Focus Stacking - Test

I have the need to revise my macro techniques for a future project. I have a 60mm and a 105mm macro lens, together with 3 extension tubes. Even at F45 the depth of field is very narrow, especially when at minimum focusing distance. A view camera or maybe a short tele tilt and shift on the DSLR would improve this but the cost would outweigh the benefits. One other item (given to me by a good friend) is a focusing rail. It is a rack and pinion device that allows movement of the camera to change the focus rather than the normal lens focusing. A few years ago I tried focus stacking, a technique whereby you take a number of images, starting from the front of the subject to the back, each in focus. Software, using layers stacks these, applies masks and produces a composite image of all the in focus bits. The result is a photograph with a very wide depth of field. In the image below I used a single Bowens strobe so there are too many reflections, but that will be rectified as my light tent has now arrived and a diffused light is now available.
The image is from 12 frames. Each movement on the focusing rail no more than 2mm. The images are then processed in CS5 using photomerge and align. An i7 with 32gb, 36MP frames and the processing took no more than 45 seconds so I am happy to make further stacks of up to 20 layers.
While just testing I have reverted to .jpg files rather than raw to speed this up a bit. This work continues.

Another experiment with the light tent and acrylic sheet lit from above and below. The paper weight is from assignment 2. Being glass it is difficult to not get reflections but here I think I have a reasonable effort.

The Birds

The recent snow has meant a daily top up of the feeding station for the garden birds. We dont get anything exotic but have a good number of Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Blue Tit, Cole Tit and Robins. Apart from the ornithological need to keep the numbers up the feeding station is set up to give me picture making opportunities without too much effort. Birds that use feeders seldom fly straight in and land onto the feeder. They prefer to land on something close by (about a metre away), sit, have a look around (there are Sparrowhawks in the area and will take any of these for a meal of their own), wait their turn if its busy and then eat. By placing suitable perches close to the feeders, it is at these you get the photographs. Photographing a bird on the feeder is a waste of time as they have little use, commercially or ornithologically. The perch (only use one) is a branch found locally and screwed to a post. I have changed it from time to time but for now it is set at an angle of about 30 degrees to produce a bit more shape to the composition. The feeding station is set about 7.5m from the door to my office and editing room. 7.5m is not a random distance, it is just outside the minimum focusing distance of my 500mm lens, therefore filling as much of the frame as I can. Shooting this close does have a draw back, the 500mm at f4 has a very shallow depth of field and even a small bird is too wide to fit in the focus area. This has to be overcome by going to f8, which together with the need for a shutter speed of at least 1/250 sec (small birds move very quickly) means shooting in good light at a low ISO, upping the ISO or adding some artificial light. Before looking at lighting and ISO etc there is still the issue of getting a frame filling image. I have a 1.4x and 1.7x teleconverter, both of which bring me closer but the loss of either 1 or 2 stops of light has its disadvantages. The problem was solved by moving to a 36MP camera. The Nikon D800 allows me to shoot at full frame and there is plenty of pixels for a closer crop. A 1.5x crop still leaving me with 24MP. In addition being able to see more than you will use allows me to see outside the frame and move the lens to aim and compose, similar to using a range finder. Daylight fill in flash is not possible with a normal studio flash, well any that need you to use a normal flash sync speed (1/125 sec) as this is too slow. Useing the Nikon SB800 flash is one solution. It can be set up away from the camera and fired remotely and performs at much higher sync speeds. It needs to be used with a diffuser and on manual and around 1/16 power to fill in the shadows and make a highlight in the eyes. This works up to a point. The flash going off does seem to spook them, so it isnt used anymore. The current set up is continuous light. It is a 150w Halfords garage/workshop floodlight mounted on a standard studio light stand (little bit of engineering needed) and fitted with barn doors. The barn doors dont really mask any light as they would normally, but it conceals the light source and doesnt put off the birds from coming close. It is all black and is positioned about 2.5m from the perch, at camera height and just to the right of the subject. It is obviously not daylight balanced but that doesnt concern me. On the image below with the snow I did have to whiten it in Selective Colour Adjustment but that is all part of the post process anyway. The doorway into the office is covered with camouflage netting, a hole cut into it for the lens to protrude through, the camera and lens are on a tripod with a gimbal. I sit on a comfy office chair and wait. After working on the set up outside it will take about 20 - 30 mins for the birds to return as they are very suspicious of change. Camera settings are set to M, shutter speed 1/250 sec, aperture f8 and auto ISO. The speed and DOF far more important than ISO. Clearly the lower the ISO the better but up to 1000 ISO is perfectly OK. The metering is set to centre weighted and the auto focus is set to 5 point continuous. I prefer to use the electronic cable release rather than the button release, preferring not to have to hold the camera all the time ready for a frame. OK, I know none of this is conceptual art photography and in the time it has taken to set all this up I could have made fifty street images and talked about Robert Frank, but none the less it is image making and it is therefore worthwhile. 

Use of additional perch. The ubiquitous garden tool handle which works well but really needs snow for the perfect Christmas card image.

The normal perch, made to recreate a natural setting look. The light from the RHS producing just enough fill. On the web the background is a bit too dark.

The Lathe

Whats all this about ?
Although I trained and work(ed) in Civil Engineering I also trained myself, through night school at the local Technical College to use a lathe and other machine tools. I spent four years making a 5" gauge live steam locomotive amongst many other projects and have a well equipped workshop, that doesn't get much use these days apart from making parts for the ageing lawnmower.
For a short while the other day The Lathe became an artefact, a found object but only when I had a need for it to be. At all other times it is just there, it gets oiled and run to keep it in good condition then covered over. Suddenly when studied through the viewfinder it was different. I saw more detail, the swarf from the last job (what was I making ?) and the worn paint from years of operattion. It not only has its own history ( I bought it as a ruin and refurbished it) but where are all the things now that were made with it. The previous users, what did they make with it ?. So for a few minutes this tool had a different life, a photographic subject, a model. Simply lit with florescent tubes and a single work light I spent a few minutes removing items from the suds tray that were not needed and took a couple of frames on 6x6 Acros at EI160. Metering was with the incident meter in the main and with a spot meter here and there to check for any out of DR areas. There were none which was obvious to see but 6x6 makes you check and check again. The next day I processed the film in Diafine, scanned, PP and printed to 24"x24".
The photographic exercise here was to see more of the capabilities of Acros in Diafine and even after years of seeing better and better IQ this took my breath away. Shadow detail, micro detail, tonality and a feeling you get when something is right but not quite sure why. But, The Lathe was doing more that being an inert object that got its picture taken for a film test. Now it did have a platform to tell its story. It has been invited into the house where more people can see it, ask about what it does, what it made, where was it made and why do I have one. But is it art ?. Duchamp entered a fountain (urinal) as an item of art into the 1917 Society of Independent Artists exhibition. The committee rejected the work as not being art, and  The Fountain is nowadays probably one of the most recognised items within the art world. In 1925 Edward Weston photographed his toilet bowl. Weston saw beauty in the shape and was careful in how he dealt with viewpoint to deliver an image that was beyond being a toilet. His daybook entry says "Photography is realism - why make excuse".
I am currently looking for three pieces of my work to enter into a large open competition that will exhibit in King's Lynn during October. I have never entered an "open" before and cannot imagine how the selectors choose from all types of flat art. Last year a photograph won the top £2000 prize so there is some hope rather than expectation that this may happen again. The Lathe may just be one of my three.

The Lathe - (mock up of Matt and Frame)

Diafine for Medium Format Monochrome

I have recently returned to using my 6x6 cameras and am taking some time out to investigate how the move back to film may change some of my monochrome work. On the face of it there is nothing I cannot shoot digitally. If fact I have more choice of lenses and cameras in that genre but having spent many years in the past shooting 120 film and making silver prints I know that there is an aesthetic difference in the final output, especially when making large prints and I need to see If I can achieve that with a hybrid film and digital workflow. This is not to be regarded as a quality issue, as both film ( I am only considering 120/220) and digital produce outstanding results when a regulated professional workflow is used. Also this is not a technical investigation with detailed references to spectrometry, chemistry etc, but a simple see what works and use it approach.

The whole subject of what film to use, processing, scanning and final print output is possibly the subject of a much wider examination so based upon some previous experience and some online research I have started my own mini project to determine a good best practice fit to two picture making scenarios, still and moving.

Film Stock

Studio / Outdoor Still LIfe (Camera on a Tripod)

A slow film can be used as the slow shutter speeds do not become a problem. Online research shows that for my taste (its all about aesthetics) Fuji Across 100 ISO is suitable, obtainable and reasonably priced.

Street Photography (Camera Hand Held)

A faster film is needed to allow shutter speeds of 1/125 or faster with f8 to f16 aperture.
From previous experience Kodak Tri X ISO 400 and Kodak TMax 400 ISO 400 produce suitable results and can be pushed to higher ISO ratings with suitable developer.

Developing Methodology

The two options available here are to either send it to a good quality processing company or do it myself. My preferred processing house is Peak Imaging. They have a good track record with quality and offer OCA students a discount. They process all their B&W film in Kodak XTol at full strength and can push process if requested. As a reference their output is good and I will use this as a datum.

The second option is process the film myself. Having spent over 20 years (70s and 80s) doing it in the past there is no learning curve for film loading etc although I have to purchase a tank, chemicals and bottles. There is however a wide choice of developing chemicals and formulae which can be used, together with various dilutions, timings and agitation routines, all of which will effect the outcome of the process.

Developer Choice

From previous experiences I had had good results using a wide range of Ilford and Kodak products. ID11, HC110, Perceptol etc etc at their recommended box temperatures and durations. Those negatives were then enlarged and prints made in either a condenser or diffuser type enlarger. The negative contrast needed to be different depending on the type of enlarger being used. Typically the condenser enlarger produced contrasty prints and therefore did not require contrasty negatives.  
The negatives I will produce are to be scanned and this produces a different criteria for the film processing. I am looking for a negative that has a full range of tones and requires a minimal amount of post processing in CS5. From research and anecdotal evidence a 2 bath developer is the way forward and it is from the work of the late Barry Thornton that I have taken advice. The ultimate for B&W film success is to expose to give the maximum detail in the shadows and as little development to the highlights so as to retain detail.   Heinrich Stoëckler had invented a 2 bath developer before 1939 and this was popular with Leica users and Ansel Adams used a version of Kodak D23. The formula for all of these and Barry's own version are available to mix from base chemicals. Diafine is an American 2 bath developer that has a proven track record with research carried out by Stephen Schaub at www.figitalrevolution.com  
Diafine is not readily available in the UK but I have sourced a 1 gallon (US) kit from Germany and made up the solutions A and B. Two bath developers works as follows.
The film is ’developed’ in Bath A with agitation every half or full minute. Actually little development takes place. Mostly the film is becoming saturated with the developing solution. However, some development does take place and agitation is important to prevent streaking. The solution is then poured off and saved. Drain the tank well but don’t rinse or use a stop bath. Then pour in Bath B, and after a quick rap of the tank on a hard surface to dislodge any airbells, let the tank stand still with no agitation for three minutes or so when all development has ceased. In the highlight regions where the developed silver will be densest, the developer available in the emulsion is soon exhausted and development halts, thus automatically limiting the density of the negative at that point. The more the exposure, and the denser the highlight, the faster development ceases. In the shadows, though, there is little silver to reduce and there is enough developer to keep working there to push up the shadow detail density. The less light the negative received at this point the longer the development proceeds.  Unlike conventional developers there is nothing to be gained by changing temperature or times. All films, whether exposed at ISO 100 or ISO 1000 can be processed at around 20c and in each bath for at least 3 minutes minimum. The solutions are used many times and although they become discoloured there is no loss of performance for many months. There is no stop bath required other than a rinse in water and then use a rapid film fixer for 10 mins and wash as normal, using a wetting agent and distilled water for the final rinse to eliminate drying marks. The advantages of this developer are numerous. It is easy to use, requires no special darkroom techniques, accommodates various film types and ratings in the same tank and produces negatives of extremely fine grain and a tonal range that allows the scanner to pick up all the shadow detail with no blown highlights.

Results

Film used so far is Across rated at 160, TMax 400 rated at 560 and Tri X rated at 400 and 1000. 
As one would expect the Acros has almost no grain, extremely full range of tones and a creamy feel that for fine art photography would make it sublime. The TMax 400 is extremely good for general photography with a grain structure that is pleasant. Tmax 400 has a tabular grain emulsion and is perhaps not best suited to the 2 bath process.  The Tri X is gorgeous to look at through a loupe and scans extremely well. It has a reputation for handling contrast very well and with the 2 bath this is extended to give an amazing range of tonality. Diafine recommend rating it at ISO 1000 and that makes it extremely usable in low light although a roll at box speed look perfect.

It is difficult to show the results on the web. The tonality, the minute shadow detail and the creamy nature of the output is marginally different to digital images and only manifests itself in a print that can be inspected under good light.

I have also found that I am getting different results from my scanner (Epson V750 wet mounted) with different software. For colour negatives I use Silverfast 8 and find the control to be fine but for monochrome at 16 bit the Epson software is giving me a richer range of tones. To enhance the film "look" I also want to make as many tonal adjustments at the scanning stage rather than in Post Processing. The less digital manipulation the better the result will be.

Conclusions

Initially I am pleased to have gone down the 2 bath developer route. It offers benefits over developers that worked well for enlarger use as it provides a full tone negative that is maybe a bit flat (linear) and gives the scanner a better opportunity to capture shadow and highlight detail. I will limit my film stock to Acros, and Tri X once the T Max has been used. With 2 films I can cover most situations of lighting and technique in a range from 160 to 1000 ISO. Further test rolls of Across to be shot at box speed of 100 ISO.

None of this work with film (I personally reject the word analogue to describe this) is going to show huge improvements over my digital output. The differences are esoteric and marginal. I enjoy using the MF cameras (Mamiya 6 and Hasselblad 500 CM) because they require an engagement at another level. The frames are restricted, there is a tenderness about using classic cameras and there is an appreciation about light falling onto silver with its endless range of tone and contrast. The classic lenses produce sharp yet rounded images with bokeh that is not seen in modern equipment. When it all comes together the images have an engaging aesthetic that sets them apart from my other work. Some will say that this is wasting time and it would be better to move forward with technology and look at more contemporary techniques. That may be true but I am convinced that the time spent trying is worthwhile,

Below are two images from T Max 400 rated at 560 Part A 4.5m + Part B 4.5m

Test

6x6 Kodak Portra 400.

 

I have recently been experimenting with film based workflow using a 6x6 Mamiya 6 and Kodak Portra 400, rated at 320 ISO. The negatives are processed by Peak Imaging and then scanned on my Epson V750 flatbed scanner. The negatives are held in place with a BetterScanning adjustable glass plate and wet scanned using Kami fluid and photographic grade Mylar. Software is Silverfast 8 Studio. The workflow within the scanning is still being developed and further tests are planned before I am convinced the best image quality is being achieved. The test frame above is here to check colour and tonality when displayed via the web. For the most part the workflow is designed for a printed output and the web versions are for general viewing and explanation.

Off on a Tangent

I am finding it difficult to concentrate on the exercises at the moment. I know the reasons but only time will change my attitude towards them, so in the meantime I am happy to sit and take a few Springtime bird shots. On issues of layout and placing the images on a page I am still trying to determine the need for a white border for colour photographs. Maybe these two will help me see the issues and gain an outcome.

Goldfinch - D800 with 500 f4 and 1.4TC

 

Greenfinch - D800 500 f4 with 1.4TC

 

Robin - D800 500 f4

 

Furthering Monochrome Techniques

I am spending some time away from the prescribed coursework to improve my monochrome technique. I am passionate about the genre and find myself being defensive when asked to justify why I often work in this way. Through the coursework however I am writing about London Street, Robert Frank 1951 and as a result I have become captivated by his work. I am an easy capture however, having been seduced the past by Edward Weston, Eugene Atget, Edwin Smith, Alfred Stieglitz, Edward Steichen and Paul Strand to name but a few. 

Robert Frank is quoted as saying

“Black and white are the colors of photography. To me they symbolize the alternatives of hope and despair to which mankind is forever subjected.”

We can see from the above list of photographers that influence me that none of them would have had that much opportunity to have used colour although there are a few exceptions, notably Weston who did some work late in his life with Kodak colour film.

As human beings (unless colour blind) we see the world around us in colour and to translate that into a black and white image with a full range of tones and contrast is not easy. There have been monocle type viewing devices with special filters that were an aid but I have never used one. I have though spent 30 years with black and white film and with digital photography needed a way forward where I could control the output with a greater degree of security of outcome. There has since the nineteen sixties been a tendency for high contrast punchy images, spawned by the likes of Bailey in the world of fashion and later the war photography of Don McCullen and may others all using modern multi coated lenses designed to produce contrast and extreme sharpness.

This style of black and white is legendary and many iconic images from the last 50 years are seminal works and part of the history of photography.

Prior to that period lenses were producing less contrast and for those like Cartier Bresson and Frank who were using uncoated Leica glass the resulting negative had a softer feel. The images were sharp but the contrast was less than a multi coated modern lens. 

To understand which lenses are likely to give low or high contrast we need to understand Modular Transfer Function (MTF). MTF graphs can be confusing. A test image is taken using a target with varying line shapes.From inspection the image is plotted on a graph. On the vertical axis we see the change in contrast as a percentage from 0 to 100. Zero means no contrast at all (black is grey and white is grey) and 100% means full contrast (the black is still black and the white is white). All values in between indicate that a percentage of white light is spilling over into the black part of the test pattern. 50% contrast means there is a difference between the dark grey and light grey areas of 50%. On the horizontal axis we read the image height of the image area, the radius of which can be calculated from the diagonal of the picture frame. A 35mm negative has a diagonal of 43.2mm and the radius of the image circle is 21.6mm. Important points are the 3mm radius as this gives the center performance or the on-axis performance. The 12mm radius covers the image on the short side of the negative (2 times 12mm equals the 24mm vertical size). The 18mm radius covers the long side of the negative, whilst 21.6mm covers the extreme corners.

Within the horizontal and vertical axes we see four groups of curves which meander from centre to corner (0 to 21.6mm) On the top we have the contrast transfer for 5lp/mm (image resolution is the detail an image holds and is measure in lines per millimetre), which defines the overall contrast and the subject outline. Working down the four lines, next is10lp/mm, 20lp/mm and finally 40lp/mm which defines the maximum resolution and smallest points that the lens can record with some clarity. The solid line curves are paired with a dotted line. These represent the two different orientations of the line patterns. In practice the better results come from curves that stay as close together as possible. If the curves diverge widely we will see astigmatism and coma and in general a softness of the smaller image points.

MTF for Leica 35mm f/1.4 Summilux-R @ f/2.8

The graph above for the 35mm Summilux R lens at f2.8 shows good performance at the centre but poor at the edge of the frame, with considerable astigmatism as shown by the divergence of solid and dotted curves.

 

MTF Zeiss 100m f/2 Makro-Planar MTF at f/4

The graph above for the Zeiss 100mm f/2 Makro at f4 shows remarkable definition across the whole of the frame with very little astigmatism.

The low contrast negative can however be used to good effect in the darkroom. An increase in contrast is possible when printing to produce an image that has increased depth by enhancing foreground contrast and allowing the distance to remain in low contrast resulting in aerial perspective.

An example is seem in these photograph:

 

 

Stieglitz, A. The Hand of Man,1902, Copyright Museum of Modern Art, New York

 

  Frank, R. London Street,1951, Copyright Victoria and Albert Museum, London

 

With digital practice there are a number of techniques to simulate the look and feel of a image with variable contrast. The important point to remember is that adding contrast is much easier that removing it, so to that end I always shoot raw files and ensure during the post processing that the curve is linear until I choose to add contrast with an S curve. Film stock has a curve and a recipe for how it reacts to the various coloured wavelengths of light. Adding these curves on layers and masking allows the creation of an image with varying areas of contrast.

In the image below the distant bushes in the top right have been left as low contrast, while the Marram grass and the wood of the beach hut have increased contrast. Also the area under the hut has low contrast to retain detail. The variable contrast areas add depth to the image and allow the less interesting areas to have the same validity as those in the foreground.

  Beach Hut Leica MM  35mm Summicron.

 

In the image below the grasses have high contrast in the centre with less towards the edges. The distant areas have no contrast adjustment and retain the original linear curve. The sand areas have contrast enhancement through the centre with less at the edges. The technique contributes to the apparent 3D in the image.

Footprints Leica MM 35mm Summicron

Conclusion

Lens selection should go beyond focal length and format. The contrast characteristics will play a large part especially when the image is to have areas of differing contrast.  Prior to digital photography the older non coated lenses being used on say transparency film would have resulted in disappointing results, showing their age with low contrast results. The study of MTF graphs for a given lens allows the photographer an opportunity to understand its characteristics and select the lens to suit the output, which in most cases for my current landscape work is a mixed contrast image.

 

Lesson No 1. If it isn't broken don't fix it

Just prior to printing 12 10"x10" for assignment one I ordered some new paper, Canson Baryta Photographique 310g. Also at this time I had started to read some of "The Digital Print" by Jeff Schrewe, in particular anything relating to gamut, rendering intent and black point compensation. My current paper and workflow combination was working fine but one is always curious that something better is hidden around the corner. After a day of changes, many of which were not properly thought through and therefore any difference was not easily attributed to any specific method. I returned to my original paper and settings so that the assignment can proceed and will come back to the new paper in the future. Lesson learnt is dont experiment with assignment output. Carry out experiments at a suitable time, make one change at a time, make contemporaneous records and be methodical. I have a friend who works in science research who's diary (after a day of experiments) often reads "Results: nothing happened, no change". That may happen here.

Workflow

Current workflow is detailed here as an aide memoir for future use and removes a number of post it notes from the desk.

Workflow for Monochrome - Assignment  1

1. Raw file conversion

1.       Open in ACR

2.       Lens correction

3.       Curve to Linear

4.       No sharpening

5.       Colour Temp - check as this can make difference

6.       Remove clipping

7.       No changes to contrast etc made here

8.       Open in PS

9.       Save Raw in Raw Folder

2. Photoshop basic monochrome conversion

1.       Open in CS5

2.       Save as 16 bit Tiff in Tiff 1 folder

3.       Capture sharpen with Photokit  capture sharp Digital High Res - Medium. Check at 100%.

4.       View at 100% Ctrl +1   Ctrl +0 Fill Screen

5.       Flatten Ctrl +E twice

6.       Save as basic Tiff for use in Tiff 1 folder

7.       Correct perspective.

8.       Crop to new aspect ratio. Removal of part of the file will change histogram, reset  000 and 255

9.       Convert to mono using channel mixer, use a film preset

10.   Save as basic mono Tiff in Mono Tiff folder (with linear curve)

To this point the workflow is a standard technical procedure. From here the workflow will need to provide control and artistry that defines the presence of the image .

3. Photoshop - Diagnose the image.

1.       Always work on new layer.

2.       Add Layer Ctrl + J

3.       Add 10 Gausian Blur, stand well back from screen, 10 feet or so and analyse the tonal range, out of place areas of dark/light, low/high contrast and make note of requirements.

4.       Delete Layer

4. Photoshop - Adjust Tonal Range, add toning, retouch, adjust for printing.

Tone mapping with masks to introduce curves to various areas, some areas low contrast, maybe some high. NB Image has no curve at this stage.

5. Typically

1.       Add Layer Ctrl + J

2.       Work on Layer, Ctrl + L to open curves. Small areas at a time with small amounts of adjustment, say no more than 20% of image is under consideration. Possible with this method to have low contrast and high contrast within the same image.

3.       Alt + add vector mask, Adjustments will disappear behind a black mask

4.       Take a soft brush with 20 - 50 % opacity and set to white.

5.       With tablet pen paint in the adjustment to area under consideration

6.       Error corrections are made by changing brush to black and painting in correction.

7.       On completion, Ctrl +E to flatten or if need to return make next Layer for next area.

With any partial adjustment Layer  using curves (and never touching the endpoints) will result in an image with full tonal range and retained  000 and 255 limits as set in the Raw conversion.

Additional partial contrast can be applied with USM at 20,60,4

6. Additionally

The History Brush is used to make minor adjustments

1.       Multiply - darkens a local area

2.       Screen - lightens a local area

3.       Colour Dodge - lightens extreme small highlights

4.       Colour Burn - darkens extreme small shadows

5.       Soft Light - increases contrast in areas of light and dark

7. Edges

Paint with History Brush  (very small brush)  along edges

1.       Multiply 10-20%

2.       Colour Dodge 7-10%

Save As at any stage in the process to allow retrieval of part completed image.

When complete Save in Mono Tiffs folder with text to describe adjustments.

For this assignment I need a toned image and the Colour Balance method is chosen

8. Photoshop - Add Colour to simulate Albumen print.

1.       Add colour balance Layer

2.       Shadows       +26

3.                           +3

4.                           -31

5.       Highlights        0             

6.                             0

7.                           -15

8.       Delete White layer mask

9.       Add Black Layer mask

10.   Paint colour as required, mostly close too all over at 100%, but mask and opacity allows to lighten if required.

11.   Flatten Image

12.   Add Hue/Saturation Layer

13.   Set Saturation to -23

14.   Levels - set output to 251, not 255 to prevent bleed and paper white in printing.

15.   Flatten Image

16.   Return to adding a layer and changing curve locally to darken/vignette etc.

17.   Flatten Image

18.   Save As Fully Modified Tiff in Tiff Folder

9. Notes:

For printed output activate Soft Proof Ctrl+Y with paper type in custom set up.

For web change profile to sRGB

Image is unsharpened.

For web resize to 1024 on longest side, Photokit output sharp for web, changed to SRGB.

For printing, no change, output through Qimage at 12.

For stock (Alamy) no sharpening. Follow Alamy spec.

Analogue / Digital Process - An explanation why.

In general and certainly within vernacular photography the modus operandi in this part of the 21st century is digital capture followed by digital display or a print made on a digital printer. This "method" of photography is perfect. The photographer has access to any number of capture devices in various price ranges and as technology improves the photographer will be able to expand his vision with all manner of instruments. I have no issues with digital capture, in fact quite the opposite and I enjoy the freedom (who can resist auto ISO?), quality, processing and output opportunities that this affords.

Black and white images from digital cameras are excellent. The colour sensor produces an RGB file that after simple conversion makes smooth silky images with a complete tonal range, with one manufacturer making a monochrome version of their top selling range finder camera specifically to enhance the output.

Photoshop has add in devices such as Silver Efex Pro and Exposure that take the digital image and make it look like an image shot on film. The opportunities when using these are endless. They allow choice of film, pull/push processing, a range of colour filters, contrast to mimic paper grades and variations in the film curve and grain texture. With four or five clicks of the mouse the raw file initially adjusted in ACR is then transformed into an image we are told looks like (say) Kodak Tri-X pushed 2 stops with an orange filter. In many respects these claim are correct so there is no justification for doing different; but I hope to prove otherwise.

My desire to shoot images onto film is not to recreate my wet darkroom experiences of the 1970s and 80s and take a nostalgic trip back to the smell of fixer and I have no desire to struggle with colour processing, which was always better left to labs in the past anyway. This work will therefore be limited to silver based monochrome film, processed in conventional chemicals, wet mounted for scanning on a flatbed scanner, post processing in Photoshop and printed output delivered through a 12 ink printer.


The aesthetic of a black and white photograph originating from film is not easy to explain. If the aesthetic needs further explanation then we can use additional words such as atmosphere, mood, delicate, enchanting, straight, classical, forceful, surreal and mature. However within these there are contradictions and it is not until work by the likes of Henri Cartier Bresson, Ansel Adams, Man Ray, Edward Weston and others of the early 1900s are examined will the feeling for and the need of the aesthetic become clear.

The "effect" is due to an incomplete presence, a lack of immediacy on the part of the image as compared to that of the colour photograph in its claim to represent the present. If the colour photograph offers a sense of the immediate, then the black and white photograph appears to be offering something once removed. At the outset therefore the need for it to be in monochrome must be firmly established in the mind of the photographer. Monochrome images are not colour images salvaged in post, they are thought about and made with a deliberate intent and for my work the addition of the film. In order that the finished work is presented at its best the technical work that will follow is a necessity that has to be completed in my search for printed output that is at the highest standard and exhibits all the nuances of monochrome and the special aesthetic that is only possible by using film at the heart of the workflow.

My intent to produce black and white work film based is unlikely to be seen as a cogent argument by those in photography who only have exposure to digital capture and it will be difficult here on the journal to present my finished work due to the workflow being specifically destined for the printer. However during the process of establishing the workflow I hope the experience will be of benefit to others who may be thinking of following a similar path.