The Oldie

 

Morning folks - this is as brief as those mustard yellow Y-fronts you used to have to wear back in the 1970's.

Sometimes, light, film, developer, paper and of course camera and even emotions, conspire to give you something to which you can honestly say:

"I love this."

And that's what happened with the above.

It was early on a Winter's day, and I pulled up at my favourite place for seascapes, donned my wellies and headed off down to the beach. 

Leading up to my trip there'd been a couple of weeks of incredibly stormy weather, and as such the sea was all of a lather. 

Literally. 

I was knee deep in sticky (yes, sticky, had to be removed by hand and wouldn't just fall off) foam in places  - I've never seen anything like it, but a dog walker I met said I should have seen it the week before, when the entire cut (a small gorge with about 150 feet of descent) down to the beach was filled with foam. She couldn't get anywhere near the surf.

That must have been something else.

Anyway, a slippin' and a slidin' over foam on top of unsure footing and really slippy rocks made for an unnerving experience . . more about that at the end ***

The camera was the Hasselblad SWC/M; film was Kodak 400 TX rated at EI 200. 

I've always felt this form of Tri-X needs a lot more exposure than people say and 200 does it for me.

It's a definite weird one developed in Rodinal (sic - in this case Fomadon R09 at 1+75) because it really looks like you've overcooked the negatives (on my times) and yet they print easily and beautifully . . .

It really is quite strange.

Oh and the mistiness in the distance is actually sea spray as I neglected to say it was blowing a gale and I was sheltered behind a massive sea stack.

Being in such situations quite often brings a joy to my heart - no longer do I feel the post-Covid arthritis or self-inflicted need to really get that decorating done, no, I am more in mind of Joni Mitchell's lyrics to 'Free Man In Paris':

I was a free man in Paris

I felt unfettered and alive

Not that I ever feel fettered in everyday life, but I dunno, I suppose, when it is just you, the camera and the elements, there's a sort of subconscious attunement with the moment. 

You decide what you're photographing, how you're interpreting it (both visually and emotionally) and ultimately, in the case of film photography, you're the master of your own ship - it's up to you whether the ship (the negative) is a fine one on a well charted course, or founders on those rocks over there (OK, that really is flowery, 6th form English for:

 "Oh shit, I've just used the fix instead of the developer"

It's good for the soul to be able to deeply concentrate for these periods of time - I typically take 2 hours to take 12 photographs and it really is like 2 hours with the Maharishi.

And that's about it really. 

The image is a scan off a print made on Ilford Portfolio at Grade 3. 

I love the tonality of it - it's not too contrasty, and there's a good balance of mids and darks - it reminds me of some of my favourite landscape photographs from decades ago.

The print is actually slightly cropped from the negative, cos, ahem, with the SWC/M, the lens is so wide that sometimes you unwittingly (read, stupid twat) include a bit of the tripod leg, or even your (ahem) foot.

It was exposed on my DeVere 504, using a 135mm Vivitar VHE lens and RRB easel.

When the print emerged from the developer (not literally like The Creature From The Black Lagoon, no, you know it emerged, appeared in all its glory on t'paper in t'developer), I was still stuck with some too bright surf in the distance, so I turned the print over (emulsion side face down and still immersed in the developer tray) turned out the safelights and left it for around 5-6 minutes. 

It's not an exacting science, but it really does bring those:

Borrocks-I've-not-given-it-enough-burn-in

white bits out nicely.

 

You can thank Ralph Gibson for that one.

The print was developed in Foma Fomatol LQN developer (at normal dilution - a slow working but fine developer with a slight increase in image warmth); stopped in Kodak stop; fixed with Fotospeed FX20 Rapid Fixer (very reasonably priced and exceptionally reliable) and finally toned with Bellini Seltone Selenium toner, which I am now finding to be a decent replacement for Kodak.

And that's it - jings that elastic is really chaffing.

Till next time, take care and just keep being yourself.

H xx

*** Op-tech stretchy neoprene tripod strap purchased - makes all the difference as now I can carry a walking pole as well for some extra sure footing.

I actually use a fair number of Op-tech things from their pro-straps for the heavy gear, though their lighter duty straps. 

All brilliantly made and highly recommended.