Richard Vanek - Black and White Photography

Today and yesterday we had a beautiful mornings here. I waked up earlier and took my camera (today also Ricoh with Fuji NPH). Spent about 90min each morning to shoot rising sun and mist on fields with birds. Such a moorings are beautiful so I took color film this morning as well as my 135/2.5 Pentax lens.
It is a pity that I am with developing always behind what I shoot. I still didn't publish any pictures from market last week. Should do that first!

Everybody was talking about that city, that we should see it so at the end we decided to go there. It is only few dozen kilometers far. As we were walking there we found ourselves in kind of art's market. This man was watching me quite secretly, as I was walking with camera around and taking pictures. At the end when he light up his cigar I took my chance.

I add some more text in notes section.
Yesterday was a difficult day, quite a pressure in work, than I wanted to developed some negatives. Well I did, it was after midnight, when I finished. And I realize, because of my bad mood I did 30sec less on a first tank (2 rolls) and it is seen. Not tragic but second tank was better. I am using XTOL 1:1 at 20C for 8:45 with 2 agitation in 30sec. First 30sec constant agitation and last 60 sec no agitation. I am starting timer when developer is in tank and starting pouring developer out about 5-10 sec before times up. That way I am getting consistent results, which satisfied me.

We were shopping and I get bored in this shop and I took my camera and try to shoot with open lens and 1/30sec until security guard tell me that it is not allowed, even no sign in shop. So I stopped I did few shots which turns to be quite nice.

Last few days I am preparing for making some final prints. I still designing my ImageArchive, software which should help me with organizing my scans. I should probably put it on hold for the moment as I would love to have some 5 prints in two weeks. I need to select some good one and do final scans.
Anyway I developed two rolls yesterday and I have feeling like my camera is measuring different in strong light and low light. Shots from strong light are bit overexposed. I don't know if it is only my feeling or true. I am wondering how I can prove it.
Today I am planning to use for the first time Amaloco AM74 developer for TMY. Reason is simple, it is liquid concentrate (easier handling) and is cheaper. I dilute 1:7, 1:9 or 1:15 and you need to use minimal 20ml per roll. So I am going to use 1:15 dilution with 30ml AM74 and 450ml of distillate water. That means that I can use only one roll in tank. Let's see how it will work.

I was supposed to take some portraits pictures at the morning, instead I took walk in lunch time and shot about 30 shots. Mostly light and shadows on wall, leaves. Quite contrast light. I used my 135mm/2.5 lens on Ricoh camera. First time I use TMX film. Should be some good once, like leaves balancing on iron wire, chimney and trees in the sky.

After drying today morning I looked at negatives and they nicely developed. They a bit denser than I am used to from XTOL. I will see if there will be any problems when scanning today evening.
I did 1:15 30ml+450ml AM74:H₂O and for 9:36 at 20C. First 30sec constant agitation the every 30 sec 2 reverse agitation in 5 sec and last around 86 sec no agitation. I am always starting timer after tank is filled and starting pouring developer out when it is about 10sec to time up. Yesterday I started with 21C as it was quite called temperature drops to 20.2C after 3 min and was at 20 after 4min. Maybe I should shorter a time bit to do not make them so dense, but let's first scan it to see if it is a problem for scanner.
Very interesting is that background is almost totally transparent! Much more than when used with XTOL! After fixer it do not looks like that but after using Kodak Clearing agent and 5 min water clean it came out almost totally transparent. About scans later in the evening.

Eight minutes in AM74 diluted 1:15 seems to be for TMY a bit short. Next time I go for 8:30 as some shots seems to be undeveloped. One inversion per 30 sec seem to be on other hand quite enought. I did first 30 sec constant inversion and each 30sec one inversion for 3 sec until the end of time. More info and possibly some example tomorrow after scan.

I just found interesting information about developing procedure for TMY and AM74. It says: 1 inversion per 30sek, 20C, 5 min at 1:7 so 8min at 1:15. Interesting. Maybe I'll try it tonight. It could be quite true when I compare to my results.

Scans from new TMY developed in Amaloco AM74 looks really good. It was a rainy day so no extra contrast. But I have shots on other film (old TMY) developed in XTOL 1:1 and AM74 looks better.
There is one sure think for a next time i will shorter the time and a bit less agitation. Some dark part of negatives are quite a problem for scanner. I mean it is on the border, but better be on safe side and use 9:00 next time. I have to say that if not better than this way gave at least same results as XTOL.

Results of yesterday's developing are, as expected, undeveloped negatives. It is again not critical, but additional 30 sec would made the difference. Scaner has no problems but thanks to short developing time negatives are flat and contains no dark parts. Bright white is missing from pozitive.
I learn something: roll should be exposed on same light and based on that knowledge developed. If I remembered that film was exposed in flat light with not much contrast I could do more inversion and increase contrast.

It was a quite sunny autumn day when I was in city near by. I saw this bike on side of busy street and like light and shadows on a graffiti wall behind it

Saturday and Sunday I have shot one roll of TMY. Main reason was to test 8:45 time with AM74 developer. I developed it yesterday and it definitely looks better that when I used 8 min. I can't say much about how does it look comparing to 9:36 min. Let's see after scan
Things I shoot, were mostly static low contrast scenes. I am wondering what is actually my interest. I was thinking about it and realize that I have much more satisfaction to take photos of people that static objects. Could be interesting to try some portraits.

Sunday I developed TMX which I shoot few days ago in very contrsat lighting. I used AM74 for 8min at 20C with 1:15 dilution (30ml+450ml).
As it was shoot in very contrast lighting I decided to invert 3x only each 60sec. Result is terrible. Now I see that suggested 30sec interval for inversions is really necessary

I am working on the small script which will make easier for my publish new pictures at web. That's why I didn't show much lately. Even I am pretty busy today and tomorrow I hope it will be soon ready.

This picture has quite funny story, I was walking around those barrels quite often in my lunch break. They were standing next to hockey club together with a other rubbish. Once I was going there again and everything around the club was nicely cleaned and barrels get new plastic bags and rubbish was gone :-)

Another try to develop TMY with AM74. I exposed some static shots, mostly tries difficult lightning. Reason is to learn exposed better and on other hand also have material for this AM74 testing.
It was 8:45 at 20C. 30ml:450ml First 30 sec non-stop inversion than 4x in 30 sec for no more than 5sec (new way of inverting, now by one hand instead of two and much faster turns. Not waiting until liquid flowes down). Last 45+25 sec no inversion.
Result is bit more dense esspecialy in higlights areas. Not really sure if it is caused by overexposing or too much agitation.

Nobody believes that this can was there when I saw it. But it is true one Saturday, national shopping day in the Netherlands :-), I tried to find something interesting. I though, a lot of people I must find some interesting situations or stories. As usually nothing, everybody fats walking from shop to shop, watching only in front, not taking care about anybody else, bla... When I decided to quit I pass by this statue. And I saw on shadow stone this red/blue can. Nice cultural contrast!

Imagine rainy, shadow day, walking in a centre, everything looks flat uninteresting and than you see colorful arranged place full of nice vegetables in front of cafe-restaurant. What a refresh!

After all the AM74 trying I will go back to XTOL 1:1. I made tonight new batch of XTOL and maybe tomorrow will try next TMY with it. I am wondering what will be difference.

I developed one roll in XTOL and from previews scan (600dpi) I can't really see any hude difference. I must say I was hoping to get more shadow details or larger shadow scale. I always looking adn DB scanse how they looks great, full of tones. Somehow I can't get that. My digital techques should be improved, I guess. I will focus on it ion following days.
I also did some developing on my imgArchive software. Architecture is ready and GUI is design. Now some more design of classes and interfaces should be refine and than maybe first working version will be done.