How come my skies are always apocalyptic?

VirtualAdept

VirtualAdept

Suspended / Banned
Messages
2,169
Name
Mads
Edit My Images
Yes
As I mentioned in the show us ya film shots thread, very often I'm getting strange marks/patterns in skies that I've done. A few examples;

retro400sm645007 by Madison S, on Flickr
gp3100bessa002 by Madison S, on Flickr
retro400rb67003 by Madison S, on Flickr

So two those are taken on retro 400s, which seems to be the biggest culprit of it, looking back... All of them were stand developed in rodinal.

One thing thats just occured to me (and I may be well off) but since the pattern of it looks different on the gp3, is it possible that thats actually muck on the lens of the bessa (first time I've ever used it, only got it this week)
 
Well the dev guys will be posting...but you can have a lot of crap on the front of the lenses and still get a "clean image", so would be surprised if that was the problem.
 
are all 3 from the same camera
are the artifacts on the negs
 
1 and 3 look similar to fixer particles, just a suggestion at this stage.
2 requires further questioning...:)
 
excalibur2 said:
Well the dev guys will be posting...but you can have a lot of crap on the front of the lenses and still get a "clean image", so would be surprised if that was the problem.
Click to expand...

Certainly in the first and last I can agree with you safely, I know the condition of the lenses etc, but the bessa is new to me, and the marks look different to me, hence the thought really.
 
joxby said:
are all 3 from the same camera
are the artifacts on the negs
Click to expand...

joxby said:
1 and 3 look similar to fixer particles, just a suggestion at this stage.
2 requires further questioning...:)
Click to expand...

first image was a m645, second was a voigtlander bessa, third was an RB67, so not all same cameras...
Yes, artifacts are the negs (went mad trying to clean the scanner lol)

Fixer particles... would that be the result of old fixer?
 
I have seen similar results from exhausted fixer (but still active enough to clear) and from film damaged by condensation.
 
The two shot on Rollei film, were these frames shot , sat in camera for a period of time (several weeks) and then the film finished.....The more recent frames being ok?

I've had "blizzard" like effects on Rollei film that has ben exposed but been left a while before developing

eg on superpan 200 devd in HC110

TP rollei.jpg
 
Last edited:
Asha said:
The two shot on Rollei film, were these frames shot , sat in camera for a period of time (several weeks) and then the film finished.....The more recent frames being ok?

I've had "blizzard" like effects on Rollei film that has ben exposed but been left a while before developing
Click to expand...

Ya know what, you could be on to something there... not sure on the film in the 645, but the rb67 had been sat in there for ages
 
VirtualAdept said:
Ya know what, you could be on to something there... not sure on the film in the 645, but the rb67 had been sat in there for ages
Click to expand...

I've posted an example.....There is another thread somewhere covering the experiences that i had with this blizzard effect.

I'll put a link up if I can find the thread
 
Thats an interesting read, it'd certainly explain the first and last ones at least
 
Its not easy to judge them all side by side because artifacts appear much bigger on 35mm than MF.
I'm still going with fixer particles for the 645...what's the fixer status.
Maybe the RB is Asha's left exposed for too long thing.
The 35mm, I dunno, it looks like something in or on the lens, maybe bloom or fungus or something, it seems to be exacerbated by the sunlight
 
Last edited:
joxby said:
Its not easy to judge them all side by side because artifacts appear much bigger on 35mm than MF.
I'm still going with fixer particles for the 645...what's the fixer status.
Maybe the RB is Asha's left exposed for too long thing.
The 35mm, I dunno, it looks like something in or on the lens, maybe bloom or fungus or something, it seems to be exacerbated by the sunlight
Click to expand...

The bessa is MF, not 35mm... but yeah, your last point is where I'm leaning tbh
 
ahhhh, so a 6x9 bellows camera then, and thus pretty ancient and more likely to have attracted some orrible form of cack over the years, its age also puts the lens coatings (if there is any) under scrutiny and maybe the bellows.
You're probably gonna have to bottom the condition of the camera before checking your chems process and method, such is the nature of the "artifact", it doesn't look typically process related, but anything is possible and I'm no expert..:)
 
The only time I saw something similar was when I started a black and white film and didn't touch it for about 18 months. It was foggy all over. The rest of the roll which was shot and developed quickly seemed ok.

I haven't really seen it with normal colour film. That seems to be very tolerant of being left in cameras for ages, particularly the cheapo consumer film.
 
Many many thanks for the feedback guys, its greatly appreciated.
I suspect the Bessa is a bit manky, so I'll put some time into cleaning the lens and whatnot, see where we end up... I think the bellows are ok, all the shots came out ok (very little sun in them, so no splodges to see), only reason I haven't shown them is they were patently naff lol.

It does seem like the sitting around part exposed is the issue, which surprises me a little but its favourable to me screwing it up somehow.
 
donut said:
cruiser in the foreground all that flak in the sky ,,,,,,,,,,,i didnt realise you saw action in the war asha :D
Click to expand...

Ahem, that will be Admiral Asha to you young man!!:D

We were under pressure that day matey, them gerries coming at us from all directions, it was only thanks to Nick ( @RaglanSurf ) being there ( You might be able to make out his miniscule silhouette on top of Tower Bridge:p), causing a diversion with his catapult, that gave us chance to reload the guns in time for the next wave of attack:D:D
 
and you tell that to the kids of today and they wont believe you ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
 
donut said:
and you tell that to the kids of today and they wont believe you ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Click to expand...

But you do .........


Don't you??:confused::D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top