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One Room Schoolhouse, Burton, Arizona
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Jan 2, 2023 11:10:43   #
terryMc Loc: Arizona's White Mountains
 
This image of the Burton, AZ schoolhouse, now used as a community center of sorts, was shot on Ilford HP5+ with a Nikon FM and Zoom-Nikkor 35-135. I did not record exposure data, and film has no EXIF, so you'll have to use your imagination...

I scanned the neg with an Epson V600 Photo scanner, then opened it in Photoshop and used both color and grayscale modes to measure tones to get them the way I wanted them. In RGB, tones go from 0-255, or pure black to pure white, whereas in grayscale, it is measured in percentages of black from 0 to 100%. Whether it's a film or a digital image converted to B&W, I prefer to keep a few percentage points away from pure white or pure black, so I keep checking the Info panel as I move the sliders on a five-point gradient map. I will also use other tools, like the curves, to tweak until I like it.

As I upload this image to UHH, it seems to be coming out a bit darker than it looks in Photoshop. There is no black or white here, so keep that in mind when viewing.

Burton, AZ one room schoolhouse
Burton, AZ one room schoolhouse...

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Jan 2, 2023 12:59:38   #
J11 Loc: Ocean Springs MS
 
Very nice work. Ilford HP5 is a good film. Jim.

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Jan 2, 2023 14:27:00   #
terryMc Loc: Arizona's White Mountains
 
J11 wrote:
Ilford HP5 is a good film. Jim.


I agree. I've used it for many years.

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Jan 2, 2023 14:33:18   #
J11 Loc: Ocean Springs MS
 
I am relatively new to photography. I just bought an old film camera and shot a roll of HP5 thru it. I liked the look of it. Can you recommend another brand of B&W film for me to use. Thanks. Jim.

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Jan 2, 2023 14:55:09   #
terryMc Loc: Arizona's White Mountains
 
J11 wrote:
I am relatively new to photography. I just bought an old film camera and shot a roll of HP5 thru it. I liked the look of it. Can you recommend another brand of B&W film for me to use. Thanks. Jim.


I currently have in the fridge some Kodak Tri-X (TX 400) and Ilford Delta 100, which was always a favorite of mine. I also have a roll of Kodak Ektar 100 color film. I used to shoot a lot of Portra in medium format, but I don't have a working medium format camera anymore.

The problem is that a lot of the old films have disappeared, or are in limited supply. I don't do film enough anymore to keep up with who is still making what or how much they cost. There are also new brands coming out that I have never tried. I suggest going to a place like B&H Photo, or even Amazon, and read reviews. Then buy a roll, and try it out.

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Jan 2, 2023 14:58:14   #
J11 Loc: Ocean Springs MS
 
Will do. Thanks.

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Jan 3, 2023 08:26:04   #
AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!
 
It looks to be in really good shape - like still used? Love the teeter totters!

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Jan 3, 2023 08:36:05   #
Architect1776 Loc: In my mind
 
terryMc wrote:
This image of the Burton, AZ schoolhouse, now used as a community center of sorts, was shot on Ilford HP5+ with a Nikon FM and Zoom-Nikkor 35-135. I did not record exposure data, and film has no EXIF, so you'll have to use your imagination...

I scanned the neg with an Epson V600 Photo scanner, then opened it in Photoshop and used both color and grayscale modes to measure tones to get them the way I wanted them. In RGB, tones go from 0-255, or pure black to pure white, whereas in grayscale, it is measured in percentages of black from 0 to 100%. Whether it's a film or a digital image converted to B&W, I prefer to keep a few percentage points away from pure white or pure black, so I keep checking the Info panel as I move the sliders on a five-point gradient map. I will also use other tools, like the curves, to tweak until I like it.

As I upload this image to UHH, it seems to be coming out a bit darker than it looks in Photoshop. There is no black or white here, so keep that in mind when viewing.
This image of the Burton, AZ schoolhouse, now used... (show quote)


Nice shot.
I have found scans of B&W film more difficult to get full tonal range than original digital files.
But I still do film once a year or so.

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Jan 3, 2023 09:41:25   #
jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana
 

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Jan 3, 2023 10:55:56   #
terryMc Loc: Arizona's White Mountains
 
AzPicLady wrote:
It looks to be in really good shape - like still used? Love the teeter totters!


I understand that it is used occasionally as a sort of community center. When I posted this to a local group, I had comments from people whose parents or grandparents went to school there, and one whose great-grandfather had actually built the place.

As a transplant to Arizona, I was mildly surprised at how many people in this rural area are multi-generational residents.

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Jan 3, 2023 11:00:50   #
terryMc Loc: Arizona's White Mountains
 
Architect1776 wrote:
Nice shot.
I have found scans of B&W film more difficult to get full tonal range than original digital files.
But I still do film once a year or so.


Thank you.

Obviously, digital has a much more extensive tonal range available than film, but it is the film aesthetic that attracts me. Kind of like listening to Rock 'n Roll from the fiftiesβ€”not necessarily very good, but full of great memories...

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Jan 3, 2023 11:01:43   #
terryMc Loc: Arizona's White Mountains
 
jaymatt wrote:


Thanks for looking!

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Jan 3, 2023 11:10:17   #
Rab-Eye Loc: Indiana
 
πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»

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Jan 3, 2023 11:35:27   #
terryMc Loc: Arizona's White Mountains
 
Rab-Eye wrote:
πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»


Thank you.

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Jan 3, 2023 11:40:04   #
Architect1776 Loc: In my mind
 
terryMc wrote:
I understand that it is used occasionally as a sort of community center. When I posted this to a local group, I had comments from people whose parents or grandparents went to school there, and one whose great-grandfather had actually built the place.

As a transplant to Arizona, I was mildly surprised at how many people in this rural area are multi-generational residents.


As a native of AZ with parents born in AZ with mother's side a couple more generations back with my grandfather from just south of the border from Mexico I am one of those few AZ multi generational natives into the 1800s.

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