Blueys fall

John Power
Posts: 94
Joined: 26 May 2021, 10:18

Blueys fall

Postby John Power » 11 Jan 2022, 14:54

I'm not sure of the name of this place, but it sits right above Empress falls, which was totally PACKED the other day.
I did get down to the bigger falls, composed for 5mins, inserted film holder, had my darkslilde 80% out (no lie) when I saw a canyoning rope flop over the lip and sit there... for 20 mins or so.... I didnt wait. My daughter was there with me and, call me naive but I htink she might have learned some new words there.

Anyway, this is Ilford Ortho+ in HC-110 1+62 for 11.5mins. My current cold tap water is about 23C, and I should be adjusting dev times morethan I did there (30sec shorter).

This was on the 90mm lens, and I learned a lesson about rushing here... I'm usually on my own and happy to swap out lenses and see how things look, but there as actually a line for this shot and I felt I just had to bang it out. The result is a crop, maybe 65% of the frame is used here.... should have gone with the 135.

ImageBlue mountains cascade by J P, on Flickr
Last edited by John Power on 12 Jan 2022, 08:21, edited 1 time in total.

Walter Glover
Posts: 1270
Joined: 31 Jul 2012, 22:31
Location: Leichhardt, NSW

Re: Blueys fall

Postby Walter Glover » 12 Jan 2022, 08:12

Well, for a start welcome back John,

You've been missing in action for quite a while, both here and on Flickr. War stories are always good, you're likely to find that in years to come every time you see that negative or print the story will come back to you.

Not trying to teach grandma to suck eggs but in a chilly place like the national capital, and despite the hot air of some of your fellow inhabitants, may I recommend to you going to a 'home brewers' supply shop and getting a couple of Brewers' Mats. About 10 inches square and plugged into the mains they'll maintain a fairly constant temperature safely — no immersion heaters, no Bain Maries. In Sydney, I based my chemistry at 24°C year round. The tap water never got above that in summer so for a large part of the year wasn't necessary and all year round the chemistry was functioning at the temperature that was at the temperature that it was formulated and balanced to work at. (for many years I used T-Max RS which recommends 24°C)

As it is, I find the tonality of this shot more to my liking. (not that it matters what I Like. HELL's bells! It's YOUR shot, not mine) Then, in a similar self-contradiction, I'd be keen to see what a looser framing from the 90mm might have revealed. It's just me and my old mantra about 'context' again, I guess. For years, commercially, I had to take pictures OF things - all sorts of things: houses, bottles, fredges, motorcycles, cars, tits and bums. Always things for people to sell to other people who, all to often, didn't need them. In my recreational photography I prefer to make pictures ABOUT things. Hence context's grip on me.

The stairway is very enticing, inviting even. Especially given the drawing of the 90 mm. Switching to the 135mm might make the stairs look more forbidding — confronting even. There are never-any answers, just ever more interesting questions to ponder before you grab for the cable release. YOUR answers, not mine
Walter Glover

"We see things not as they are. We see them as we are."
Emanuel Kant

John Power
Posts: 94
Joined: 26 May 2021, 10:18

Re: Blueys fall

Postby John Power » 12 Jan 2022, 08:20

Thanks for the welcome back, Walter!
In truth I've been making lots and lots of photos, but mainly with my 6x6 bronica and various 35mm shots. I've been enjoying a nice long summer break with fam, and those smaller cameras are quicker and less of a drag for everyone to wait around :)

Thanks for the tips on the mats, but I reckon I'll just use ilford charts to adjust dev times... a nice key into the seasons, which is one of the things I love about Canberra.

Heading to the Snowy mountains today and again in a couple of weeks, so will hopefully get some time to take things slow and make some pics... I'm especially keen on getting something nice at Blue Lake.

edit: and I really take (and appreciate) your point about 90 vs 135... I'm still stuck in that mode of using all the resolution of the sheet, but I hsould remember that different focal lengths offer different compression too... like you say, it might have made all the difference. I'll post the full frame shot here today too.

Walter Glover
Posts: 1270
Joined: 31 Jul 2012, 22:31
Location: Leichhardt, NSW

Re: Blueys fall

Postby Walter Glover » 12 Jan 2022, 08:27

Taking my usual storyteller's hat off and replacing it was a purely graphic hat you might find that the bent bowws at the top right, the central parallel parallel uprights, and the right-hand intruding diagonals might benefit and get room to breathe with the bit looser cropping. Presenting a Tableau rather than an extract. The surrounding void can become the Proscenium framing your vision..
Walter Glover

"We see things not as they are. We see them as we are."
Emanuel Kant

Walter Glover
Posts: 1270
Joined: 31 Jul 2012, 22:31
Location: Leichhardt, NSW

Re: Blueys fall

Postby Walter Glover » 12 Jan 2022, 09:30

Thanks for the tips on the mats, but I reckon I'll just use ilford charts to adjust dev times... a nice key into the seasons,


John,

Speaking as one who lived by the time and temperature charts for years I'm sorry to say that later publications (Steve Anchell "Film Developing Cook Book" and Phil Davis "BTZS" for starters) draw attention to the flaws. Essentially what their points are include the fact that NOT ALL of the constituent components behave the same at differing temperatures. The formulations are given temperature ranges defining 'acceptable limits only and the balance of activity might not be the same even throughout that range, let alone outside that range. What matters most is getting an ideal neg. and from that starting point you can interpret away for all you're worth. To quote the buffoon that I relish denigrating,"The negative is the SCORE and the print is the PERFORMANCE"

Reducing the number of variables is a key to consistency and throughout most of our arcane craft, consistency trumps accuracy.
Walter Glover

"We see things not as they are. We see them as we are."
Emanuel Kant

John Power
Posts: 94
Joined: 26 May 2021, 10:18

Re: Blueys fall

Postby John Power » 16 Jan 2022, 14:39

Hi Walter, here is the full frame...
ImageUncropped blueys by J P, on Flickr

Pretty big landing pad at the bottom there!

Thanks also for your words on consistency. For what its worth, I looked up the Ilford temperature adjustment charts and a 12min development at 20C has a recommended time of just 8:15 at 24C (my water temp this morning). I developed for 10mins and called it done, and again was happy with the negative.

Walter Glover
Posts: 1270
Joined: 31 Jul 2012, 22:31
Location: Leichhardt, NSW

Re: Blueys fall

Postby Walter Glover » 16 Jan 2022, 22:54

John,

My imagination runs rampant with this new crop. I'd go so far as saying it's stunnning. Your picture not mine, but I'd crop the bottom to just include the arch of the twig at the bottom left before it dips onto the path. The two sections of past before the steps are a welcome mat to lure you into this Disneyesque lair of goblins, pixies and fairies.
Walter Glover

"We see things not as they are. We see them as we are."
Emanuel Kant

Walter Glover
Posts: 1270
Joined: 31 Jul 2012, 22:31
Location: Leichhardt, NSW

Re: Blueys fall

Postby Walter Glover » 16 Jan 2022, 23:10

"For what its worth, I looked up the Ilford temperature adjustment charts and a 12min development at 20C has a recommended time of just 8:15 at 24C (my water temp this morning). I developed for 10mins and called it done, and again was happy with the negative."


Aaah,

Silly me. I was thinking the water was cold and needed heating. As I may have said, I used 24º C year round. The problems arise with temperatures below 20°C. Although, for the sake of evenness with high temps, times less than five minutes should be avoided.
Walter Glover

"We see things not as they are. We see them as we are."
Emanuel Kant


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