Medium Format Colour

[Naughty Nigel]

Well, enough of the threats, I thought it was time that I uploaded some scans from the batch of films I had processed by Nick & Trick Photography Services of Folkestone shortly before Christmas.

The selection below are my colour favourites to date. I have some others that I am still working on colour balance, and some black & whites which I plan to upload soon.



Water Feature at Alnwick Gardens, Northumberland.

Mamiya 645 Pro TL, 80 mm at f8.0 Velvia 50 (Expired 2005.)




An old bench in a quiet corner of the gardens at Wallington House, Northumberland. I was fascinated by the contrasting colours and the almost prehistoric feel of the environment, which suit Velvia well.

Mamiya 645 Pro TL, 80 mm at f5.6 Velvia 50 (Expired 2005.)




St Cuthbert's Chapel, Ushaw, Co Durham.

This photograph was taken in early June when the gardens were a blaze of colour, which suited the new Kodak Ektar 100 well. Ushaw College was designed by Augustus Pugin, who also deigned much of the Palace of Westminster, but rarely receives any credit for it. The college was used as a Roman Catholic seminary for over 200 years until closure in 2011, but is now open to the public.

Mamiya RZ67, 65 mm at f11.0, Kodak Ektar 100.




A walk in the park on a hot summer's day.

Hardwick East Park, Co Durham.

I am not entirely happy with the colours of this photograph, but film is more tricky than digital as there is no automatic colour balance!

Mamiya 645 Pro TL, 80 mm at f11.0 Velvia 50 (Expired 2005.)

[MJ224]

[Naughty Nigel]

Re: Medium Format Colour

I bought a load of short-dated Velvia in 2005 when they were almost giving the stuff away. Despite protests from SWMBO I have kept it in the freezer ever since and take it out as required.

The film seems to be as good now as it was then so adjustments are rarely required. My mistake is to wait too long before getting it processed after exposure! I keep it in the fridge awaiting development, (in a sealed bag with silica gel), but I have noticed visible deterioration in films that have waited more than about six months.

The only film I have had a problem with is the old Kodak Portra 160 NC and VC colour negative films from about the same time. The colours in those are really washed out. When I processed some myself I noticed that the Dev came out a bright, pea green colour. The orange base is also very pale. I think I will probably ditch what I have left, or will try doing something else with it.

[Zuiko]

Re: Medium Format Colour

Glad to see you are giving that Mamiya (and yourself!) a work-out. The film has behaved remarkably well, considering it is so long out of date. The colours seem a little "off" at times, but it is hard to tell if this is due to film age or colour balance. I think it works in your favour with the superb bench shot, which has an almost cross processed feel. The other one that catches my eye is the field of wild flowers, a very pleasing composition.

[Naughty Nigel]

Re: Medium Format Colour

Glad to see you are giving that Mamiya (and yourself!) a work-out. The film has behaved remarkably well, considering it is so long out of date. The colours seem a little "off" at times, but it is hard to tell if this is due to film age or colour balance. I think it works in your favour with the superb bench shot, which has an almost cross processed feel. The other one that catches my eye is the field of wild flowers, a very pleasing composition.

Thank you for your kind comments John.

That last photograph troubles me a little. If only I had a grey card in there somewhere to get the colour balance right!

It looks too blue to me. I have tried using the white Dandelion heads to set white balance but it then becomes too magenta. If I use the white clouds it looks too yellow. Photoshop's auto-colour doesn't help either.

[Zuiko]

Re: Medium Format Colour

I've had a go at adjusting the colour balance too, also using the dandelion heads. I found I got different results from different heads! I also applied a digital 81 warming filter, set at 25% which I reckon is roughly equal to an actual 81B filter. The result is perhaps a little too yellow, but I am naturally drawn to warm images. See what you think.

[Naughty Nigel]

Re: Medium Format Colour

Thanks John. The field and wild flowers look good, better even, but the clouds have a magenta tint to them. This is the problem I have been struggling with!

[Zuiko]

Re: Medium Format Colour

You're right Nigel, the clouds are too magenta in my edited version so I've had another go. This time I made an inverse selection of the sky so it wouldn't be subjected to the edit. I also refrained from adjusting the colour balance (too variable depending upon which dandelion head is selected) and just applied the 81 filter set at 30%. I think it is better, but still not quite right. Has anyone else got another suggestion?

[Naughty Nigel]

Re: Medium Format Colour

Thank you for that John. That does look a lot better, and more natural.

I need to work on my Photoshop skills. B&W is so much easier sometimes.

[OM USer]

Re: Medium Format Colour

A nice set with lovely strong colours. John (Zuiko) may have nailed the processing of the dandelion shot in post #8 as the seed heads and the clouds do not look at odds with each other.

[drmarkf]

[Jim Ford]

Re: Medium Format Colour

I'm attracted to the idea of a MF camera because they're usually nice pieces of kit, engineered to a high quality standard, but I'd never make use of the high resolution that they provide. For that reason, I'm out!

Jim

[Zuiko]

Re: Medium Format Colour

I'm attracted to the idea of a MF camera because they're usually nice pieces of kit, engineered to a high quality standard, but I'd never make use of the high resolution that they provide. For that reason, I'm out!

Jim

Jim, it's worth it just to experience viewing those huge Velvia transparencies on a light box.

[Naughty Nigel]

Re: Medium Format Colour

I'm attracted to the idea of a MF camera because they're usually nice pieces of kit, engineered to a high quality standard, but I'd never make use of the high resolution that they provide. For that reason, I'm out!

Jim

John is right. I process my own transparencies if I have enough of them. Pulling medium format transparencies out of the tank and holding them up to the light for the first time is an experience that (mistakes excepted) I always get great pleasure from.

I enjoy the quality, the resolution, tonal gradation and the ability to crop as needed, but I find that using a large waist level finder with the chimney up is so much better than the small, dull and cluttered viewfinders on most DSLRs' nowadays, especially now that fast primes seem to have gone out of fashion.

Film is expensive, and the RZ67 only allows ten exposures from a 120 roll film, (the 645 allows 15), but that just makes you take more time and more care. Even when I have made a balls up and come back with nothing my enjoyment of the photography process is such that I really don't mind.

[Jim Ford]

Re: Medium Format Colour

John is right. I process my own transparencies if I have enough of them. Pulling medium format transparencies out of the tank and holding them up to the light for the first time is an experience that (mistakes excepted) I always get great pleasure from.

I also used to process 35mm Ferrania colour transparencies in the early 70s - C50 IIRC. It was very satisfying. I used to mix the chemicals to the formula that Ferrania published, just for one film from the raw chemicals. Halfway through the process the film had to be removed from the tank and exposed, before putting back on the spiral. I understand that that the film is fogged chemically nowadays.

I once gave a demonstration to the Rolls-Royce Camera club, where I developed the film, gave it a quick wash, rinsed it in formalin to harden the emulsion and dried it in front of a heater before mounting and projecting a few slides. It all went OK.

Jim