Cruisning for ssnaps in Panauti - AGAIN

[Ian Stanley <ian@mos.com.np>]

Greetings,

        A slight error in processing my last batch of Velvia (I didn't like
the colour shift when it was processed in C-41) resulted in another trip to
Panauti to get the needed shots for the brochure.  Does anyone have the cost
of a Jobo ATL - 100 in New York?  To continue - I was complaining to myself
on the way out of town wondering why I hadn't stayed to watch the processing
as I climbed the hill to leave the Kathmandu Valley.  Here was a bounus that
I really hadn't expected - the mountains were out and clear!  This may sound
a little strange to some of you but the Himalayas are not always in clear
view as they are obstructed by clouds for a good part of the time.  The best
time to see them is after the monsoon from late September until December and
then again in the spring.  We haven't been able to see much of them lately
because of the rains.  If I hadn't needed to go back to Panauti I would have
missed the mountains because they were not visible from Kathmandu.  To make
a long story short - I got the shots I needed in Panauti, got some great
shots of golden wheat in the fields with the Himal in the background.

        This all brings me to the technical side of the story.  When I was
coming back down into the valley the pollution over Kathmandu itself was
very obvious.  When we are living a city we tend not to notice this layer
but it is there.  When I take a light reading off of a white object in
direct clear sun in Kathmandu with my Pentax spot meter I get a reading of
16.. which translates to f16@125 (white card on zone VIII) with TRI-X Pan
film rated at 250.  When I take the same reading outside of the valley I get
a reading of 17.. which is f16@250.  A difference of one full stop
difference!!!  I have taken readings on many occasions just to be sure as it
doesn't seem to be that much darker in town.

        To keep things in perspective - all shots in Panauti were made with
a Leica M6 and a M4-P.  

        The shots of the wheat fields and the Himal were made with a Zone VI
4x5 camera, a 210 Schneider APO-Symmar lens, TRI-X Pan and Velvia film.  The
35mm Velvia film was delivered to a different lab where I sat and watched
the entire successful process!  The exposed Velvia is in the refrigerator
waiting for my next trip out of here and the 4x5 TRI-X negs are drying in my
darkroom.  A good day!!

Ian Stanley,

Kathmandu, Nepal