Topic: Monochrome colour film?

[Wensleydale Blue]

Hi everyone

I know that this is more of an APUG type question but I've been slowly developing an itch to try out some colour film again after about 20 years concentrating solely on B&W work.  This itch has been scratched recently by much of the colour work I've been receiving through the current FW postcard exchange, as some of the results have been truly inspirational.   I have no experience of modern colour negative films, either exposing them or developing them and I am not too sure about what's available. I know the sort of effect I am after and its not the highly saturated colour that I seem to see all too frequently in both digital and analogue work.  I want something that's going to help give me more of a washed out, almost monochrome look and I am wondering how I might go about achieving this?  I'd probably want to get this processed commercial and while I have a colour enlarger, and it is possibly feasible to have a go at printing some of my own work up (can I still easily get the paper and chemicals these days?) I do know of a good analogue colour printer fairly close to where I work for getting any really good shots printed up.

Any suggestions as to film choice and how to go about getting the effect that I am after?  I'll be shooting 35mm and possible 120 if things begin to take off, but nothing larger or more complicated initially.

Graham

[Phil Bebbington]

Vicky has been getting some lovely results rating her Fuji 800Z at 400. I know the fuji has been discontinued, but, I guess you could give the Portra a go?  Vicky's work has a beautiful washed out feel - if that is what you are after?

[gregor]

any of the non vivid color metered one ISO lower than marked will reduce saturation. The 800 ISO films tend to work best for this. Some filtration also will reduce saturation.  Otherwise, finding a lot of not too expired, expired film will do the trick but w/out the predictability of film within date, especially if metering one ISO lower than marked. If you're just experimenting, 2 years expired and stored properly is within reason.

your lens will also factor in - older lenses tend to wash out more than a double coated lenses - for example the t* hassy lenses will give you more saturation with contemporary color film and a 70 year old zeiss lens will give you less...

I have some 10 year expired Portra 160 that I may run a roll this weekend - just to see. If I do I'll post results in this thread.

I've recently tried the Rollei digibase 120 film, rated at 200, shot at 125 for negative density.  It wasn't as saturated as the Kodak and Fuji films, but the price point is high (close 10 10 USD a roll).

As far as paper is concerned, I believe that Fuji is that last standing papers available.  I recommend the Fuji Crystal Archive Super C- matte (stay away from glossy). Relative to B&W, it's cheap @ 20 cents USD per sheet at 8x10... packaged in boxes of 100.

Good luck, it will be fun seeing your results.

[Heather]

What Phil's hinted at is the key. Overexposure by 2 stops might be a good starting point.

I've done c-41 developing at home, the beginner kits are simple to use, I've used Tetenal ColorTec 1litre kit and divided that in half (concentrates all come in liquids, easy to measure out half of each liquid when diluting it to working strength). You just bring everything up to temperature (100F) using a large plastic container of some sort (like those storage tubs is what i used) then it's all over in under 10 minutes. Everything's developed at the same time and sequence.

You should be able to get the paper and chemicals easily enough. I've not tried it but have looked into it, you can print using the 100F chemicals (which are more stable, as far as print lifetime is concerned, than Room Temperature kits) at room temperature (20C or so) but you'll need to dial in more yellow and possibly more cyan (only about 10 units of each if I'm remembering correctly).

You'll be happily to surprised to find that colour 8x10 paper is much cheaper than B&W 8x10 - I assume this is because colour paper is still made on a huge scale as people have their digital snaps printed out. Also be aware you'll have to work in total darkness. Unless you have an appropriate very very dark green safelight rated for working with colour materials and even then the instructions don't recommend that's left on for more than a few moments. RH Designs have a rather affordable little "safetorch" for colour materials but they recommend not using it directly on any paper/film - it's merely for orienteering in the darkroom
http://www.rhdesigns.co.uk/darkroom/html/safetorch.html

[Wensleydale Blue]

Interesting stuff and perhaps more accessible and even affordable than I was expecting.  Thanks for TTTT - very much appreciated.  Time to have a look on the Silverprint and AG websites and most importantly, have a further gander at the work produced by esteemed wasters elsewhere on this site, esp from those mentioned in dispatches.

Will update when I've had a chance to play around - maybe some months though!

Graham

[vicky slater]

Graham, you'd need to look at the more recent pictures on Flickr, particularly the cherry ones, to see what Phil was talking about...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/janeway/

I'm a fuji fan for colour on all speeds, 160S and 400H too.

[Phil Bebbington]

Heather, I rarely do more than hint

Vicky, thank you for bailing me out - I'm quite good at being non-specific!