So here are my final thoughts (I really hope this is true!) on this paper. I have been working through the 300 sheets of Fomabrom Variant III VC FB 8×10 I had recently purchased. Thankfully all seems well vs. the Arista EDU Ultra. The two papers really do look the same and if there are any differences they must be very subtle and/or my older eyes can’t detect them.

My final stash of Arista had no issues until the paper slid into the selenium toner … then the emulsion started peeling from the edges per usual. Oh well … Freestyle continues to sell both papers for $99.95, so it’s a no brainer for me as to which one to purchase. Of course you can get the Arista from B&H with free shipping.  This could be important to you, as the shipping from Freestyle is not what I consider inexpensive.

All in all, this has truly been a weird experience. Maybe one of the Zombies I have photographed in Asbury Park placed a curse on my darkroom and my experience is an isolated circumstance. Thankfully even with the edge peeling I have never lost a print. In any case I have found these papers to be just wonderful and they make printing a real joy.

Be grateful we have materials like this to enrich our photographic lives. I am!

Unless you have been hiding under a rock in the photographic world, you have no doubt heard about the great street photographer Vivian Meir, who’s vast amount of previously unknown work in the form of a massive treasure trove of processed negatives and slides and undeveloped rolls of film was discovered by accident 2007.  I think about this from time to time. What if John Maloof had not discovered her life’s work, and what if he didn’t dedicate himself to the herculean task of ensuring that her artistic legacy would be known?  While there were some times Meir was interested in getting her work seen, by and large she appears not to have cared. It seems that is what mattered is that she absolutely loved to photograph.

This has made me think of all the other world class photographers are out there making important images that will most likely never be seen by most of us, or get the rightful recognition they deserve. This reality was driven home when I attended PAX earlier this year. I saw some truly world class work that most will never know about, made by ultra dedicated photographers. They work primarily because of their passion and a rage to do what they love. Unlike much of what is published or shown at galleries today, and of course the incredible amount of junk uploaded to Flickr, there is true art being made everyday by incredibly dedicated photographers. Some are working at their full time jobs and eke out time on weekends, in the early mornings or during lunchtime. Others are retired and now have the time to devote to what they have always loved. Some post their work on personal websites, self-publish work for friends and family, or are completely content to display their work privately on their own walls.

I’m somewhat saddened knowing how many great images must be out there that I will never have the opportunity to see. But I am heartened and inspired just knowing they exist.

It might seem obvious to list a step that says go out and make pictures, but for many it is almost counterintuitive.  That’s because they choose to concentrate on buying and selling gear, have too much gear and become paralyzed, or they are incessant testers and film and or developer changers (which necessitates more testing).

Now that you have determined your proper film speed and film development times, and know how to make a proper proof you have to get out there and make photographs. That’s right. Don’t worry, the camera(s) and lens(s) you have are good enough to make great pictures.  They key is your own ideas, vision and creativity. If you are stuck, think of a project and start working on it. Be open to all that is around you and don’t feel that you have to travel to “interesting” or exotic places in order to think of photographing. I have discussed all of this before, but it bears repeating!

I added something to the name of this step … make sure your exposures are correct. When I was younger, my exposures were often incorrect. The results were not what I wanted, or the negatives required herculean measures to extract a good print. I heard about the Zone System and then read Ansel Adam’s book The Negative.  I couldn’t get it but mercifully found Fred Picker’s Zone System Workshop. Everything soon fell into place and all was well in my photographic world.  If you don’t own this book, it’s worth tracking down.

Key point going forward – if you don’t make correct exposures when you are in the field you have wasted your time with all your testing. The first thing on the road to exposure success is to understand that your meter is dumb and sees the world in grey – 18% grey to be exact.  That’s Zone V in the Zone System.  In the Zone VI Workshop Picker uses the example of making pictures of white and black horses using the recommended meter readings for each one.  Looking at the results, both horses are grey.  Once I saw this it all clicked.  Simple and brilliant!  The point is that aiming at your subject and relying on what your meter says may get you acceptable results but not the fidelity you are seeking in your final print. 

Most Zone System guys will tell you to expose for the shadows, placing your shadow area on Zone III.  In a slight variant Bruce Barnbaum recommends placing shadows at Zone IV for greater shadow detail. 

An alternative and easy method is to hold a grey card (Zone V) in front of you, take a meter reading of it and set you shutter speed and aperture accordingly. Everything in the scene will fall into place.

My method is to do one of two things. When I am in a fast moving situation such as when making candid photographs, I take a reading of the palm of my hand, making sure there are now shadows falling upon it and open up one stop to Zone VI from what the meter says (Zone V), because Caucasian skin is Zone VI.  Then I keep making pictures without checking the light until it changes. Fast and easy and no need to carry a grey card! If I am making a photograph of a non-moving subject, e.g., a building, or landscape scene, I take a reading of the brightest portion of what I am photographing, open up three stops to Zone VIII and make the photograph. Also fast and easy, and the heart of Fred Picker’s Maximum Printable Density (MPD) user-friendly variation of the Zone System. Note for all serious Zone System photographers: I only use Normal development times and don’t worry about making exposures for Plus and Minus development. I agree with Picker that changes in paper contrasts obviate this, but for others this may be a useful procedure.

Once you have done your testing, and feel confident in your ability to make good exposures you are on your way. A simple reading of the palm of your hand/grey card or use Picker’s MPD system depending on the situation takes much less time and thought, allowing you to concentrate more on the picture itself. It certainly works that way for me!

Unfortunately, many photographers treat the Zone System as a religion that takes serious and ongoing study to unlock its many mysteries. There have been weeklong workshops focused exclusively on the intricacies of the Zone System and for many it became akin to cult worship.  The point of the Zone System is to make sense of sensitometry and apply it in order to make properly exposed negatives that developed correctly enable expressive prints. Nothing more; nothing less! The key is to find an easy and understandable way to incorporate its principles in support of your work.

Now that we have got all this out of the way, go out and make some damn good pictures!

I had so much fun at Asbury Park’s annual Zombie Walk last year that I had to return to its boardwalk again this weekend. Last time out I had met some fairly bizarre and fun people while managing to make some real keepers. It was truly a great day and when I got home I put it on my calendar for this year.

This time I brought my Leica M2 and M3 coupled with 35mm and 50mm lenses just like I did last year. I have used a 50mm, or near 50mm (e.g., an 80mm lens for 6X7) format equivalent for the vast majority of photographs I have made over the years. But last year I surprised myself when I made an equal number of photographs with the 35mm lens. So what happened this time out? Operating in very close quarters with a fast moving crowd I ended up using only my M2 and 35mm lens. That’s right … the M3 and its 50mm Summicron never left the camera bag!  A new first for me, and two days later I still don’t feel guilty at all!  The tiny 35mm Summaron mounted on my M2 was exactly the right tool for the job.  Why try to put a round peg into a square hole if you don’t need to?  I didn’t because I had the 35mm lens with me!

The 50mm will always be my primary lens, but if there isn’t enough room to step back a few feet, why be a bozo and miss a great picture?  Be prepared. It may be a long time before I use the 35mm again, but I will have it with me … just in case.

On Saturday I drove downtown to Center City Philadelphia to participate in a walking tour conducted by Hidden City Philadelphia. The walk focused on Philadelphia’s Lost Jewish Quarter. The tour was wonderful and our guide Jerry Silverman was fantastic!

Before I left home I restocked my camera bag with film, put it in the car with an extra bottle of water and off I went. Walking to the meeting location I realized I hadn’t loaded my camera so I sat down on a stoop in front of an old row house and grabbed a roll of Tri-X. Now all ready to go!  Everyone introduced themselves and we started our walk. As usual, I had a small spiral notebook with me, whose written pages could be torn out and transferred to my main notebook. I always carry some kind of notebook or pad with me so I can jot down whatever I think is important and not forget it. You should too!

I brought my camera with me, because I bring my camera with me. I thought there would be ample opportunities to make photographs while also taking good notes in support of a project idea I have.  But something curious happened … I never took my camera out of the bag! I kept taking notes as we walked from one interesting location to the next, passing many photographic opportunities. I just never had the desire to make a photograph. Even after the tour was over and I decided to do some further exploration … nothing. Strange … perhaps. Bad idea … upon reflection, I don’t think so. Instead of worrying about getting a good picture while trying to learn something that I could apply to something larger, I decided to just relax, enjoy myself and take it all in. I could, and most definitely will be back when my full concentration will be on making photographs. In fact I know that the part of Philadelphia I saw, while geographically compact, will take multiple visits to properly explore.

I don’t want you to think that I would have passed up an opportunity to make a picture of something earthshattering or not capture a moment of time that would never repeat itself. I would not!

Knowing I would be back, just listening and taking in what I was seeing without any pressure to produce was extremely liberating … and relaxing too. I had a great time!  But I must come back, and soon, or this was just a pleasant day trip.

So perhaps it’s a good idea sometimes to conduct “photo recon” as the objective and enjoy the experience for what it is. No pressure. If you want, you can bring your camera with you just in case. But don’t feel guilty if it never leaves its bag.  I didn’t feel that way at all and have pages of notes and ideas to work on in support what I think will be many wonderful outings. All in all, a nice way to spend a beautiful fall day. Not to do all the time … just every once in a while.

Awhile back I wrote an entry entitled “Don’t Be a Bozo — Make Proof Sheets!”.  I pretty much said what I wanted to say about why I do this and liked what I said. Well how’s that for a news flash! So I think I will quote the key points I made rather than try to think of something new and pithy to say:

“Now I hope most of you make proof sheets, but for those that don’t, it’s time to hop on the bandwagon! First of all, the most important reason to make proof sheets is to catalog your negatives and know what you actually have. Duh!  If you don’t have proof sheets you are setting yourself up for a lot of wasted time. Forget about making printing decisions based on viewing your negatives on a light table, or worse by holding them up to the light.  Of course that is if you can find what you’re looking for! And if your negatives are properly developed they’re all going to look good.  So what you need is more information!

I have a simple filing system that works for me, and you might find it works for you. I have all my negatives contained in clear archival Print File Negative Preserver Pages that are stored in three ring archival closed box binders to keep any dust out.  Separate binders for each film size.  Each page is numbered and has the same numeral as its matching proof sheet contained in a separate but corresponding loose-leaf binder. With each proof sheet are print recipes and other notes for each image printed from the particular roll of film or set of large format negatives. Now that is simple and sure makes things easer to find!  Note: In a future installment of this series I will discuss making a searchable Microsoft Word table to assist in easy of location and retrieval of proof sheets.

What else is the proof sheet good for? Well several things. After knowing what you have, the next important thing to determine is what you actually want to print!  By carefully studying my proof sheet, I first decide if it contains anything worth printing.  If I think it does I take my marking pen and draw a rectangle around the image(s). That’s a time saver to because I usually print images sometime after the proof sheets have been made. Why have to go back and do the same thing all over again?  Another thing the proof sheet tells you is whether your negative exposure/development was good or not. Depending on how bad things look, you may not want to try to print that negative (truth be told … I have made many successful prints where the proof indicted exposure issues).

Finally, there is the matter of cropping and image size consideration.  Looking at the proof sheet really helps me here and saves me a lot of time later when I’m in the darkroom.  I think the worse thing you can do is try to make cropping decisions based on what you see projected onto your easel. Less so with image size decisions, but the proof sheet does help me to get a good idea of what I want to do here.  So in addition drawing a rectangle around any pictures I want to print, I mark any cropping to be done.  Now when it is time to print I know exactly what I am going to do and get right down to the task of making a successful image!

So there you have it. Some very good reasons to make … and use proof sheets!  If your not making them, start doing so!  Trust me on this!”

I hope you got something out of that reprise. But you’re probably wondering about the title of this entry. It contains the words “proper proof”.  This is a concept developed by Fred Picker and I think it makes great sense. I allude to it above regarding how a proof sheet can tell you whether your exposure and/or development are on target. Fred formalized the proper proof concept and described it in an easily understood and useable manner. He states the rationale for making a proper proof and how to do it so well that I would be foolish not to quote him verbatim.  The following can be found in the Zone VI Workshopon pages 38-39:

“A properly made proof sheet is an invaluable printing aid as it contains all the information about the negative with respect to exposure, contrast, and composition. I never attempt to print a negative until I have made a proper proof. In addition to filing and selection information, a rigid proofing procedure can be a constant check on meters and camera shutters and any manufacturing changes affecting film speed or contrast characteristics.

Test for Proper Proof Exposure

Put any negative in the enlarger, set up for about an 11×14 print and focus. Mark the enlarger column with tape or magic marker and a corresponding spot on the movable head so that you can find this exact elevation in the future. Remove the negative and replace the empty negative carrier. Position the proofer (contact printing frame) in the center of the light cast on the countertop or easel.  Stop down the lens to f/8. Turn the enlarger off and set the timer for three seconds. Lights out except safe lights. Place a sheet of your normal enlarging (not contact) paper face (shiny) side up on the open proofer. Use your regular enlarging paper #2 grade or if variable contrast paper – not filter. Now lay the strip of (but developed and fixed) film dull side (emulsion side) down on the paper. Use the blank film from the development time test. Note: This is from the development time test Picker discusses elsewhere in his book and I address in my Step 1.

Close the glass over all and give a 3 second exposure.  Cover the right hand end of the film (about an inch) by laying a cardboard on the glass and give another 3 second exposure. Continue moving the card one inch to the left between exposures until you reach the end of the film.

Remove the paper and agitate it constantly for 2 minutes in your print developer (I like Dektol diluted 1:2 as directed). Agitate in stop bath (1-1/2 oz. of 28% acetic acid per quart – a 50% stronger solution than for film) for 20 or 30 seconds and turn on the room lights. You will see gradations from light gray to jet black in one inch stripes across the film. Locate the stripe that is the first one to match the next one in blackness. As in the film development test, we want the minimum exposure that will produce the maximum black through the clear film. Identify the first completely black stripe – not the very dark gray one next to it. This will vary with the brand of paper, enlarger, illumination, lens opening, etc.  If the time is under 9 seconds, retest, closing one stop to refine the result. If over 24 seconds, open one stop and retest. Fix, wash, and dry and then located the first maximum black stripe.

Write down all the information on the chart in this book. In my case I have a notebook of information that this is contained in.

Other films or other sizes of the same film will require different proofing times due to varying base densities. Test them all. Write them down on separate charts.

This is now a standard for this film and all future proofs are made exactly the same.

To make an actual proof, substitute negatives for the clear film used for the test and give the negatives the exposure you have written on the chart.

The proper proof will tell you all about your negatives. I know a professional whose proof all show the film edge as gray. He has been underexposing his negatives – for years.”

So there you have it. You now know all the reasons why and how to easily make a proper proof.  The more you standardize and simplify the better off you are. Save the creative juices for what counts!