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.
