Digital BW, The Print

Richard, greetings.

There are ways to get good midtones with Tech Pan, if your lab is willing to use 
standard materials in slightly nonstandard ways.  Check out the "Massive Dev" chart 
over on DigitalTruth.com, which is an indispensable resource for recipes for 
developing B+W films.  The chart is at this URL:

http://www.digitaltruth.com/devchart.html

Select "Kodak Tech Pan" chart from the box in the left margin.  As you will see, the 
Tech Pan chart is divvied up into three categories:  "High contrast," "High Contrast/
Continuous Tone," and "continuous Tone."  You want "Continuous Tone."  You will 
find over 20 recipes there.  If your lab is even marginally competent, they should be 
able to accommodate you wtih one of these.

As for me, I've shot Tech Pan and gotten really good results in sunny conditions, 
shooting through neutral-density filters to get a 30-second exposure, and then 
developing in Rodinal 1:100 for only four minutes.  (Yes, that's right, four minutes!) 
For an example of the results, see my photo at this URL:

http://www.pbase.com/image/28736293

I hope this helps.  Good luck with your lab.

Sanders McNew
www.mcnew.net



--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, Richard Smallfield 
<r.smallfield@p...> wrote:
> Hi,
> I am in a situation which forces me to send my film out to the pro lab for 
processing.
> 
> I find that Tech Pan is only an option in the dullest of conditions (when it is 
fantastic); yet I've seen desert shots with Tech Pan, with a red filter, what's more.
> 
> In anything like sunny conditions, the highlights and shadows are totally lost.
> 
> Do you think that asking the lab to under-develop by 30% would be a good idea?
> 
> Any thoughts would be appreciated.
> 
> thanks,
> Richard
> --
> http://smallfield.vze.com
> http://photos.smallfield.vze.com
> 
>    "We don't see things as they are, we see things as we are."
>    --Anais Nin