The pi portrait is just brilliant!!
I have only used b&w photo paper on a pin hole camera, so please excuse the questions ....
1. was the film tolerant to exposure mistakes? perhaps overexposing only?
2. you always show images with impressive contrast, is this normal for the kind of film you used? development process? both? ... I really like the look
Thank you Armando.
It depends on the film. Color slide requests a more precise/correct exposure than most B&W films. When first learning how to print, I discovered that your exposure (negative) had a dramatic impact upon the print. Typically, the more precise/accurate the exposure the better the negative. The better the negative, the easier to print a decent photograph. Over the years I learned how to expose Tri-X, (that was what I shot 99% of the time), and develop Tri-X to optimize for the print (at least for what I wanted for the print).
This was a very low light situation. I am very very reluctant to push Tri-X beyond ASA 1600. The gentleman was in an attic, looking out a one-way mirror inside a building. It was very dark ... so I was probably handholding the 85mm wide open, f/1.8 at around 1/15 or 1/30. My news training was to first, expose for the principal subject and don't give a rat's about anything else. Only if you have the time should you take multiple reading and give consideration to secondary subjects/elements in the photo. So I most likely spot metered off the face, braced myself for the long exposure and took the shot. Pushing film narrows the zones and increases contrast and grain.
As to the contrast. When I started printing all my prints came out muddy and gray. It took a long time to consistanty learn how to expose, develop and print decently. To be able to consistently deliver a photo with a good black and a wide range of gray zones. Contrast, in the beginning was elusive and a bit of a Holy Grail for the neophyte B&W photographer. Additionally, newspapers, back then, tended to print on ly gray, so a photo that had a touch of contrast printed better than a photo with a touch less of contrast.
As a result of all this, I am a contrast freak. I like contrast, I process for contrast. Take a look at Rick's stuff. He also used to shoot news. His stuff has a similar level of contrast as mine.
