Boom Lake, Banff NP

[walter23]

4x5 FP4+. I've only been shooting B&W film for about a year, and this is my first attempt to shoot in a contrasty lighting situation that I'd never go anywhere near with digital. Full sun at high altitude. The print of this practically shimmers, though half the people I've shown it to complain about the foreground rocks being too hot, the other half love it.

[Padre]

I really like the composition and tonal separations. I can see why some object to the brightness of some of the rocks but I think the print would be the proof in the pudding.

[RichardGeorge]

Walter this is a good example of the films lattitude. The next time you shoot a scene such as this try over exposure and under development. I am sure you have read about this and it is real easy to do when shooting 4X5. This would open up the timber stand on the left above the lake and the rock faces in the foreground. Look at the peak on the right that is facing the sun. I can't tell if it is over exposed but could be either burned down or adjusted in development. Try one with a yellow filter. I use geletin filters with a clip-on holder. This allows me to place the filter on the back of the lens - no advantage over the front - just cheaper. The rocks - they are what they are - if you burn down the print you create a big black blob - some control may be possible by exposure or filter. I have no problem with them because they have good exposure and good tone range. I got my first taste of grey rocks photographing Yosemite in California years ago. Everything I had was horrible in the tone range. Good job!

[walter23]

Thanks for the perspectives Richard. Why a yellow filter? I used a yellow-green for this with the intention of brightening up the trees somewhat relative to everything else, but would that control bright snow? I guess snow is kind of blue...

[RichardGeorge]

Mainly for the blue. I used to photograph simular scenes in the Rockies (Southern) and found that a yellow filter worked best for my tones. (I was using Tri-X and this will probably have a different tone/contrast range.) You can see the high altitude haze in your print - which is fine - but it tends to make for a low contrast negative and I found UV or a polarizer really didn't help much, but the yellow and grade 3 paper gave my negs more snap. You are correct that a yellow-green should lighten up the trees, but I found that over exposure and under development worked the best for me.(But only on sunny afternoon scenes - this compresses the tone range.) The yellow will not help the snow at all. - I think my writting went haywire there. The over exposure and under development will help the snow, but in this print it is so small and your other tones are good I would just make a small mask and burn the area down when making a print. If you try over exposure and under development be sure to take an exposure the way you normally would so you have a back up.