Reciprocity failure and Kodak Ektar 100 continued

I’ve had the good fortune to travel to some amazing locations and make images in the past month. I’ve used Kodak Ektar exclusivity for my color work because I believe it gives me the best color rendition. However, I am still exploring the emulsions performance in long exposure and tricky lighting situations.

A few observations from my last few shoots. For exposures of 30 seconds or less reciprocity failure is present in Ektar 100 but has a negligible effect. As a photographer I am now more concerned with people walking through the frame close to the lens than I am about calculating reciprocity for 30 second exposures. If you are concerned meter at ISO 50 for safety. A one stop over exposure will result in a denser negative that will scan without issue and is preferred as an aesthetic choice by some Ektar users .

In the previous image posts Grand central Terminal, study 6 (http://www.timothyhutto.com/somebodylovesyou/2019/8/16/grand-central-terminal-study-6 ) & Oyster Bar at Grand Central Terminal (http://www.timothyhutto.com/somebodylovesyou/2019/8/23/oyster-bar-at-grand-central-terminal), I used Ektar 100 in indoor situations. The said scenes were metered at 8 seconds at ISO 50 and exposed the same. After scan & retouch I think the results confirm that an extra stop of exposure for safety will result in a good image in indoor situations.

In the above image Lacoste, Study 88, I metered the scene at ISO 50 ( apx 8 seconds at f/11). During capture I bracketed my exposures (as metered, +1 stop, +2 stops) to play it safe. My best negative (standard lab C-41 development) came from the +1 stop of exposure time ( apx 15s @ f/11 ISO 50 ) and +1 over exposure in my metering, a total of +2 stops of overexposure in a pre-sunrise situation.

The more I use this emulsion in long exposure situations the more questions I find myself with. Is Ektar intensive to cool wavelengths of light? Does that explain the warm rendering of shadows in most situations? Image making with Ektar has been rewarding because it has restored some of the mystery and magic that analog photography enchanted me with when I first began.

A few words on scanning negatives with the Epson V600

I’m currently working my way through scanning twenty four rolls of film I shot during my Apres SCAD trip. I want to take this opportunity to share my thoughts on my flat bed scanner.

My home setup is an Epson V600 flatbed using the proprietary software. On previous trips and for some jobs I’ve had my lab do the scans but they always leave me thinking I could have done this better myself. However the trade off is time. The Epson V600 while adequate is on the slow side due to its narrow back light used for scanning negatives. It is an entry level scanner that is great for learning and refining your technique but you will out grow it if you are doing heavier levels of photo production.

Dragging the shutter in Times Square

There are places in NYC that are seething with chaos and pressure. It swirls around you, pushes you and ultimately repels you from returning. Times Square is the epitome of it all.

Nicholas Kirkwood in studio, 2017

Recently I’ve been asking myself what is so appealing about making images in the studio. Natural light is beautiful and creates a texture that is unparalleled. It is as fickle as it beautiful. From moment to moment it challenges your technical abilities. While the risk is proportional to the reward with letting nature provide the illumination, I prefer the crisp snap of a studio strobe any day.