Avebury Stone 1
Kodak Tri-X 120 negative, made on Fuji GW690III hand-held. Film processed in PMK 1+2+100 for 12.5 minutes at 23°C, using 1 minute continuous agitation at start, then 10 seconds every minute. Plain water wash followed by rapid fix for 5 minutes.
Print made on Adox MC110 Premium glossy 9×12 inches, using a condenser enlarger and Mulitgrade filter G3. Print was developed in Agfa 108 high contrast used undiluted, for 2.5 minutes at 23ºC, continuous agitation. Toned in Kodak Selenium Toner diluted 1+9 for 5 minutes.
Minimal dodging and shading was required, just corner darkening, and lightening the stone centre slightly to give it more depth. The hardest thing about making this photograph was waiting for it to be free of people, Avebury was quite busy on the day I was there (August 2014).
For the sake of comparison, here is a digital image taken on my Nikon D800 at the same time and from the same viewpoint. This is full-frame, uncropped.
I have been able to take advantage of image processing to increase the separation between the blue sky and the clouds, giving a much more dramatic effect – which could have been achieved on film using a red filter, but I didn’t have one! Also, using a red filter on film may have considerably darkened the trees in shadow, which could be dealt with using careful exposure and processing, but is likely to have created a very different-looking image.
Either way, I am happy with both images and they form an interesting comparison between the instant and flexible rendering of digital and the more measured approach of exposing film, coupled with the delayed gratification of not knowing quite what you have got until some time later.
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