Interpretations of a negative

[billschwab]

Great thread Daniel! Don't know how I missed it first time around.

Thought I'd add one I was working on recently. Shot was made mid-morning, shooting southeast over the lake I believe. Sun was very bright with me shooting directly into it. Made with a 50mm lens covered by a 10 stop reducing ND filter. The scene looked nothing like I envisioned it in my head and I was unsure I could actually pull it off in the darkroom. Certainly not my favorite to print due to all the manipulation it takes, but I was very pleased with the final result. What is it they say about the pain going away on payday?

Left is raw neg scan, right is from an 8x8 inch print on Ilford Multigrade FB with a matt surface. Print is subsequently toned in a selenium / sepia split.

[Seabird]

Carey,

Thanks for posting your examples. It's quite a lovely scene.

Thanks Daniel. I like it too.

I had a couple questions regarding the burning sequence you've described. Are you using the same contrast filter as the main exposure for the burns? It looks like the foreground water was burned in using a lower contrast filter to bring down the highlights without pushing the tones in water down too far. Retaining detail in the background, which works here without competing with bright rock textures, can be achieved this way too.

All exposures were with the same contrast filter. I use an old D2V with condensor head so the filters go in the condensor "drawer". I've always been paranoid about changing filters for fear of moving the head/inducing vibrations etc... But thanks for the tip, I may have to get over my fear and try your suggestion next time round.

And thanks again for starting a great thread.

Cheers

[Gim]

Thanks Daniel for this thread. I was out of town when this thread started and seen it for the first time today. Really nice to see how good printers work. What a difference in the print it makes when good print making skills come into play.

Best, Jim

[MurrayMinchin]

Maybe we should rename this thread something like, "Proof Print - Fine Print" and make it sticky?

Murray

[Fintan]

Maybe we should rename this thread something like, "Proof Print - Fine Print" and make it sticky?

Murray

A sticky or a sub-forum would be a great idea, this thread makes superb reading.

[dlin]

Maybe we should rename this thread something like, "Proof Print - Fine Print" and make it sticky?

Murray

Murray,
That would be useful. People may be more likely to see the thread and hopefully continue to contribute.

Thanks,
Daniel

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Daniel, good job on this thread and some great images. I always want to know what the negative looks like when I see someone's final print. The examples here are a great learning experience for everyone at all levels. The process steps that everyone takes will help people with the final visualization which is the print. This thread should be kept alive. I will have to find some negs and prints and fire up the scanner and contribute.


Jim

[Edward Pierce]

In 2005 I attended a workshop with John Sexton where we compared prints made by the participants from identical negatives.

A few months before the workshop, John sent us each an identical negative, with instructions to make an 8x10 print as best we could and put our name on the back.

Upon arrival at the workshop, we handed them to John and were not allowed to see each other's prints just yet.

By the end of the two week workshop, we were all pretty familiar with each other's work. Each of us had had our portfolios reviewed by the entire group, and we had done a lot of work together.

On the final day, the assignment prints were lined up on the wall. To keep it interesting, John included versions made by his wife Anne and the assistant. There was a significant variety of interpretations of the same negative,

We then had to guess which participant made which print. It was a lot of fun and very informative. The more accomplished printers had an immediately recognizable style of printing.

[Iwagoshi]

Thought I'd add one I was working on recently. Shot was made mid-morning, shooting southeast over the lake I believe. Sun was very bright with me shooting directly into it. Made with a 50mm lens covered by a 10 stop reducing ND filter. The scene looked nothing like I envisioned it in my head and I was unsure I could actually pull it off in the darkroom. Certainly not my favorite to print due to all the manipulation it takes, but I was very pleased with the final result. What is it they say about the pain going away on payday?

Left is raw neg scan, right is from an 8x8 inch print on Ilford Multigrade FB with a matt surface. Print is subsequently toned in a selenium / sepia split.

Bill,
I thought I saw this image somewhere else...hmmm..oh yeah! Fractions Magazine #3, congratulations!

Terry

[JBrunner]

Here is a straight base exposure print, and the final print of my dead bird in a pothole. I found it in the late afternoon, and it had a big shadow, the sun was hitting pretty hard. Meant to come back at twilight, but wound up pretty far away and out of holders, so I came back and made the negative the next morning before sunrise, knowing that with even light, I could have my way with it in the darkroom.