Monday, October 29, 2012

Autumn Gloom

Nowadays I frequently come up pensive people. I think autumn gloom is over whole city. I hate this cloudy mood. I am a spring child and I couldn't handle such a bad weather. May be I am just seeing people who are in same mood with me. May be I am exaggerating :). Life is full of "May be"s. Nevertheless, I am a sun boy.



Paper: Ilfrord Multigrade IV Fiber 1K Glossy
Paper Size: 17.8x24 cm (7x9.5in)
Image Size: 14.9x22.2 cm (5.9x8.7in)
Developer: Ilford Harman Warmtone Developer 1+9 (3 min.)
Toner: Untoned
Enlarger: Durst M800
Film: Rollei RPX 400 rated 250 135 mm

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Don't Let Them Shoot the Balloons

I am living in a weird country. We have some bizarre habits. In this image you can see one of them. Whenever you go for a walk at any coast line at Istanbul, you can easily face with balloons stretched between two stick or swimming over the sea. You can pay and then shoot with an air rifle to these colorful balloons. I never understand why people shoot and how they can enjoy with it. Balloons always awake childhood dreams in my mind and I can't shoot to dreams. Actually I can't shoot any thing. Whenever I see these balloons I remember an old film "Uçurtmayı Vuramsınlar" (a.k.a. Don't Let Them Shoot the Kite).
Moreover, when the guns are seen at the stage, a cowboy hat have to be seen.



Here is the print details:

Paper: Ilfrord Multigrade IV Fiber Warmtone 24K Semi-Matt
Paper Size: 17.8x24 cm (7x9.5in)
Image Size: 12.3x22.8 cm (4.9x9in)
Developer: Ilford Multigrade Developer 1+9 (2 min.)
Toner: Untoned
Film: Rollei RPX 400 rated 250 135 mm

Sunday, October 14, 2012

New Camera, New Format and a New Start

I know, I gave a huge break and I couldn't post for awhile, but I have an excuse. I bought a new camera which is 4x5 Linhof Kardan Color. It is a monorail large format camera. When I bought it, camera was in a very bad condition and I had to work on it. That is the reason of why I couldn't post. Finally I manage to get the first results. Today I want to share these.
I have 9x12 cm film holders for these camera and unfortunately I couldn't find film for these holders at my local store. For this reason I used Ilford MGIV Matt paper as negative.  I developed paper negative with Ilford Multigrade Developer (1+9). Here are the paper negatives and their digitally converted positives.


Actually I did contact print with one of these negatives but it was at the end of the session and I was exhausted. For this reason I couldn't take appropriate tests. I just took a contact print ad ended the session. 
That contact print is at below:


It was not a good print but unfortunately that is the only one. Sorry :)

Friday, September 21, 2012

Alpy

Let's continue with the my newest favorite paper.
My friends' boy, Alp.





Paper: Ilfrord Multigrade IV Fiber Warmtone 24K Semi-Matt
Paper Size: 17.8x24 cm (7x9.5in)
Image Size: 16.8x16.8 cm (6.6x6.6in)
Developer: Ilford Multigrade  Developer 1+9 (2 min.)
Toner: Untoned
Film: Rollei RPX 100 120 mm

Monday, September 17, 2012

Shadow behind me


I showed you man behind me at previous post. Here another photograph of the shadow man. It is at left side of the photograph as is before post. Is it just coincidence or ... ?




And print details:

Paper: Ilfrord Multigrade IV Fiber Warmtone 24K Semi-Matt
Paper Size: 17.8x24 cm (7x9.5in)
Image Size: 15.3x22.8 cm (6x9in)
Developer: Ilford Multigrade  Developer 1+9 (2 min.)
Toner: Untoned
Film: Rollei RPX 400 rated 250 135 mm

I am using Ilford papers for years and I tried almost every type of their paper range. I haven't used this semi mat paper before. Also Omar, who is great printer and blogger, suggest me to use warmtone paper with a normal developer. In this print as you see above I selected Ilford Multigrade developer instead of a warmtone developer. Results are impressive. I loved surface and tones I get. It has a "real" creamy whites and shadows between yellowish and brownish. I am getting angry myself for ignoring this paper for years. I am planning to use this paper as my matt choices.

Furthermore, I installed another enlarger which is Durst M800 and I print this photograph with Durst. Also a Rodenstock Rodagon 105mm f:5.6 was installed on it. I printed a medium format photograph before this print and I bother to change the lens and condenser for 35 mm :).

Friday, September 14, 2012

Someone watching us

I am in a bad mood nowadays. I feel tons of loads over my shoulders that I couldn't carry and I feel someone always watching me. Finally I managed to catch that man behind me. You can see the shadow of him at the left side of below photo.



Print Details:

Paper: Ilfrord Multigrade IV Fiber 1K Glossy
Paper Size: 17.8x24 cm (7x9.5in)
Image Size: 14.8x22.8 cm (5.8x9in)
Developer: Ilford Harman Warmtone Developer 1+9 (3 min.)
Toner: Untoned
Film: Rollei RPX 400 rated 250 135 mm

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Summer Days

Summer days about to finish and this year summer was too busy for me. I couldn't swim even. For this reason I couldn't post for awhile. In this post let's smell a summer breeze.




Print Details:

Paper: Ilfrord Multigrade IV Fiber 1K Glossy
Paper Size: 17.8x24 cm (7x9.5in)
Image Size: 14.8x22.8 cm (5.8x9in)
Developer: Ilford Harman Warmtone Developer 1+9 (3 min.)
Toner: Untoned
Film: Rollei RPX 400 rated 250 135 mm

In this image I used a warmtone developer with a normal paper. It gives a little warmth to the paper which I liked. Also this developer is slower than Dektol. I think this enhance the shadow details a little in the print. 

Saturday, August 4, 2012

Monster

Today I want to share a photograph from my book that I mentioned before. This image is one of my favorite one in the book. It was taken at April 2010, Kadikoy, Istanbul.
Contrary to common belief, taking photographs at demonstrations is very difficult task. There are lots of things going on all around you in demonstrations and you have to analyse and filter these complex situations as a photographer. Unfortunately, most of photographers are affected by this confusion environment and can not concentrate enough. 
Another difficulty is foreseeing the right moment in this fast evolving sequence of events and taking photograph at that right moment. For doing that a high concentration level and a sophisticated prediction talent are needed.
Here, I believe that I managed to overcome these difficulties in below image. Man with flag at the right and man with mask at the left of the image were both walking towards to me. I saw both of them in a second and I just imagined this frame. I could take only one frame in that moment. Even I didn't have enough time to focus. For this reason If you look carefully you can easily indicate that the image is a slightly out of focus. I felt I did something good when I took this photo. I am still getting exited when I look at this photograph.





Here are the image details:

Paper: Ilfrord Multigrade IV Fiber 1K Glossy
Paper Size: 24x30.5 cm (9½x12in)
Image Size: 19.6x28.5 cm (7.75x11.25in)
Developer: Dektol 1+2 (2 min.)
Toner: Untoned
Film Format: 35 mm

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Rising the Bird

I have only one digital taken photograph in my portfolio. Hence I couldn't print it at darkroom, I was feeling uncomfortable. Then, one day I decided to print it by using an alternative processing technique and started to search an appropriate one that I can do. Most of them need several chemicals and they are too hard to find for me, but I faced with gum printing that need  just one chemical for making. It is potassium dichromate. I found it and decided to give a chance to it. 
For making these print I converted the digital image to negative and printed it to a A4 transparency sheet. Then prepared a 5%  solution of potassium dichromate. The other metarials that I used were gum arabic and  prussian blue gouache paint. For paper I preferred 425 gpm hand made, textured watercolor paper.
Paper was prepared under dim light conditions by applying solutions using a brush. Dried papers are contact printed under direct sun light.



Here are the print details:


Paper: Hand made, textured, 425 gsm, watercolour paper.
Paper Size: 21x29 cm (8.2x11.5in)
Image Size: 16.8x22.3 cm (6.6x8.8in)
Developer: Water
Toner: Untoned

Uploaded image is the best one that I could make. First problem that I faced was the exposure. What I read from the internet was suggesting 5 to 8 minutes exposure time under sun light. But in my situation I found best exposure time is 1 minutes. 
The other problem was details in shadows. I prepared three different negative which were low, normal and high contrast. This image was made with high contrast one. Unfortunately none of my negatives were not contain enough shadow details. I understand that I have to prepare contrast and more dense negative. 

BTW, most of the source I read about gum printing were suggested to size the paper but I didn't do it.   

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Print taste

When printing a photograph generally you easily decide the contrast and exposure levels of the print. But pushing the boundaries at some photos may change the whole atmosphere. Here is an example of this.
At a heavy cloudy and very bad day, sun showed its face for a moment and below scene just happened. It was a perfect light with a darker background. I dreamed this atmosphere as soon as I saw it. In the darkroom I increased the contrast till the see was placed Zone II (Black areas with detail.) Also I placed the sail at Zone VIII (Textured white) by adjusting the exposure.



Here are the print details:

Paper: Ilfrord Multigrade IV Fiber 1K Glossy
Paper Size: 24x30.5 cm (9.5x12in)
Image Size: 18.5x28.2 cm (7.3x11.1in)
Developer: Dektol 1+2 (2 min.)
Toner: Kodak Rapid Selenium Toner
Film Format: 35 mm

Also you can see the standard print preference at the below:

27-1


Which one do you prefer? :)

Monday, July 2, 2012

Star of Greece

After awhile I manage to post another image. This image taken at Alexandroupolis (Dedeağaç is the Turkish name), Greece. This images is forcing my imagination. Whenever I look this image, I am dreaming lots of shapes and also I am making stories. Form on the sky part is a star or a dancer? What do you think? :)


Here is the print details:

Paper: Ilfrord Multigrade IV Fiber 1K Glossy
Paper Size: 24x30.5 cm (9½x12in)
Image Size: 18.5x28.2 cm (7.3x11.1in)
Developer: Dektol 1+2 (2 min.)
Toner: Untoned
Film Format: 35 mm

Monday, June 11, 2012

Intellectual effect




This image is very special moment for me. Two of the most important intellectual of Turkey are in the image. Baskın Oran and Yaşar Kemal. It is impossible to express my opinions about these two tremendous guys.

Print details:


Paper: Ilfrord Multigrade Warmtone IV Fiber 1K Glossy
Paper Size: 17.8x24 cm (7x9.5in)
Image Size: 15.1x23 cm (5.9x9.1in)
Developer: Kodak Dektol 1+2 (2 min.)
Toner: Untoned
Film Format: 35 mm

Monday, June 4, 2012

Pinhole

Today I want to share some pinhole prints. I made a matchbox pinhole just for fun and I loaded them with some old film that I didn't use. Here are the photos:

1)


2)


3)



Print Details:
Paper: Ilford Multigrade IV RC Glossy (1M)
Paper Size: 12.7x17.8 cm (5x7in)
Image Size: 11x11 cm (4.3x4.3in)
Developer: Dektol 1+2 (1.5 min.)
Toner: Untoned
Film Format: 24*24 mm

As you easily indicate there are lots of "printing errors". First of all, I couldn't estimate exposure values when taking photographs and as a result of this all images were heavily exposed. Moreover all images on the negatives have very low contrast. For this reason I had to print all this images at 4.5 grade.

Another issue there is a scratch at top part of the images. This film was a bulk film and I rolled it with bulk loader. When loading it I made a mistake and for this reason I scratched all of the bulk film ( approximately 20 roll).

Furthermore, in the first and second images there are marks due to light leaks. I have to use more electrical tape for light proofing.

Monday, May 14, 2012

Boiling Bridge

Today I want to present you an interesting image. It is taken from Europe through the Asia. 


Paper: Ilford Multigrade IV Fiber Glossy (1K)
Paper Size: 24x30.5 cm (9.5x12 in)
Image Size: 21.3x21.3 cm (8.4x8.4in)
Developer: Dektol 1+2 (2 min.)
Toner: Untoned
Film Format: 6x6

I took this photo with my super heavy Mamiya C330. I love this camera but it is almost impossible to carry it. Lens was Mamiya Sekor 80 mm f/2.8. It was long exposure in day light. I used Nikon R60 red filter. Film is Ilford Pan+ 50 @25 and aperture was 32. I wrote this details because people who see this print always ask me the details.
I made 4 edition with this print in the same session and each of them has a different boiling section :) It is almost impossible to print same looking print with this negative. I gave number 3 contrast filter to the upper part and number 4.5 to the bottom section. This is one of my favorite print and hanged on my wall

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

An image from my book

Today I wanted to share a print from my book. Here is the image:



Details of the print are such that:

Paper: Kentmere VC Select RC Fine Lustre
Paper Size: 17.8x24 cm (7x9.5in)
Image Size: 14.5x23 cm (5.7x9.1in)
Developer: Dektol 1+2 (1 min.)
Toner: Untoned
Film Format: 35 mm

This paper has matchless surface color. It has a yellowish-brownish surface. It is very interesting and it attracts me some how I couldn't explain. It's surface is between semi-matte and glossy and D-max is not perfect but satisfactory. 

In the image I made a little crop. There was nose hole of the woman at left-bottom corner and it looked to me not good. Generally I am printing full frame but approximately 10% of my photographs need some crop. I don't like too much cropping but If it necessary I do not hesitate to crop.

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

My first book

Finally my first book is in my hands.

My Blurb Book-Front Cover



My Blurb Book-Back Cover

My Blurb Book-Inside

I am so excited. Although it's print quality is too far from a wet print and it has a small misspelling on the cover, I am totally satisfied for the first result. You can see the full preview of the book at the below:

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Kentmere Textured Paper

Last two weeks were too busy for me. It was started with a flood in the darkroom. We had trouble times. After that there was annual RFF EuroMeet in Istanbul and I joined the gang. I had very joyful times and met some fabulous people. Then busy working days and finally I found some spare time for uploading a print.
Today I want to upload a photo printed on a discounted paper. Paper is Kentmere F.G. Warmtone fiber paper. It has semi-matt, warmtone and textured surface. For detailed information you can take a look to the website of Kentmere
After the merger of Ilford and Kentmere, Ilford released a new paper called Art300. Unfortunately, I couldn't have any opportunity to try but on the light of writings on it I resembled its surface to the Kentmere F.G.  Warmtone. After reading a Turkish blog that resembles too, I decided upload below print.



And below there is 100% crop of the image. You can easily see the surface texture.



Details are such that:


Paper: Kentmere Finprint VC F.G. Warmtone Fiber Semi-Matt
Paper Size: 21x29.5 cm (8.3x11.6in)
Image Size: 18.5x28.5 cm (7.3x11.2in)
Developer: Dektol 1+2 (2 min.)
Toner: Kodak Rapid Selenium Toner (1+20)
Film Format: 35 mm

Ilford Art 300 is a little thicker than the Kentmere. Ilford is 300 g/m2 and Kentmere is 276 g/m2.
Actually I am not a fan of matt or semi-matt paper because of their low d-max values. But surface texture of this paper always attracts me. I wish It had a better d-max value.

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Being Serious


Here is a new image taken at 2007 in Istanbul. This image belongs to a project of mine about demonstrations. Hopefully I managed to finish this project and book of the project is on the way of print. I will share it when I take the first copy.  



And here are the details of the print:

Paper: Ilfrord Multigrade IV Fiber 1K Glossy

Paper Size: 24x30.5 cm (9½x12in)
Image Size: 19.1x28.9 cm (7½x11½in)
Developer: Dektol 1+2 (2 min.)
Toner: Untoned
Film Format: 35 mm


I signed the image with a permanent silver marker as you see. There are lots of opinions about how to sign a print but as I can understand there is not a consensus on this issue. I am also confused. I couldn't make a decision and I don't have a standard. I am just signing my prints as it comes.

Monday, April 9, 2012

A session in Darkroom

Yesterday I was in darkroom and take some photos about my print procedure. I want to tell about it by these photos.

1) First of all and most hard step is choosing a negative for print.



Before the digital, we spent lots of time on the light table. Generally frames were chosen over the contact prints. I was generally selecting from directly negative. Nowadays I am scanning all my negatives and I select the negative by using computer before the print day. I try not to decide the frame at the darkroom because it is very time consuming.
In this picture you can also see my archiving technique and equipment. I am using Kaiser's glassine negative filing sheets and Kaiser's filing binder. Also I am numbering each sheet and take notes about the contents of the sheets. Thus I can easily find what I look.

2)




Selected image for printing is yellow framed. It was taken at Edirne in 2006. Film is Agfa APX 400. It was a sunny but fogy day. For this reason there was a high contrast light. 


3) I am using Kaiser VPM 6005 Multigrade head enlarger. It has both diffuser and condenser in it.

There is a yellow wheel on the middle of the enlarger seen above photo. This wheel is multigrade wheel and you can easily adjust multigrade filters. In addition this filter system is changing continuously therefore you can adjust between whole number.

4) I adjusted masking frame for the appropriate paper size. Also I focused the image by using a focus finder. By the way I selected Ilford Multigrade FB Glossy paper and paper size was 24x30.5 cm


5) Time to test print :). When you work in same darkroom and with same enlarger, you can easily estimate the exposure time. I used to darkroom and enlarger, for this reason I can easily estimate approximate exposure time. In test print I just cut some pieces and put them important sections of the print. I generally prefer to work at around 40 seconds as exposure time. I feel comfortable at this exposure time in the means of burning and dogging. 


I always dry test prints for decision. It is very important because there is big difference between dry and wet print. Most of darkroom user are using microwave for drying test prints. I am using hair dryer for this job. It is smaller and movable than the microwaves. Also you can dry almost everything such as your hands. Moreover, I am using it to heat the developer.

6) After getting test prints I decided to print at a grade between 1 and 1.5 as shown below.





7) And the final image hanging on the wire.



8) Generally I prefer to print 3-5 edition in a session.




9) At the end of the session. I printed 2 different image with 3 edition. Also I tested some old paper which are hanged at the end of the wire below photo.



10) Other photograph that I print at this session. 




10) Dried prints. Below two photos taken under the daylight condition.








All session was take approximately 4 hours included preparing solutions, printing and cleaning.

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Angry Cat


This image is one of my unpublished images. It belongs to one of my project which is about graphite. Although this project was finished, I couldn't get any opportunity to exhibit. Image was taken in Istanbul, 2005. Here are the details.

Paper: Ilfrord Multigrade IV Fiber 1K Glossy
Paper Size: 24x30.5 cm (9½x12in)
Image Size: 19x29.2 cm (7½x11½ in)
Developer: Dektol 1+2 (2 min.)
Filter: 4
Toner: Untoned
Film Format: 35 mm

This photo was taken at night in a dark street. There are two copies of this print. One is hanged at the wall of a restaurant Koycegiz / Turkey. Loaded image is my copy and slightly darker than the other.
In this image I especially like the expression on the face of cat and white tones on the face.

Saturday, April 7, 2012

First Print - The Yoga Girl


I want to load this image for my first blog post. I feel very relaxed whenever I look this image and details of the print are here:

Paper: Ilfrord Multigrade IV Fiber 1K Glossy
Paper Size: 24x30.5 cm (9½x12in)
Image Size: 18x27.5 cm (7¼x10¾in)
Developer: Dektol 1+2 (2 min.)
Toner: Kodak Rapid Selenium Toner
Film Format: 35 mm

This paper is one of my favorite paper. It has a delightful Dmax (maximum density of blacks) and pure whites. Moreover it has a glossy surface. Also it reacts well with the contrast filters 0 to 5 grade. In selenium toner blacks are turning a little purple blacks and they gains more details. My only complain about this paper is its thickness. I would prefer more thicker one. For more detail about paper you can click this link.