Author Topic: Pola 55 portrait of Satish (Read 5909 times)

hookstrapped · « **on:** April 29, 2015, 12:17:08 PM »

My first picture taken with my 4x5, one intended for wet plate (eventually!) but for now old expired 55 and hopefully very soon New55. Old Darlot petzval lens, using the lens cap as shutter. Positive scan.

The other two shots in the batch did not turn out; the developer didn't spread. I think with age (from 2001) it's partially dried out and thickened. Hopefully there's another decent one in the box.

Chalky · « **Reply #1 on:** April 29, 2015, 12:57:38 PM »

Awesome!

I find with the older T55 (I'm not an expert though) that the positive is often no good, but the neg is much better so expose for that... I often get a good neg (with some marks I am never sure if they are down to poor clearing or the age) and the positive is often blank... weird! Actually the 'marks' (look a little like a giant fingerprint) on here look identical to the type of marks I see on my sheets too.

anyway keep them coming!

edthened · « **Reply #2 on:** April 29, 2015, 12:59:27 PM »

Och rat Satish looks awfie, awfie uglie in rat foti ther

.....................................wimuns probablie fall at 'is feet

Francois · « **Reply #3 on:** April 29, 2015, 04:17:38 PM »

Nice. I'm really surprised it still had some life left in the goop!

Last time I used some 4x5 Polaroid, the goop was so thick I had to use a steel rolling pin from a photocopy machine to spread the goop. It was really weird because the crystals that had formed would explode from the pressure of my heavy steel roller and scar the paper negative in some unexpected ways.

hookstrapped · « **Reply #4 on:** April 29, 2015, 11:50:07 PM »

Here's the scanned negative. It was scanned as a positive and, as a result was extremely low contrast and soft, then inverted because my scanner can't accommodate 4x5 negs. I guess I'll have to get a V800 (ouch)

Indofunk · « **Reply #5 on:** April 30, 2015, 12:03:19 AM »

Well it's cleaner than the actual positive!

imagesfrugales · « **Reply #6 on:** April 30, 2015, 12:06:19 AM »

Besides all delicate tech this is a very fine portrait. And I like both versions for their imperfectness.

edthened · « **Reply #7 on:** April 30, 2015, 02:05:10 AM »

Och a think rat baeth fotis ar grand in ther aen wae, so ther :-)

ManuelL · « **Reply #8 on:** April 30, 2015, 06:21:55 AM »

That is a wonderful portrait. I like both versions in their way.
Still got some pola 55 and 59 in my fridge, but the 4x5 holder I got is not working well. Might need to get myself another one and give it a try after seeing these.

Chalky · « **Reply #9 on:** April 30, 2015, 08:58:45 AM »

Yeah great pic

I use the epson V550, scanin 2 halves and stitch together in gimp - still perfecting that technique!

hookstrapped · « **Reply #10 on:** April 30, 2015, 11:35:24 AM »

Quote from: ManuelL on April 30, 2015, 06:21:55 AM

That is a wonderful portrait. I like both versions in their way.
Still got some pola 55 and 59 in my fridge, but the 4x5 holder I got is not working well. Might need to get myself another one and give it a try after seeing these.

Thank you. The holders are plentiful and pretty cheap ($20-$25) on *bay

hookstrapped · « **Reply #11 on:** April 30, 2015, 11:39:17 AM »

Quote from: Chalky on April 30, 2015, 08:58:45 AM

Yeah great pic

I use the epson V550, scanin 2 halves and stitch together in gimp - still perfecting that technique!

Ha! I thought of doing that. But I'm kind of a photoshop dork so the idea of stitching is beyond me. Please share any insights/tips you have!

My V500 has lasted me nearly 8 years now and I don't feel like forking over $700 for a new scanner. There's a place nearby where I can rent time with a scanner that handles 4x5, so there's that.

hookstrapped · « **Reply #12 on:** April 30, 2015, 11:41:44 AM »

Quote from: Indofunk on April 30, 2015, 12:03:19 AM

Well it's cleaner than the actual positive!

Well, I discovered the little sponge roller of fix (?) in the box a bit late, after the gunk had dried on the positive. I guess I should have read the instruction sheet before throwing it away.

Chalky · « **Reply #13 on:** April 30, 2015, 12:35:44 PM »

There are some auto stitch tools in Gimp/photoshop that should help... will find the name of the tool... {edit maybe I dreamt that gimp has one}...

I just add them to the same canvas, zoom in and try and place them correctly... however I do have issues with the join having a noticeable line where the 'darkness/contrast' etc is different - even though I am careful to ensure the input levels on the histogram are the same for each scan...

maybe some others can jump in here with advice?

there are hints on scanning T55 on google too I'll try and find them...

https://www.flickr.com/groups/filmphotographypodcast/discuss/72157645220100665/ is worth a read too

Francois · « **Reply #14 on:** April 30, 2015, 02:47:21 PM »

On photoshop, you first scan both halves and save them as individual files. Then just go file/automate/photostitch.
Then, you select interactive placement, select the two halves and hit OK.
It will open both files and try and place them like they should. You just move them around to their proper position.

It helps to have the images roughly aligned and in the proper orientation first.

I've begun drawing a custom film holder for such a task on my 4490. Will need to get working on it one of these days, especially since I've got 90% of the plan done. I was thinking of getting it laser cut but the overly expensive service made me go back to cardboard and an xacto knife... and possibly Popsicle sticks.

Adam Doe · « **Reply #15 on:** April 30, 2015, 03:13:54 PM »

Hookstrapped, I think it's a really well composed portrait. Love the lighting (the drums don't hurt either

)

Quote from: Francois on April 30, 2015, 02:47:21 PM

I've begun drawing a custom film holder for such a task on my 4490. Will need to get working on it one of these days, especially since I've got 90% of the plan done. I was thinking of getting it laser cut but the overly expensive service made me go back to cardboard and an xacto knife... and possibly Popsicle sticks.

Francois, I'd be quite interested in what you come up with. Right now I wind up taping a 6" ruler to my flatbed scanner so that I won't have to deal with too much rotational fiddlyness when merging my two scans together in photoshop.

jharr · « **Reply #16 on:** April 30, 2015, 03:24:04 PM »

Quote from: Francois on April 30, 2015, 02:47:21 PM

I've begun drawing a custom film holder for such a task on my 4490. Will need to get working on it one of these days, especially since I've got 90% of the plan done. I was thinking of getting it laser cut but the overly expensive service made me go back to cardboard and an xacto knife... and possibly Popsicle sticks.

I used to use magnetic paper to sandwich my 4x5 negatives. Then I cut it so that I just had to slide the whole thing from one side of the scanner to the other and then stitch. It worked okay, but these days I just lay it on the V600 glass and slide it around by eye. It seems to work, but I am still lusting after a V700 since for 8x10 I have to stitch together 4 or 5 scans.

Francois · « **Reply #17 on:** April 30, 2015, 10:29:28 PM »

I just finished making my scan mask and writing an article about it.
You can find it here http://www.filmwasters.com/forum/index.php?topic=7910.msg104663#msg104663

hookstrapped · « **Reply #18 on:** May 03, 2015, 10:03:53 PM »

Here's a nice short video on Geoffrey Berliner and his lens collection. Geoffrey is with the Penumbra Foundation aka the Center for Alternative Photography, which is where I took my wet plate class and was first introduced to 19th century petzval lenses. I asked him if he would look at the lenses I bought and he generously said, Sure. He examined them and fixed the orientation of the elements in the lens I used here (one of the elements was in backwards), and measured their aperture. He also told me I could shoot with the front element alone, reversed -- will have to try that.

http://tinyurl.com/lznyylp

Indofunk · « **Reply #19 on:** May 04, 2015, 11:40:49 PM »

500T portrait of Peter taking a portrait of Satish

original_ann · « **Reply #20 on:** May 05, 2015, 01:41:05 AM »

I love both of them!

hookstrapped · « **Reply #21 on:** May 05, 2015, 11:34:39 AM »

http://theonlinephotographer.typepad.com/the_online_photographer/2015/05/the-lens-hunter.html

hookstrapped · « **Reply #22 on:** May 05, 2015, 01:33:52 PM »

Another look at the set-up

Chamonix 045-N2 with a Darlot petzval lens