First 4x5 neg - wow!

For the time being I'm limited to scanning on a friends scanner. He also has contact printing capabilites. I have a decent printer so I can output to it. Long term plan-enlarger.
 
Are you getting some unfixed spots there, Wayne, or is that something on the other side of the window? If there are unfixed spots, you might also be getting uneven development, and might need more solution in your developing tank. You can also refix in a tray just to clear those spots.
 
A useful technique I have found for a quick digital proof of a 5x4 neg when you don't have a scanner that will do a 5x4 film scan:
Put your neg on a light box and take a hi-res black and white shot to fill the frame on a close focusing digital camera. Open the file in any photo editing suite and invert it to get a positive image. Not perfect but adequate for proofing purposes.
 
Eric T said:
Does anyone do large format with Polaroid film only? Is the quality of Polaroid film adequate for good depth of field and sharpness?
Click to expand...

I currently use Polaroid Type55 (buy it now while you can) for all my 4x5 BW shooting. The quality of this particular film is excellent. Detail is great, the speed is slow (I shoot it at about ISO 30) - but that's rarely an issue for the work I'm doing. I throw out the print, and only use the negs - which scan very nicely.

I don't bother with the other polaroid films as a finished product unless I'm specifically doing an image/emulsion transfer or similar. Mostly I just use them to double check lighting and such.
 
I could do that

I could do that

Leica-Virgin said:
A useful technique I have found for a quick digital proof of a 5x4 neg when you don't have a scanner that will do a 5x4 film scan:
Put your neg on a light box and take a hi-res black and white shot to fill the frame on a close focusing digital camera. Open the file in any photo editing suite and invert it to get a positive image. Not perfect but adequate for proofing purposes.
Click to expand...

Alas, I through out my light box when we left New Orleans. Lightroom is my photo editing software and it doesn't do inversions. Woe is me! :D

"Honey, a real darkroom is the only way I can make photographs from these negatives."
 
venchka said:
Lightroom has curves. How do I invert the image with curves? Dumb me, I was just looking for an invert switch.
Click to expand...

If an uncorrected image has a default curve that is straight line and 45 degrees, you should be able to invert the image with the opposite 45 degree line, mapping black onto white and white onto black. If it looks like this "/" change it to "\". Then you can tweak for the tonality you want.
 
venchka said:
Lightroom has curves. How do I invert the image with curves? Dumb me, I was just looking for an invert switch.
Click to expand...

Just take the ends of the curves and move one end all the way up and the other all the way down so the slope is perpendicular to its original slope.

I guess this means you ain't getting the enlarger?
 
venchka said:
Lightroom has curves. How do I invert the image with curves? Dumb me, I was just looking for an invert switch.
Click to expand...

Grab the black point, and pull it all the way up to white, and visa-versa.

(edit.. .d'oh! too slow)
 
Lightroom doesn't do it

Lightroom doesn't do it

Just as I thought. The curve line is as you say, "/". However, Adobe anchored both ends. I get the enlarger afterall. :D :cool:
 
We have inversion!

We have inversion!

Thanks to the miracle of email & a friend with Photoshop...

Remember, these were sleeved negatives held up to a window and photographed with a digital camera.

St. Mary's Catholic Church, Plantersville, TX
 

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