Sometimes I utterly hate film...

[CharlesDAMorgan]

Having moved home I am currently enjoying the extremely soft water of Plymouth and developing without the fear of limescale water marks. But a new problem hit me yesterday - reticulation. I like to keep the water washing temperature for the rinse at close to developing 20C, which required a small amount of hot in the mix. Except when I popped away for a few minutes and came back to find it very hot.

So reticulation all through the film. To add insult to injury, my scanner has started leaving lines in the pictures (visible in the top), which no amount of cleaning negatives or scanner glass is changing. Add in more bits in the water and I suddenly thought, wouldn't digital be so much easier!

(The irony - this is HP5+ in Microphen to tame the grain a bit and shot with a Summicron R 50mm!)

 

[kram]

Digital has its own Issues. It is not all plain sailing. Dust on sensor, artifacts, corrupted file and I am sure other people can add others.

 

[retinax]

Don't blame this on film! Did you have a big tank for hot water before and now a tankless heater? That's a hard way to learn, but yes, letting warm water run straight onto the film is a big no-no especially with the latter. Better to use cold water and a smaller trickle or the Ilford technique if you don't want to waste too much water for the longer wash required with colder water.
Or am I missing anything? I thought there's no downside to using cold water for wash except that it takes longer, and of perhaps temperature difference from the fix shouldn't be excessive, maybe fill the tank once with water of an in-between temperature.

 

[Solinar]

Temp all solutions prior to developing a roll of film, to include 4 liters of tap water in a separate for washing/rinsing after the fixer is poured out.

I use the Ilford method for the final wash with two extra steps.

 

[Huss]

Dump the scanner. Use your digicam to scan the film.

 

[helen.HH]

oh dear, Sorry to hear, and I can Agree re: film
but the Photo you show
does not bother Me, I like it !
sometimes too much Grain can be yummy and the odd imperfection here and there

The Imperfections in Film be it with too much agitation, off in temp, scratch (es),light leaks,
can sometimes be an 'Atmospheric', other worldly looking blessing !

Well wish me luck I am about to develop a roll...have not in months

 

[CharlesDAMorgan]

Best of luck Helen! I'm sure the results will be worth it.

 

[CharlesDAMorgan]

I also shot it with a pre-War Balda Pontina with Trioplan 105mm f4.5. Ok the negative is 6x9 but it is considerably better!

 

[helen.HH]

Thank You Charles.

Just to prove my point
Here is a shot I took of Junku Nishimura, photographer and dear friend, with the 50 summilx/ M4

there is a scratch and whatever else happening below the Scratch
BUT I simply Adore this photo and can not imagine it any other way

I certainly would not have achieved it with Digital




A smile and a wink,Junku Nishimura by Helen Hill, on Flickr



another 50 summilux shot with neopan 1600 During the day, crazy I know breaking rules... god how I miss that film




baby You can Drive my Car by Helen Hill, on Flickr

 

[CharlesDAMorgan]

Photo not showing Helen - I'd love to see it!

 

[helen.HH]

Another one
Coming out of a tunnel... exposure off, pushing too far
but again, it works for Me
and would not have happened with digital ( I do love digital)

but film's Imperfections created by one's mistakes can be a blessing




May You Find Light... at the End of the Tunnel by Helen Hill, on Flickr

 

[helen.HH]

too much agitation
I loved to shoot neopan 1600 during the day
and of course the Crazy 21 Angulon heightens everything

Again, it works for Me
I am not everyone's cup of Tea, I prefer an 'other worldliness' to my photography




An Etching in Light and Line... by Helen Hill, on Flickr







Impressions of Spring by Helen Hill, on Flickr

 

[CharlesDAMorgan]

Lovely Helen! Sometimes just embrace the essential flaws of a process! All gorgeous.

 

[Larry Cloetta]

Thank You Charles.


another 50 summilux shot with neopan 1600 During the day, crazy I know breaking rules... god how I miss that film




baby You can Drive my Car by Helen Hill, on Flickr

Sometimes I obsess about trying to get a long tonal scale with a lot of midtone separation, then I see something like this and say, “No, this is exactly perfect.”
Nice, Helen.

Sorry to hear of the mishap, Charles. Yes, digital is easier, but....almost too easy to be satisfying. Your next roll will be fine.

 

[ZivcoPhoto]

Why not just use a hypo clearing agent and then have a 2L container of water already at 68 degrees F standing by for the rinse? Constant agitation for three for four one minute water cycles will remove any chemicals left on the film.

 

[Prest_400]

Helen, the shots you have shared are gorgeous. Part of the fun of film is the character (including virtue and defect) of it. I indulge and enjoy the diverse looks one can get with it. Not only B&W but color as well. Sometimes shooting cheap B&W with a Holga is liberating and gets better results than with "proper" cameras.

Some mishaps got me thinking into the same. The 1st roll I dedicated to portraits (of a friend) I got the order of chemicals wrong and poured fixer instead of developer. Lesson is that now I keep track of my developer better and am happy in having some great shots weeks after that roll.

I talked myself to abandon Color 35mm in lieu of Digital m43 but gonna see how long that's gonna last... Even E6 is fun to run every once in a while. Been letting hybrid aside for a while, and with it, color. My 120 C41 is frozen.

Most of my "planned" film shooting is on Medium Format and since I have community darkroom access it's from concept, shoot, developing to print. There is "zen" when printing in the darkroom which digital does not deliver. The shared tips about water rinse are interesting, I usually do Ilford Method combined with a small rinse as it feels wasteful to let water run for 10 minutes.

I'm from the younger generation that has straddled both media and recognise the strengths and weaknesses of each; Sometimes I wish I'd just go digital but there's something that keeps me in the film camp!

 

[Godfrey]

Helen:: I love your photos! 🙂

Charles:: Getting the process under control to be consistent is the whole game with film. It's often a PITA.

---

I have simplified my film processing to an extreme. ALL films are processed in HC-110 @ 1:49 dilution for 7-8 minutes @ room temperature. I fix for 8 minutes (again at room temperature) and I wash by exchanging the contents of the tank with fresh water six or seven times, one minute per change. Last water wash includes some photo flo, then the film goes to the hanger.

Over time I've learned how this affects exposure index, grain structure, and acutance, and expose the film accordingly. I love the results, although they are certainly not textbook examples of the perfect results that the manufacturers ballyhoo.

They please me... and that's all that I require of any camera/film or digital capture. 😀

G

Minox EC
​

 

[PRJ]

another 50 summilux shot with neopan 1600 During the day, crazy I know breaking rules... god how I miss that film




baby You can Drive my Car by Helen Hill, on Flickr

You aren't the only one Helen! Loved that film. I still have a few rolls sitting around but I keep it for nostalgia. Shame. Nothing like it around anymore. It was just perfect.

 

[jsrockit]

I prefer an 'other worldliness' to my photography

https://flic.kr/p/6TNPNm

This one is certainly mysterious... and it works.

 

[Richard G]

Film defence from Helen completely unassailable. I remember that Porsche from a previous thread - those blacks. Such emotion in that picture, of just a car. (I know, not just a car.)