Hi all,

I was experimenting with some low contrast lighting the other night using an old mason jar on a silver background and my 4x5 with polaroid test sheets. I managed to hit on a combination that was really smooth and very pleasing to me and so I loaded up a couple of sheets of TMax 100 and shot the scene.

I have now developed both negatives, one normal, one at n-1 and I still do not have the smooth tone gradiations that the polaroid gave me. The closest I got was when I tried printing the n-1 negative on a "grade 1" paper ( Kodak Polycontrast with filtering dialed in for grade one ) and what I got could best be described as mush.

My question, in your opinion, what film / paper combo seems to get you nearest to the tone / texture of Polaroid B&W film.

Thanks, -harry

-- Harry Pluta (hspluta@msn.com), January 11, 2000

Answers

If you want a traditional film, Tech Pan has a similar "look" although the red response changes your tonal relationships and its grain is much finer. But what about type 55 P/N Polaroid?

-- John O'Connell (joconnell@adelphia.net), January 13, 2000.

Thanks!

It hadn't even dawned on me that Polaroid made the type 55 in 4x5 sheets. I'll have to try it.

Best Regards,

-- Harry Pluta (hspluta@msn.com), January 13, 2000.

Some of the Polaroid B&W products have emulsions that simply cannot be duplicated with conventional products.

Check out Ansel Adam's Polaroid Land Photography at your library or book store (if it's still in print).

-- Charlie (charlie_strack@sti.com), January 21, 2000.