More monochrome photos

[RML]

Hi guys and gals!

So busy with work but still I found some time to scan a bunch of negs and upload them.

My latest dabblings can be found here:

http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=416095

and here:

http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=419002

Oh, I got word from Customs that my beater M2 has arrived, and if I would be so kind to declare it. It did, so now I'm waiting for it to be delivered, no doubt together with a nice extra Customs tax assessment.

Greetings, and my condoleances to HCB's family.

[Todd.Hanz]

Very nice work, esp. in the first folder. I wonder, can you share a few things with us: camera, lens, film choices? Also your toning is very rich in color on my monitor, is this done in photoshop or the result of scanning chromgenic negs (Illford XP2) as color film?
It would appear in the first folder that they shut the city down just for you, hardly anyone present, how does that work?

Todd

[Doug]

Hi Remy-- I enjoyed looking at your folders, and especially liked the second one! So, with Todd, that evens the preferences out. :-)

[RML]

Todd, Doug, thanks.

Each time I explain my modus operandi I'm sure I disappoint some people.

The camera I use mostly nowadays is my Leitz Minolta CL with the fabulous Rokkor-M 40/2. Photos taken earlier this year were mainly done with my Bessa R and silver Jupiter-8 50/2. Some photos are done with the Bessa L and its CV 25/4.

For film I ALWAYS use the iso400 colour negative film from Hema, which is a chain store here in Holland, similar to Boots or Walmart. I find this film to be very neutral in colour. I let Hema's 1-hr lab develop the film. I come there so often that they already take out the film satchels before I'm in he store.
Sometimes I use a roll of Efke KB100, which I develop in Rodinal 50:1 for 7.5 mins at 24 degrees. I found that longer development makes this film very grainy in Rodinal, and I didn't like the result very much after I scanned it. I use a yellow filter on the J-8 to shoot the Efke film.

After development I scan all shots on the film, often weeks or months later, with my Dimage Scan Dual 3, at 1440 dpi, and saving them as TIF-files. Most of these resulting 7 MB scans end up being worked on in a batch program, tweaking gamma, contrast, etc. After a couple of years of experimenting in Paintshop Pro I found a set of tweaks that give me consistent results, so when I found Jasc's little batch program working on the files became much less time consuming. The files are all saved as JPG-files with 1% compression, and are all 600px on the short side (so the long side is usually 900px), except for the square shots, which are all 650x650.

But, this batch treatment is for all those files that are mediocre at best, or don't go well in monochrome. The scans that show a shot that goes with my current "style" (can I use that word without sounding too arrogant? ) get special treatment. Here too I have a basic set of tweaks that I turned into a batch process. These tweaks give me a basic monochrome shot, already with rather rich tones, nice contrast, and a balance between dark and light that I like. I like to call it my personal Leica glow. Anyway, after batch processing each scan gets special personal attention. I tweak them a little further, mostly by altering the curves, though sometimes gamma, contrast or other settings get a little nudge as well. These shots are also saved as JPG-files.

Since I got the CL + 40/2 I'm shooting more people in the street. I just walk the streets with the CL hanging from my neck, cocked and loaded, and preset at 1/500s to prevent motion blur as much as possible. Obviously I often have to use longer shutter times due to lighting conditions. The CL's shutter is so soft that at two meter people don't hear it when a car goes by; the shhluk of the shutter just gets drowned out.

The empty streets are often an illusion! I just time my shot so no or hardly any people are in the shot. I enjoy the discrepancy between man-made areas (both urban and countryside), which indicate hustle and bustle, and the (almost) complete abscence of humans. I find the tension it creates very appealing. Early morning, especially on Sunday, is of course a favourite time for me, and I often go out on Sunday mornings just to catch the city still asleep. Foggy mornings are a treat for me as well, though I find it disappointing the find so few foggy mornings here in Amsterdam. Rain and storm are also good ways to get rid of people in the streets.

[Rich Silfver]

Excellent photos in both folders - thanks for sharing!

[taffer]

Great work there, my personal favorites are the foggy morning shots with that J8. Also I like a lot that sepia tone you apply.

A CL and a M2... please don't tell me more... I'm green with envy !

[vladhed]

What mapping (colour channel mixing) do you use for turning the colour into BW?

I've been experimenting with different channel mixes.

Was the tramwires photo shot on colour neg?

thanks for posting!

[oftheherd]

Great shots. Thanks for sharing. I think I lean a little toward liking the 1st group better, simply as I am more a landscape person than people person.

[RML]

Taffer, don't be jealous just yet. Today I heard my camera is still not yet declared and probably won't be until monday. Then it'll take a couple of days before i get actually hold it in my hands. No doubt the postman will offer it at a time when no-one is at home, so the package will go back to depot, being offered again the next day. Then I'll be forced to make an appointment with the postman, at some inconvenient time for me no doubt.
I hate this inefficiency of our mail service! Why can't they just leave a note at the door saying I can collect the package that very day until 7-8pm from the post office?! Instead they keep delivering it at times when no-one is at home because we're all at work or at school.

Anyway, from next week you can be jealous. For now I'll be jealous of you because you don't need to go through this agony.

[RML]

Vladhead, I reckon 99% of the shots in these portfolios were shot in colour, and so was the tram lines shot.

All I do in PSP is change the hue to 25, with a saturation of 75.
Then I tweak gamma, hilite/midtone/shadow, and briteness/contrast only slightly. I up saturation a little more, tweak the curves, reduce the size, and add some unsharpening.

I've never much enjoyed tinkering with all the functions in PSP. It just bored me. But over the years I found some settings that I'm happy with, and that even work quite well for the shots that remain colour. Tinkering with channels and such seems so much work and trouble to me that I never bothered to check them out.

Ah well, it's not the way we get to the results we want but that we get them in the end.

[RML]

Ooops, meant to write Vladhed instead of Vladhead. Please excuse me. Humbly kowtowing to you...

[vladhed]

Originally posted by RML
Ooops, meant to write Vladhed instead of Vladhead. Please excuse me. Humbly kowtowing to you...

No problem! It's a userid I borrowed from my dog: http://www.storm.ca/~vladhed ; his spelling isn't very good ;-)

When you actually turn your colour photos into B/W, how and when in that process do you do that? Or am I missing something?

[RML]

In principle, all the shots get the same treatment initially, the colour treatment, which is done in batch. Than only the best get further special attention.
I use the unaltered TIF-files for the "B&W" treatment. So, in fact I start all over. Step one in this treatment is to change the hue and saturation. Step two is to tweak gamma, hilite/midtone/shadow, and briteness/contrast; Step three is upping saturation, tweaking the curves, reducing the size, and adding some unsharpening.

I hope this explains it better.

[taffer]

Originally posted by RML
Taffer, don't be jealous just yet. Today I heard my camera is still not yet declared and probably won't be until monday. Then it'll take a couple of days before i get actually hold it in my hands. No doubt the postman will offer it at a time when no-one is at home, so the package will go back to depot, being offered again the next day. Then I'll be forced to make an appointment with the postman, at some inconvenient time for me no doubt.
I hate this inefficiency of our mail service! Why can't they just leave a note at the door saying I can collect the package that very day until 7-8pm from the post office?! Instead they keep delivering it at times when no-one is at home because we're all at work or at school.

Anyway, from next week you can be jealous. For now I'll be jealous of you because you don't need to go through this agony.

Remy, that sounds like a paperwork nightmare! As you say, here if you're not at home when the postman passes by (that is, 90% ot the times) they leave the usual note to let you know you can retrieve the parcel in the post office (well sometimes they 'forget' to leave you the note, but that's another story).

You can ask for a second delivery attempt if you want, but from the third one and on (if you ask for them), you must pay for each one.

My problem is with INSURED mail. Somehow that mail here is treated in a different way and by a private carrier, and not the good ol' postal service. That means it you're not at home when they come... well, then the parcel goes to their depot in who-knows-where and the phone calling dance begins...

That's why in fact I prefer uninsured mail for not too expensive purchases... sad but true.

[RML]

Paper dance, indeed.

Well, yesterday, of course only at the end of the day, I got an email telling me my parcel was cleared by Customs and that it'll be offered on Monday. I'm fortunate to be free next Monday because the delivery compnay couldn't tell a time when they'll be at my doorstep (typical!).

I'm getting a bit giddy in the stomach. That probably is because I'm a bit ill due to the high temperature and high humidity here (and almost non-existent airco at work), but I like to think it's the prospect of the M2 arriving soon that's making me feel this way.

Only 2 more days!

[taffer]

Originally posted by RML
I'm a bit ill due to the high temperature and high humidity here (and almost non-existent airco at work)

Hey, you could be describing my office !

However, I guess it may have something to do with the M2 as you say Hope everything ends ok and you can submit soon a 'The M2 is here!' thread.

But now my mind can't get rid of the Leica CL idea... oh man... there's no way out !

[RML]

Don't restrain yourself, Taffer! I find my little CL a wonderful thing. I don't know what it is but I just love shooting with it. Small, low shutter noise level, and an ergonomic pleasure. And that 40/2 is just a treat to work with too.

If Leica had continued and further-developed this camera I think it would have been in much rosier financial circumstances. But nooo, it sold too well so Leica had to bin it.

[Doug]

Originally posted by RML
If Leica had continued and further-developed this camera I think it would have been in much rosier financial circumstances.

You're probably right! And the camera DID get further developed, but Leica opted out and left it to Minolta to carry on. I bought my CLE new long ago, but I'm still very fond of it. What a sweet little camera...

[taffer]

I think there's some info about that in CameraQuest, and how the CL became a best seller, stepping over the M5 and how Leica had to come with the M4-2 to be able to save its own feet...

[nwcanonman]

Have you tried using Ilford XP2 ? I love it, so easy to use, wide usable ASA range and great contrast (for me anyway). And so easy to just drop off at any 1 hour lab, and see results.

[RML]

Canonman, I sorrt to say but if XP2 is B&W film than I'm not really interested, though no doubt it's a fine film.

I find that most-if-not-all of my shooting is in colour. When I shoot I often have a sense that a particular shoot might look good in B&W. I prefer the flexibility of colour film and turning a shot into monochrome afterwards. That way I never have that most maddening of sensations "I wish I had this or that film right now!".

I sometimes shoot Efke KB100 but I feel very limited when I shoot it. That's the reason why I always bring a second camera loaded with colour film when I shoot true B&W film.
I have 2 or 3 rolls of Efke left and I doubt I'll buy more when they're finished. It's a nice film, though. I develop it in Rodinal 50:1 for 7m30s at 24 degrees C.
I found that this film gives pictures a certain glow, perhaps just as elusive as the famed Leica glow.
You can see some examples of that effect in these pictures:
http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=2554756
http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=2554762
http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=2554757
and
http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=2554753

[Russ]

Speaking of the "glow";

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/co...02-04-28.shtml

Russ

[back alley]

interesting read.