Printing High Contrast Negs

A few weeks ago I took some shots inside some empty buildings in Antequera. Some of the photos had very bright areas of sunshine combined with relatively dark interiors. The high contrast between sunlit areas and the rest of the picture was quite difficult to print. The negative (TMax 100 developed in HC110) has a higher dynamic range than the paper. You can see all the information on the neg. put to get the same details in the print is quite a challenge. Below are my best attempts so far and some shots of the darkroom with the many test strips made before the final print.

Smoke blackened interior with sun patches on floor



Test strips showing 'burning in' of sun patch with different contrast grade filters.




Reprint of 'Rocks', higher contrast filter for overall image and more even 'burn in' for rocks outside windows.

Still life in bright sunshine, attempt to hold detail on the ball and keep detail in the shadows.

The new darkroom in Antequera, a big mess of pipes and cables but it seems to work!

"Los Enamorados Abandonados"

I recently found a group of abandoned buildings at the base of a large mountain called 'Los Enamorados' (The Lovers) near to my home in Antequera. Below are the first shots from a series taken in and around the buildings. 3 of the photos are currently on show at the AIA exhibition 'Something Different' in Malaga, see Current Exhibition on the right side of this page.



Bones

Wall with football impressions

Holes 1

Rocks

Stair

Frame

Holes 2