Re: [Leica] Chalk and Charcoal in HC110

[Walter S Delesandri <walt@jove.acs.unt.edu>]

I'm always amazed when I hear otherwise fairly knowledgeable 
photographers talk about films and developers....as if the 
various combinations have fixed, unvarying tendencies...

The so-called "soot and chalk" print quality is simply caused 
by high values in the negative being too dense (usually above
1.25 net density or so) to print with any tone less than 
paper-base white.  It is not an inherent, unvariable trait of 
a given film and developer...read and heed the various books 
on the "zone system"....Ansel's books are good, as well as 
many others.

If your high values are too dense to print on your favorite 
paper, simply reduce your development time....this will 
reduce the highlight density...some increase in exposure might 
be necessary to maintain required shadow detail.  If the 
mid values need to be raised, increase your developer dilution
and extend time.....if the mid values need to reduced, relative to 
the highlights and shadows, INCREASE the concentration of developer, 
and reduce time to maintain the same net density range.

Tri-x in whatever developer for whatever time may have a
specific "look", but this look is variable by the person 
processing the film....

Look at Tech Pan!  In D-19, shot at ISO 100 - it's purely a 
"soot and chalk" product.......But exposed at ISO 12, processed 
in a phenidone based highly dilute developer, it becomes a 
beautiful, full scale pictorial film. (with an admittedly bizarre
spectral sensitivity -- no yellow filters needed here!)
Only difference is in the way it is employed.

I hate to hear people claim that this film is "contrasty" or that 
film is "flat" -- they're admitting their lack of knowledge of 
basic exposure and development.  While T-Max films are strange, 
and can build some ABSURD highlight densities, it doesn't have 
to be so.....likewise, the famously fine-grained, "contrasty" films 
such as Pan-F can easily be tamed....try ISO 25, Microdol 1:3 (to 
maintain that "leica" sharpness!) for 8 minutes or so at 72-75 F.

There's no VooDoo or witchcraft in this field....it's a simple 
craft.  The "art" is in the vision, not the cameras/lenses/films/
developers/ etc. Learn your (fine) tools, and "go make pictures"

Thanks, Ted

Cheers, Walt