Ulophot
Ulophot
Portraits, not pores
Portraits, not pores
When I began my return to photography several years ago after more than 12 years' absence, I chose to concentrate on B&W film portraits, on location in available light, 4x5. 4x5 for the image ratio and special quality. I still have my MP4 and Mamiya 645, the former from photojournalism and ballet work; the latter from (mostly) commercial photography. At my advancing age, and with my Classical bent, character concerns me more than effect.
More relearning lay ahead than I imagined, but first, for reasons of very limited time, and for desired simplicity, I had to choose a film, developer, and paper. As the requirements of 4x5 for my desired results made HP5 the slowest film I could use, I began to worry about both grain and sharpness in 645 and 35, especially with cropping. It took work and time to convince myself -- despite all my years of 35mm-only work -- that the imagined problem, for my intentions, doesn't exist. While technical matters have effects, power of portrayal and composition trump them. I knew that; it's funny that I had to prove it to myself again. And I print on semi-matte paper, finished with Strand's varnish.
Were I photographing landscapes, slower Delta 100 or Tmax, and maybe a sharper lens for the 4x5 than my Komura would be my choice. But a great portrait can speak clearly through plenty of "noise".
Portraits, not pores
When I began my return to photography several years ago after more than 12 years' absence, I chose to concentrate on B&W film portraits, on location in available light, 4x5. 4x5 for the image ratio and special quality. I still have my MP4 and Mamiya 645, the former from photojournalism and ballet work; the latter from (mostly) commercial photography. At my advancing age, and with my Classical bent, character concerns me more than effect.
More relearning lay ahead than I imagined, but first, for reasons of very limited time, and for desired simplicity, I had to choose a film, developer, and paper. As the requirements of 4x5 for my desired results made HP5 the slowest film I could use, I began to worry about both grain and sharpness in 645 and 35, especially with cropping. It took work and time to convince myself -- despite all my years of 35mm-only work -- that the imagined problem, for my intentions, doesn't exist. While technical matters have effects, power of portrayal and composition trump them. I knew that; it's funny that I had to prove it to myself again. And I print on semi-matte paper, finished with Strand's varnish.
Were I photographing landscapes, slower Delta 100 or Tmax, and maybe a sharper lens for the 4x5 than my Komura would be my choice. But a great portrait can speak clearly through plenty of "noise".