Adventures in Large Format - The Press Camera: Crown Graphic

It took about 25 years of dabbling in photography before I decided to plunge into large format.  I knew the image quality was spectacular but shooting 4x5 had some gnawing issues that I really wasn't ready to tackle until now.

1. loading individual sheets into a film holder
2. only 2 shots per holder
3. focusing on the ground glass with my less than stellar vision for a 40 year old
4. tilt, swing, shift and the other one....
5. developing 4x5 sheet film
6. scanning the film without breaking the bank on an Epson V750

This 1963 Crown Graphic came across my plate and I was a hooked and just had to have it.  Maggie had to show me how to use the basic controls because I had literally never touched one in my career.  

It didn't take long to realize shooting with large format is truly slow photography.  A tripod is really essential. There is the opening and setup of the camera.  Opening and then locking the shutter open so you can see the image on the ground glass.  The image is upside down so there is a learning curve on composition. 

Focusing is a big challenge for me as a bifocal wearer.  I have since taken the rear barndoor hood off the camera and started using a loupe to focus by holding it flush to the ground glass.  This has improved sharpness considerably for me. A dark cloth or jacket is also essential to use as a focusing aid to keep stray light from hitting the glass.

All the tripod controls must be locked down tight as one slight movement in the camera will shift the focus.  

This camera has front tilt and swing. It also had front rise. Some nice effects can be had by experimenting with the lensboard shifting.  The film plate does not have any control on this camera, only the lensboard.

One of the first issues I encountered was a consistent underexposure with all of sheets.  I could not figure out why.  I was attempting a lot of close up work at first because this camera can do really nice close ups as the bellows will extend all the way out to the edge of the rail.  After much head scratching I started picking up large format books looking for an explanation.  I soon found it and then wanted to beat myself for not realizing it sooner. 

Bellows Extension Compensation:  Because the bellows extends out this increases the distance light must travel from the the lens opening through the bellows and onto the film plane.   There are a couple of ways to overcome this mathematical conundrum and get the correct exposure.  You must calculate the distance from the lens to film plane, squared (not kidding, really) and divide it by focal length of the lens, squared. This will give you the compensation factor which then must me converted to an exposure value.  

Here is an easy way, if you can find one of these tools. Calumet made a bellows compensation tool for the field. The square chip is placed in the scene. The exposure strip is placed on the ground glass.  Using the instructions below you can quickly determine the amount of exposure to add without a lot of math.

Even better, maybe not as fun, if you have an iPhone or iPod touch, you can download the Pinhole Assist app for about $3. This app includes a bellows compensation tool that does all the math for you giving you the

exact shutter speed to use with any aperture.  It's mainly designed for pinhole photography but the included bellows factor makes it worth the price. 

Mixing your own: Kodak D-23 Film Developer

Kodak D-23 hasn't been available commercially for years.  Using only two ingredients it is a great compensating B&W film developer with highlight holding ability.  It's super easy to mix this developer yourself.

You'll need:  sodium sulfite and metol.  Both are available online from Adorama or from Photo Formulary.

Start with 750 ml of water at 125 degrees

add 7.5 grams of Metol.  Mix well
add 100 grams of sodium sulfite and mix until dissolved.
add enough water to make 1 liter.

You can find times for many popular film types at the Massive Development Chart

D-23 can be used as a stock solution for 1:1 for one shot use economy and a slightly sharper negative.

Here is an example of Fuji Acros 100 shot with a Yashica 124.  Exposure was 1/4 @ f22.
Developed in D-23 stock solution.

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about APS (Advanced Photo System) but Were REALLY Afraid to Ask!

The Advanced Photo System, or APS, could have been big. But digital happened.  Introduced around 1995, APS or IX240 was slow to take off and confusing at best for photographers.  Available as color negative and C-41 chromogenic B&W film, it was designed to be a simpler, fail proof way to get better photos.  The film could be rewound in mid roll and exchanged for higher speed or even swap color for B&W.

But, questions started to come up:

• where's the film?
• why are there 3 formats? 
• 4x7?
• why can't I see the negatives?
• how do I order reprints?
• can I order a 4x6 even if I shot it as panoramic?......and so on.

The concept was new:  The film is kept inside the cartridge before and after processing. This helps minimize handling and scratches.  An index print is included with processing so it's easy to identify the images by frame number. Each roll comes with a unique 6 digit ID number imprinted on the cartridge, film and index print to keep everything organized. 

APS cameras can shoot three different formats:  Classic or 4x6, HD or 4x7 and Panoramic, 4x12.  The problem with the formatting  is that 4x7 is full frame.  In order to include all of the image, side to side, including everyone in tight group shots or landscapes it necessitated printing a 4x7.

Obstacle #1: no one had 4x7 frames and photo albums.  4x6's were cropped and this confused the photographer on why everything couldn't be printing in the 4x6 ratio, which is full frame on 35mm film, and what most people were used to.

Even though the camera exposed every image full frame, 4x6's and 4x12 shots were simply cropped by the minilab printer at the photo lab.  The camera could be switched to any format at anytime. The viewfinder also changed and the camera encoded the film with exposed "tabs" (as seen by green tabs at edge of film in above image) that were read optically by the negative carrier on the printer to automatically print the size selected at the time of the shot.  

Obstacle #2:  images were shot on panoramic by accident; this prompted the photo lab to print 25 panoramic frames at $1.00 + per print when it was not intended.  A reprint of 25 frames in either 4x7 or 4x6 was then requested, wasting time, money, chemicals and paper. 

Obstacle #3:  After processing, the index print was misplaced confusing the photographer on whether or not the film was a new roll or already processed.  A new index print had to be made in order to request reprints and to identify the frames on that roll of film.

Obstacle #4:  Photo labs were required to upgrade their existing equipment (at a considerable cost) to be able to process and print APS. Why?  The film has to be removed from the cartridge before processing. In order to do this a dettacher device spins the film out of the cassette (in a dark box) and transfers it to another light tight plastic cartridge that is compatible with current C-41 film processing machines. These machines have sensors to read the width of the film which then calculates the appropriate amount of chemical replenisher to add to the tanks based on the size of the film being developed. In contrast, 35mm film is taped to its inner spool in commercially manufactured cassettes and the processing machine cuts the film when it reaches the end as it is pulled from the cassette into the chemical tanks of the machine.  If APS film were not transferred, it would be cut by the machine (not really possible, but this is part of the explanation) and it would not be in a position to be reloaded back into the original cartridge.  After processing, a reattacher puts the developed film back into the original cartridge.  During the subsequent printing phase of the processing,  the film is not removed from the cartridge but rather the negative carrier opens the door and spins the film out of the opening and the prints each frame before reversing it back inside again.  The plastic cartridge used to hold the film for loading into the processing machine is designed with a sticky spool. The APS film would stick to the spool, like a fly to flytrap paper, and the spool would rotate and wind the film up. This spool had to be regularly cleaned with denatured alcohol to eliminate the grime that would adhere to the sticky spool. If left dirty, the film would lose its grip on the sticky spool and just sit there while the spool rotated and the dettacher machine would scream with error sounds alerting you to a load failure. This required a trip to the darkroom to open the unit in the dark, remove all parts, spin the film back into it's own cassette and then clean the transfer cartridge and start over again. FAIL.

Obstacle #5:  Photo labs did not and do not train the lab technician on proper developing and handling procedures for APS film.  I have seen many a roll of APS processed by drug store photo labs that had leader card tape on the head of the film because they didn't detach it first.  FAIL.  If the head or tail of APS film is mangled or damaged, it will not reattach to the cartridge nor will the minilab negative carrier be able to pull the film out.  This would always lead to jamming.  Fuji and Noritsu manufactured reshaping devices to reshape the head and tail of the film (they are different designs and shapes).  This, however, caused additional problems on some minilabs because if the film does not measure the correct length as it is being pulled out of the cassette and exposed or scanned, the printer would jam with errors on film length inaccuracies.  Groan.

Obstacle #6: APS film is 24mm, not 35mm.   This minute size lead to more grain and softer images due to the amount of enlarging required to print the images as 4x6 snapshot size and 5x7 or even 8x10 enlargements. 

Position 1:  New Roll, unexposed, ready to load into camera

Position 2:  Partially exposed.  Can be reloaded and shooting continued

Position 3:  Film exposed, ready for developing

Position 4:  Film Processed

Obstacle #7:   The spool of the cartridge can be rotated at any time with a screwdriver or small tool to push the film out and in doing so the numeric indicator changes with the rotation. If the spool was rotated to position 3 by mistake, one would assume the film had not been processed. Again, I saw many rolls of APS come into the photo lab for processing that had already been developed with the customer adamant that it hadn't.  How can you tell?  The small plastic tab between #2 and #3 positions at the edge of the cartridge. At the time the film is detached, the detaching device punctures that plastic tab, pushing it inward. The above cartridge has been processed as the tab has been pushed in.   

APS film has not been manufactured in some time. You can, however, find batches of expired film in drug stores and camera stores.  Proceed with caution.  I wouldn't shoot anything on APS film that might be important.  Now go have some fun!

If you can find an APS camera.  And it loads the film. And it doesn't jam mid roll.  Groan...

Caffenol: The coolest B&W film developer you're not using

Caffenol:  def.  using instant coffee crystals along with other household items as a B&W film developer.

I am all for sticking it to the man.  Well at least when it comes to paying good money to large name brand companies for expensive film developers.  Caffenol is a concoction of instant coffee, vitamin C and washing soda.  All of these items can be bought at stores other than camera and photo shops, usually at a grocery store or big box store.

Not only does instant coffee work as a B&W film developer, it works amazingly well.  I have shot many rolls of film and tested out Caffenol developer mixtures and I have come up with a formula combination that I believe rivals any commercially available film developer.  Caffenol is extremely compensating. The highlight development exhausts while shadow development continues giving a nice full range of tonal values.  The negatives are sharp and have a slight stain.

There is a lot of information about Caffenol online. I will provide the details of my recipe and workflow.  The results are simply stunning!  Here is the ingredient list:

• Instant coffee ( I have used Trader Joes, Folgers and most grocery store brands)
• Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) powder
• Washing Soda (Arm and Hammer) in the laundry detergent aisle.  It's in a big yellow box
• Potassium Bromide (not required, but certainly nice to have)

After I realized that Caffenol works, I had to know why.  I had to know the science behind it.  Here it is.

Washing soda is really sodium carbonate.  This is actually a common component of many film developers. This is know as the accelerator or alkali, as it provides an alkaline environment conducive to the silver reduction process.  Other accelerators used in commerical film developers are sodium hydroxide (red devil lye) and Borax (yep, 20 Mule Team Borax also available in most grocery stores)

The developing agent is a combination of caffeic acid from the Instant coffee and the Vitamin C. These two combined create a super-additive chemical that reduces the silver halide in the film to silver metal.  Other common developing agents used in commerical film developers are Metol, Phenidone, and Hydroquinone, none of which are available in your local grocery store!

I purchase Vitamin C from ebay.  You can find many suppliers of powdered Vitamin C.  I purchased 250 grams for around $8.50 including shipping.  Only 5 grams of Vitamin C is used per batch of Caffenol.

Finally, potassium bromide.  This is an optional ingredient, and one you won't find in the grocery.  I purchase it online from Photo Formulary, available through Adorama.

Potassium bromide is a restrainer.  This holds back overall development.  The reason I use this?  My Caffenol workflow development is for a 60 minute semi-stand development (more on this in a bit) and the longer the film is "exposed" to the developer the greater the possibility of chemical fogging.  In other words, silver grains not exposed in the camera will darken from prolonged exposure to developing agents creating a fog or dark haze on the film.  Potassium bromide will reduce the fog by holding back development. This also will tend to increase the contrast a tad as the shadows in the film will show less development than the highlights.  The potassium bromide is used sparingly, only about 2.5mm per roll of film.  I buy it in crystal form and weight 20 grams on a digital scale and dissolve it in 200 milliliters on warm water.  10 milliliters of this solution will equal 1 gram of potassium bromide.

I purchased an inexpensive digital scale from ebay.  I use coffee filters to measure out the ingredients.

I start with 400 ml of water at 68 degrees

add:  8 grams of washing soda.  dissolve completely
add:  5 grams of Vitamin C.  dissolve and wait for bubbles to form on the bottom of mixing vessel.  Stir until bubbles disappear.
add:  20 grams of  instant coffee.  mix well and let stand for 5 minutes to settle.
add:  2.5ml of potassium bromide (if using and not required)
add water to make 500 ml total.

Develop your film normally for 60 minutes in Caffenol.  Using a semi-stand development technique you will agitate the film continuously for 1 minute and then again for 10 seconds at the 2. 4, 8, 16, and 32 minute marks. The remainder of the time the film will sit untouched until the 60 minute time is up. Discard the Caffenol as it is a one-time use developer. Do not reuse.

Stop the development using running water only. Do not use an acid stop bath.  Acid stop when used with a developer containing sodium carbonate (washing soda) can cause carbon dioxide gas to release which can cause blistering on the film)  Rinse film for 30 seconds in running water at 68 degrees

Fix the film normally and then wash and photo flo normally as well.

I found the semi-stand agitation and recipe work well with Kodak TMAX 400 generation 2 and Fuji Acros 100.

I shot several test frames of a Macbeth Color Checker at several ASA settings to see which setting would give me the best exposure with Caffenol.  This test revealed Kodak Tri-X 400 was best exposed at 400.

This is Kodak TMY-2:  TMAX 400 Generation 2 processed for 60 minutes using above recipe

This is Eastman 5222 Double-X cinema film exposed at ASA 200 and processed in Caffenol

Hybrid Workflow

While I do not shoot digital images these days, I do scan negatives and prints.  I believe most film photographers follow a hybrid workflow.  That is, shoot film, then digitize the film images for editing, sharing and printing.

Let's face it, optical printing from a photolab is a thing of the past.  Optical printing is where the minilab printer will feed in the negative and then expose the paper from a light source passing through the negative, then a lens will focus in on the paper.  The paper is then processed in standard RA-4 color paper chemicals and dried.  This was the minilab standard for 20 years.  Because these printers will not accept any digital formats, nearly all photolabs have replaced them with digital printers that scan the negative, or input the image from CD's and memory cards and more likely from internet servers.  The printers, such as the Fuji Frontier and the Noritsu series digital printers convert the images and output them to lasers which are then used to expose the traditional silver based RA-4 paper.

This method really has many advantages.  Dust is nearly eliminated with Digital Ice technology. Color correction is more accurate and images can be sharpened.  All of these features are unavailable on traditional optical printers. I printed color negatives for many years using mainly Noritsu and Fuji optical and digital printers.  Trust me when I say there is nothing as beautiful as an optical print made from a properly exposed and properly developed color negative.  Eliminating dust is near impossible without chemical film cleaners and compressed air.  The printer must be kept in top color balance and each film type programmed in by bar code and then color balanced for normal, under and over exposed negatives using a control negative.   The control print is processed in the printer and then is read on a colorimeter and those numbers will correlate with a color balance.  I used a control negative, called Nora, for many years.  This included a mannequin for skin tone reference and color patches as well as an 18% gray patch in the center for neutral reference.

My typical workflow today consists of shooting film and developing it at home.  That includes B&W and color, 110 up to 4x5.  I do not process E-6 slide film.  It has been many years.  The chemicals are fairly expensive and the low utilization (not much volume to process based on chemical quantity) will allow the efficacy of the developer to dwindle quickly.  After the film is processed, it is scanned on an Epson V500 with digital ice to remove dust.  Minimal color is corrected.  I will then take the images into photoshop for final color, density, contrast and cropping before sending to a professional lab for digital printing on traditional silver based Fuji crystal archive paper.

Pinhole Assist App - A Must Have

Even though the content of this blog revolves around film I am certainly not opposed to some digital technology when it comes down to complicated math.  I dabble with pinhole photography because its fun and doesn't require me to spend time with shutters and apertures.  However, doing the math required and finding a light meter that has an f-stop range above the 200's is near impossible.  Some will say it takes the fun out of pinhole, but I come from a generation of photo education where I find it more fun to nail my exposure than just shooting from the hip.

The Pinhole Assist app for Apple products came to my rescue.  This is absolute jewel of a tool.  Not only does it have the "canned" apertures for specific pinhole products it gives you the ability to pick the exact aperture for your pinhole.  Not sure what that is?  Even better, this app allows you put in the diameter of the aperture along with approximate millimeter of the "lens" (field of view) and it will calculate it for you.

A small image appears on the app screen of the "zone" you a metering, courtesy of the front camera.  In addition, you can save the image along with all the numerical data and email it to yourself as a reference so you can compare it to the processed film image.

But, there's more!  The app includes an algorithm to calculate the reciprocity error factor when exposing for more than 1 second, which is almost always likely with pinhole cameras.  You can save all your data and profiles for future use and retrieve that data the next time you're in the field without having to program in the aperture, film type, etc.

Have a view camera?  This app goes another step further by providing you with the additional exposure required for bellows compensation.  This is the additional amount of exposure required beyond the light reflective reading that is necessary when the bellows on the camera gets extended out for close up work.  Fire up the app, click on the bellows compensation icon and you "touch and drag" the slider and the bellows expands or contracts as the distance between lens and film plane gets calculated in millimeters or inches.  You can estimate this visually or take along a ruler for more precise numbers.  This app then calculates the additional exposure required.  For view camera users alone, the bellows compensation feature is worth the price of the app.

Film Developing - Pre-soak?

I am often asked if I pre-soak my film before the developer step. Here are my thoughts:

The idea is that putting your loaded reel of film in a water soak before the developing stage improves the quality of developing, by eliminating a couple of possible problems.  The pre-soak is mainly used when developing film with a less than 5 minute developer time.  Less than 5 minutes in the developer step, the film can experience a uniformity issue because the liquid has to be absorbed by the emulsion.  This takes a bit of time, depending upon the temperature.  By soaking in water first, this softens the emulsion and prepares it for the developer.  A water soak will also remove the anti-halation layer from the base of the film.  This layer is added to prevent light from reflecting off the pressure plate and back through the film twice creating a glowing effect on the highlights.   Polypan F film has no anti-halation layer and it will give you this effect intentionally. If you pre-soak your film, this layer will come off and you will see the water is stained when dumped out. I have seen greens, magentas and purples.  This is normal. 

Since most B&W film, processed at 68 degrees will not yield developer times less than 5 minutes, I do not include a water step. Color negative film on the other hand I do.  It certainly will not hurt the film to do it.   Here is the breakdown:


B&W Film (traditional, non-C-41) if the developer time is 5+ minutes:
No.  

If less than 5 minutes, I use a different dilution or lower temperature to increase the time.

C-41 Color Negative Film or C-41 B&W Chromogenic Film:

Yes!  Color Negative Film is processed at about 100 degrees +/-.  The developer step is 3:15.  as in 3 minutes, 15 seconds. That is awfully short.  I include a one minute water soak first, with water at 100 degrees to prepare the emulsion for the developer.