Faux Cliché

Morning!

Today we've a Q & A session going on . . so if you could just wait til Ms. DeMick arrives . . 

Ah, she's here now!

What's that Pam? You're feeling a bit dicky?

Well, maybe you should go home then.

OK (cough) so that's her gone (cough, cough, cough).

Well, like I said a Q & A session, but actually it's only one question; it sounds more impressive if we call it A Session though eh?

And the question is:

What do you do, when you have a roll of Infrared film (or even a faux infrared like Ilford's SFX) a nice new filter and some time on your hands?

And the answer is:

You go to a graveyard!

Oh yus, it has been the photographer's lot since time immemorial to proudly fit said new filter, load IR film in near darkness, and wander off to their local Necropolis! 

And why not?

All them luverly monuments and stones and angels and crosses and stuff - oh yes. 

There's nothing quite like a roll of IR film to make one start thinking about the afterlife.

I would have started this thread earlier on in the year when I purchased 20 rolls (!!!) of expired SFX for approximately 3 squid a roll. And indeed I did, detailing it here, however some ill-informed purchases down the line . . .

Lee Infrared filters will only work with true IR film - check your Nms

and

Hasselblad Proshades are brilliant, but the slot will only take 75mm sq. filters

 . . led me to a sorry state of affairs where I was desperate to use the SW with SFX, but couldn't unless I entirely invested in the Lee system (or indeed Cokin P), which I kind of didn't want to, for the following reasons:

I like the simplicity of Hasselblad solid plastic shades.

And

When I am out in the wilds I want things to be simple and as un-faffy as possible. Less to remember, to me, means better concentration on image making. 

Can you imagine being in an ancient Pine wood in Winter, with snow falling and freezing hands and your breath crusting on your beard and thinking:

Ooooo! 

Do I extend that shade a bit more? 

Oh blimey, the snow is landing on the filter now . . where's my microfibre cloth? 

Oh shite it's smeared it. 

OK, breath on it and wipe again. 

Oh shite it's not clearing!

Coooo, it ain't half cold!

That's the beauty of a bayonet (or indeed screw) mount filter. 

Fix it. 

Lens hood over the top and Fuggedabout it . . right! 

If you use hyperfocal focusing you can even get away without having to look through the camera.

The Hasselblad hoods are super tough ABS-type plastic - if you feel inspired to buy one, please get a real one and not one of these 'For Hasselblad' types you see on Ebay etc - they're poorly constructed and the plastic is third grade - how would I know? Cough cough, erm, cough . . .

Anyway, enough of that, though curiously for this session I did use the Proshade - hah!

Oh and the filter - well again,  not a cheap business. 

Have a look at Bayonet 60 filters, if you can find them, and see if you can find a red one. 

They are often priced at more than £100, which is ridiculous really for a bit of metal and glass. However I spotted one, which was a B&W but had a slight imperfection on the front surface - it almost looked like part of it had been missed in the coating process - more of a matte section to one side. 

I contacted the vendor and took a punt. 

The colour of the filter is perfect from edge to edge, and I can say that the missed coating hasn't so-far made any difference and given I'll probably be using it with a lens hood. Well, £40 well spent!

It's the Wratten equivalent 29, or Deep Red. I love the Wratten system!

So, onwards!

I don't know what it has been like where you live, but up here in t'North, the weather has been pretty awful. October was almost a month of inexorable grey, with little sunshine to chirp things up.

Consequently, the following photos were taken in the dullest imaginable light - it really was dreich, but I was so desperate to get out and do something, that needs must. What is remarkable, given the gloom, is that a mild IR effect has emerged - just goes to show, you can't predict anything.

I used a speed of EI 12 as opposed to the box speed of EI 200. 

If I had been a bit cannier, I'd have maybe tried EI 6 and thus given the highlights a right-good smashing. 

Maybe if the dreichness continues it might be the way to go.

I used a tripod for all shots - you're approaching quite long exposure times at EI 12 and when you factor in reciprocity, well, uncork your flask and have a cup of tea. 

Maybe a shooting stick would be a good idea!

Monkey River

Given that it is the most un-IR shot on the whole roll, the above is my favourite and I think that is for the lovely way the wind has caused a current of movement from right to left.

Anyway, as has been par-for-the-course recently, I'll wash my, er, washing in public, so here's the contact print from the film.

Film # 66/79

ILFORD SFX - EI 12

1. 4 to 7 seconds f22 Z III - Mills Obs.

2. 8 to 19 seconds f16 ZIII - Bridge

3. 1 second f11 ZIII - Wm. Cleghorn

4. 8 to 19 seconds f16 ZIII - Grove

5. 4 to 7 seconds f16 ZIII - Puddle

6. 1/8th second f8 ZIII - Broken - Measured 5.5 Metres

7. 1 second f5.6 ZIII - Stone - Measured 2 Metres - Out of focus

8. 4 to 10 seconds f11 ZIII - Kane, Love

9. 9 to accidental 22 seconds f16 ZIII - Heart

10. 10 seconds - f11 Z??? - Monkey Puzzle

11. 2 to 5 seconds f16 ZIII - Thy Will . . Forgot About Parallax

12. 15 to 1 Minute f8 ZIII - Bridge

Used new B&W filter - works fine.

VERY overcast conditions indeed - came out OK - imagine in sunlight. Filter fine.

PHD 5+5+500 22℃.

14 to 18 mins - usual agitation - nice results.

SWC/M + Tripod + Proshade which worked like a charm.

Yes, I know they're as dull as ditchwater - sort of sorry about that, and if you give up now I don't really mind.

OK?

Good. 

Some of them look quite underexposed, but it's hard to balance a contact sheet, and anyway, I only usually use them as a visual reference really. 

The contact is Grade 2, but inevitably I'll use Grade 3 for printing - just gives a wee sparkle to things.

Anyhow, here go the prints - these were all made on the semi-long-defunct Tetenal VCRC - a nice paper, very fast, quite contrasty (even on Grade 2). 

Print size was 5x7"

Why so small?

Well, it has sort of become my new default work print size.

For a start it is vastly cheaper than burning through 10x8". It is also easier and quicker to handle. Exposure times are pretty minimal (especially with a really fast paper like Tetenal or Kentmere) and in RC, you can bang out a bunch of prints that will give you a tonal idea of a bigger project in a very short space of time indeed. 

It is win, win as far as I am concerned.

Probably explains why I have printed all this lot - sorry about that!

Balgay Bridge

Dull? Oh yeah, and also weirdly, even though the camera was completely levelled, the bridge looks squint. 

Never mind - there's a full explanation of the bridge's construction on Canmore here.

The bridge is apparently haunted by the way.

Autumnal Graves

Well, this is nearly full IR in effect. Nothing special, just testing it out. What surprised me (given the pea-souper of cloud cover) is how well the infrared radiation has picked up the leaves.

Wm.Cleghorn Esq.

This is the grave maker of a Mr.William Cleghorn. 

It is an isolated grave with its own (now mostly kicked in - thanks YLF) fence surrounding it. It is large as in about 14 feet high.  I was very close to the grave and backed up into a rhododendron.

Given its prominence, I am assuming it could well be this chap

He was a well-known manufacturer and has a street named after him.

The light was incredibly awful at this point.

Monkey River

My missus loves Monkey Puzzle trees, so this is for her. 

I could hardly see what I was doing at this point because of the PVD and the light, so I tilted, adjusted and hung around for 10 seconds.

Ah, A Puddle!

You'll always get something from a puddle. 

What didn't strike me at the time was how heart-shaped this one was

Modern Respect For The Dead

This is one of the numerous war graves that litter Dundee's graveyards.

Someone has left an inflatable heart out of respect. 

Interestingly, modern ephemera is quite a feature of Balgay. I don't mind it at all. At least people are thinking about ancestors and their own ends.

Messages Of Love

I have photographed the Kane family grave before, simply because it is beautifully carved in marble and must have cost an absolute fortune when it was made. The carving is superb too.

I was taken by the juxtaposition of the grave and the hearts and love messages carved into the tree.

That's a lovely reflection on the left side of Jesus don't you think?

Gosh!

 

What do you do when you have a spare minute? That's right, go and lurk like a troll under a bridge.

I'm a Troll, fol-de-rol.

I was waiting for Billy Goat Gruff, but he was too busy on his X-Box.

Back in the 80's this place would have been crammed full of brick-wielding skinheads.

There's a hazy, rosey glow about Dundee's gang culture from the 60's, 70's and 80's, but it was nothing to be proud of. They were a viscious bunch who ruled the roost in their various territories.

Interesting book (though out of print) here and some snazzy gear (and the best way to learn about this City) here

Gosh! is very recent graffitti.

Nice IR effect on this though.

And that folks is it - not too great, but them's the breaks and if I didn't write this shite this month, you'd all think I was dead or something.

Well, not yet.

Till the next time - Whip It! Whip It Good!