First 4×5 Negative Scans

Shot with my new custom-converted Polaroid 900 body that’s now a 4×5 camera, these are some scans of the negatives I shot last week with Model Sarah.  Film of choice was Ilford HP5+, metered at ISO 400, we were typically at about 1/8th second at f/8.  The Caltar lens will shoot wide open at f/5.6, but I wasn’t sure how sharp it would be at this aperture.  And at those shutter speeds, you get a nice blur on the flowing water.

Sarah - Ringing Rocks Portrait

Developing the negatives was an exercise in frustration as the film retainer clip on the negative carrier for the HP Combi Tank snapped when it caught on the edge of the tank.  When I finished development, some of the negatives had dislodged from their grooves and were in contact with each other.  So unfortunately, not all the negatives that I shot that day were perfect.  These are some of the best from the day.  I really love the presence that this lens renders.  The balance between sharpness and the out of focus areas is really pleasing, even at f/8.  More experiments today and tomorrow.

Sarah - Ringing Rocks, Frame 4

Film scanned, processed for contrast and toning in Photoshop.  Some frames are cropped from the full-frame here.

Sarah - Ringing Rocks, Frame 7

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