Adox ORT 25 developer

Film Photography & Darkroom discussion

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Ornello
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Re: Adox ORT 25 developer

Post by Ornello »

Most contemporary films are intended to be developed to uniform contrast and adjustments to contrast, if any, are made in printing. The zone system was developed when films were different and papers had limited contrast control. It's completely obsolete at best and represents dogmatic thinking. It is a fraud.

foolscape
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Re: Adox ORT 25 developer

Post by foolscape »

Yes, and no. Moden films are made with a certain more uniform contrast in mind, but they still need some tweaking to get the best out of them. You can still get more punch in a low contrast scene with expansion, and you can keep your highlights in check with contraction, just not as much. I find that the Zone System gives me negatives that print much easier with less burning and dodging. I can say this because I have only recently started using the expansion and contraction methods, and my negatives are much more consistant. Results don't lie.

--Gary

imageboy
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Re: Adox ORT 25 developer

Post by imageboy »

Glad to see you have good result using ortho film with POTA , its really work great and cheap in price !
Lee

Ornello
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Re: Adox ORT 25 developer

Post by Ornello »

Gary:

Giving uniform development to roll film is by far the best way to work. I seldom have to make adjustments in printing. I print everything on grade 3 or occasionally 3.5.

foolscape
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Re: Adox ORT 25 developer

Post by foolscape »

I seldom use roll film. I shoot mostly sheet film these days. If I shoot roll film, I tens to do it when such adjustments aren't necessary.

--Gary

foolscape
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Re: Adox ORT 25 developer

Post by foolscape »

Pardon the typo. The word should have been "tend."

--Gary

Ornello
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Re: Adox ORT 25 developer

Post by Ornello »

I understood you. The point being that manipulation of contrast is much less necessary than commonly believed.

Ornello
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Re: Adox ORT 25 developer

Post by Ornello »

Paper grades were introduced to cope with differences in development due to errors, primarily. Portrait papers almost always came in a single grade, presumably because portrait photographers were expected to have complete control of lighting and consistent development. Graded papers were intended for press and commercial photographers who might come into situations with less than complete control of the light situation and development.

foolscape
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Re: Adox ORT 25 developer

Post by foolscape »

Since when does any artist use anything solely in the way it was made to be used?

--Gary

Ornello
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Re: Adox ORT 25 developer

Post by Ornello »

Uhmmm, first of all, photography isn't 'art' and cannot be, and secondly, manipulation of contrast is a poor substitute for finding something interesting to begin with.

Ornello
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Re: Adox ORT 25 developer

Post by Ornello »

I was trying to explain why grades of paper exist to begin with. Some papers were never made in grades, but were intended to be used in a controlled system (such as a portrait studio). Graded papers were intended for commercial work or press work, that is, under less well-controlled conditions. The films themselves had characteristic curves that were adapted to their intended use. There were portrait films, commercial films, and press films, all specifically adapted to work for those purposes.

foolscape
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Re: Adox ORT 25 developer

Post by foolscape »

I know. My response was in jest. I refuse to put smily faces after my humor, so if the humor is subtle, some folks don't.

We'll have to agree to disagree about whether photography is art though.

--Gary

foolscape
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Re: Adox ORT 25 developer

Post by foolscape »

I wish I could edit my responses. I left out two words.

"...some folks don't get it."

There. All better.

--Gary

foolscape
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Re: Adox ORT 25 developer

Post by foolscape »

And another thing... I do like bending the rules, though.. Jest or not.

--Gary

Ornello
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Re: Adox ORT 25 developer

Post by Ornello »

I know some folks just don't get it. The question is: who are they? Are they the photographers who think they are 'artists'?

:lol:

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