Radioactivity is in the air

[Detlef Kuhl]

Trying to rediscover my analog cameras. I have taken this at a recent walk in our local forest close to the Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin, formerly called Hahn-Meitner-Institut (HMI). They have a research reactor,which delivers neutron beams for scientific investigations. The "element" is a dosimeter I guess, used to monitor radioactivity around the area.

20150125_021_HDR-Bearbeitet.jpg by dql844, on Flickr

Taken with Contax RTS III, Kodak TRI-X 400 processed with Rodinal, digitized with a DSLR, which was the most challenging part.

 

[Rob MacKillop]

I like it a lot, Detlef, but am confused by your process. Do you mean you printed the analogue image, and then photographed it with a digital camera, as a kind of scan?

Anyway, I love the grain!

 

[Detlef Kuhl]

Thanks. No I used bellows to make a 1:1 copy of the negative. The negative was placed in the negative carrier close to the condensor of an old enlarger. I simply rotated it by 90° and made took a photo of it. The light source was a simple bulb in the condensor. I'll take a shot of the setup. I think, that might be better.

 

[Rob MacKillop]

I hope so, as I haven't a clue what you are talking about. But if you know Pete, I won't be surprised

 

[Brian Moore]

Lovely grain, Detlef. I use Rodinal all the time but I never get grain like that.
(Perhaps you agitated in rhythm to the cha-cha-cha?)

Never mind,...interesting shot.

 

[Paul Lange]

For a sot of a dosimeter hanging from some trees there is something really nice about the composition and the ways the trees are blurred in the background. I can't describe why I like it.

 

[Pete Askew]

I like the very much too, Detlef and I think the enhanced grain goes very well with the subject. Funnily enough we were just reading the new brochure about what to do in case it all goes horribly wrong with the reactor there. Must buy some thicker baking foil!

 

[Detlef Kuhl]

Thanks all. Here the setup for my ADC (anlalog digital converter). The photo might explain it better than my wording.

20150131_004.jpg by dql844, on Flickr

I placed the "grain" side of the negative towards the camera, took three photos with different exposure settings and combined them in HDR EFEX Prro II. The digital postprocessing increased the grain. I'm not a good dancer, Brian .