As a continuation from the previous post, I have been spending a considerable amount of time lately investigating whether or not digital capture can produce B&W images with the tonality of silver halide films - the lack of this characteristic has been the stumbling block for any move to digital for me to date. I am not trying to emulate a specific emulsion although individual attempts are looking like certain film types, although its varied. The caveat here is that I have not, nor have I attempted, to replicate such. My only objective has been to find a workflow that, outside of controlled lighting environments, can give me the tonality I love in traditional films.
As with all images I will post in this discussion, the camera is the Sony Nex 5n. This image above had been my first, what I would call, success in this direction. Given other work I have done previously, I think its very reminiscent of HP5+. The downside was that this outcome took me a long time to achieve. A lot of experimentation, rework and going down numerous unproductive rabbit holes. I was beginning to feel I knew what the basic secret was but not everything so the next was to try and achieve this with some repetition and start to build an end-to-end workflow.
Last weekend I went shooting for 45 minutes in Singapore's Little India on the way home with the Sony. I felt I had a few interesting shots and proceeded to work on them that evening. What follows is the result of structuring a new workflow with a number of shots under some varying circumstances...
As a note, my object in B&W images is not to achieve that high contrast look with blocked up shadow that is common today. I like to see a full tonal range with smooth transitions and good mid-tone separation.
The end result of this is that I'm reasonably happy with the output. To my eyes, the tonality is aesthetically as I might expect from traditional B&W, with a tendency to have a more modern look such as a Delta film - that part I can live with. Although I'm sure it will get tweaked as I keeping working images, I am happy with the results of the new workflow.
In summary, I find digital B&W, with this workflow, usable for a lot of my volume work. However, it still lacks the true tonal qualities of traditional B&W - especially in the larger formats. I will still continue to use and work digital for B&W but my heart remains with film. To that end, I just bought another film camera - a Rolleiflex TLR
As with all images I will post in this discussion, the camera is the Sony Nex 5n. This image above had been my first, what I would call, success in this direction. Given other work I have done previously, I think its very reminiscent of HP5+. The downside was that this outcome took me a long time to achieve. A lot of experimentation, rework and going down numerous unproductive rabbit holes. I was beginning to feel I knew what the basic secret was but not everything so the next was to try and achieve this with some repetition and start to build an end-to-end workflow.
Last weekend I went shooting for 45 minutes in Singapore's Little India on the way home with the Sony. I felt I had a few interesting shots and proceeded to work on them that evening. What follows is the result of structuring a new workflow with a number of shots under some varying circumstances...
As a note, my object in B&W images is not to achieve that high contrast look with blocked up shadow that is common today. I like to see a full tonal range with smooth transitions and good mid-tone separation.
The end result of this is that I'm reasonably happy with the output. To my eyes, the tonality is aesthetically as I might expect from traditional B&W, with a tendency to have a more modern look such as a Delta film - that part I can live with. Although I'm sure it will get tweaked as I keeping working images, I am happy with the results of the new workflow.
In summary, I find digital B&W, with this workflow, usable for a lot of my volume work. However, it still lacks the true tonal qualities of traditional B&W - especially in the larger formats. I will still continue to use and work digital for B&W but my heart remains with film. To that end, I just bought another film camera - a Rolleiflex TLR
