 80 recently, my first foray into this type of film. I have to say I really like what I see. Despite the camera’s meter over exposing by at least a stop and development time being a bit out, I still managed to get a very pleasing result. I’ll certainly be getting more in the future

 

[Wes Hall]

Interested to see more Ralph, I've found it difficult to appreciate the Ilford stocks as to my eye they can look very similar despite there being notable differences in grain. I'm hoping to see images that get my attention as it's just so ubiquitous in shops.

 

[Ralph Turner]

Thanks, Wes. I need/want to play with it more to get a more balanced set of negs regarding exposure/development as mentioned. I like the old fashioned look that it can give to some images, something that appeals to me and I’d like to explore more. Apparently the film The Lighthouse was shot in this way (although with pan film filtered to give the ortho look as far as I understand). I loved the look of this movie, the cinematography’s wonderful and very fitting (to my mind).

 

[Wes Hall]

Thanks, Wes. I need/want to play with it more to get a more balanced set of negs regarding exposure/development as mentioned. I like the old fashioned look that it can give to some images, something that appeals to me and I’d like to explore more. Apparently the film The Lighthouse was shot in this way (although with pan film filtered to give the ortho look as far as I understand). I loved the look of this movie, the cinematography’s wonderful and very fitting (to my mind).

Couldn't agree more with the lighthouse, stunning film and never has Dafoe been illuminated with such intensity.

There's something of a silver appearance in the flower images, I recognise the convolvulus, but it's more in the other image. This is appealing, and I've heard people describe Ilford ortho with this. Thanks for posting some more

 

[Rob MacKillop]

I'm quite a fan of Ortho film, used it on several shoots. Can't put it into words, but there is a vibe to it I like.

Love the tree shot, Ralph!

 

[Ralph Turner]

Thanks, Rob. Yes, it definitely has a unique vibe. Maybe it’s because it gives a nod to that bygone photographic age when ortho was still the mainstay. It’s a look I rather like snd may try to explore a little further in due course. I’m certainly looking forward to my next roll of the stuff.

 

[Pete Askew]

Orthochromatic film used to be the mainstay for mono photomicrography when I was still using film for this. I'm pretty sure there must still be some in the fridge at work and, based on these, maybe I should fish it out and use it!

The totality of these is really nice and I like the shots a lot.

Must check out that film. Hopefully slightly less challenging that the opera based on the same story!

 

[Ralph Turner]

The totality of these is really nice and I like the shots a lot.

Must check out that film. Hopefully slightly less challenging that the opera based on the same story!

Thanks, Pete. I checked out the opera in question (or, rather, a few sample bars from it). I admit I’m no opera fan, but I would imagine the film in all it’s dire gloom is an absolute breeze in comparison… (no offence to opera fans…)

 

[Pete Askew]

I am also not a fan of opera, but, although challenging, I almost enjoyed parts of The Lighthouse (mind I like avant-garde jazz!). It was recommended by a friend who sang the lead in the original production.

Having said that, the film does sound much more my thing.

 

[Ralph Turner]

Maybe if I stuck it out I might feel differently about it (to be fair, it was rather unfair of me to base it on such a short ‘taster’). The event the Opera’s based on was indeed quite a tragedy. The film, I believe, was inspired by Poe’s unfinished story of the same name, although I’ve also read that it’s supposedly based on another tragedy, in 1900, at the Smalls Lighthouse in Pembrokeshire. Anyway, a rather good watch

 

[Pete Askew]

A short while ago I read "The Lamplighters" by Emma Stonex. It is based similarly on real events, but with an interesting twist.

https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-lamplighters/emma-stonex/9781529047356

 

[Ralph Turner]

Mm, sounds interesting..

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Good to see this thread pop up again, and timely, as just today put a 120 roll of Ortho into the lab for development and scanning. Results late of Friday. I’m hoping for one or two decent ones from the twelve, but you never know…

 

[Ralph Turner]

@Rob MacKillop good stuff! I look forward to seeing the outcome

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Well, I'm disappointed in my recent roll, not so much regarding the Ortho emulsion as my inability anymore to take a good photo. I used my Mamiya 6 camera which worked well in my Oxford trip in the summer. This time only half the images turned out, the others being too dark to see anything worthwhile.

This one was directly upwards into the sunlight on the yellowing leaves - yes, it might have been better in colour!



and this one from up the hill behind our house:





...and directly into a sunlit window, just testing exposure:



Just "meh".

I don't suppose I could blame the processing lab. They hadn't used Ortho before, and don't sell it. But it shouldn't be different from other similar films? I'll send the next roll to Ilford.

 

[Ralph Turner]

The shot of the bridge, I think, works well. It has a vintage feel to it (something that I rather like). Regarding the exposure issue, I’ve read that other folks have had thin negs even when the times/temps etc at the dev stage were what was prescribed. I’m afraid I have too little experience with the stuff to comment in any real constructive sense in this regard (though, like I say, mine were somewhat overcooked). Perhaps the spectral sensitivity play a bigger part in how the exposure comes out? I certainly look forward to having another play with the stuff.

 

[Rob MacKillop]

I look forward to reading your findings, Ralph.

 

[Brian Moore]

I tried a roll of Ilford Ortho Plus 80 recently, my first foray into this type of film. I have to say I really like what I see. Despite the camera’s meter over exposing by at least a stop and development time being a bit out, I still managed to get a very pleasing result. I’ll certainly be getting more in the future

A pleasant set of images nonetheless, Ralph. What developer did you use?

 

[Ralph Turner]

A pleasant set of images nonetheless, Ralph. What developer did you use?

Thanks, Brian. It was caffenol.

 

[Pete Askew]

Not too sure about the first shot, Rob, but I do like the other two very much. I really love the delicacy of the shadows on the wall in the set of the bridge and the dense shadows in the last shot (probably my favourite).