Printing in dark room vs film-to-digital workflow

I started in darkroom in my early teens, somewhere in 68 or 69. Back then, everything was simple: not too many graded papers available, one developer, water from the tap, fixer and free time, which I had aplenty. I did not use any advanced techniques. Masking with my fingers for dodging and burning was the farthest it went. Because of this, there were negatives I could print easily and some I did not know how to print, the negatives too dark or too contrasty...when I had one, I just skipped it. Here is one of the prints from the time: some TASMA film pushed to 500 ISO, some old paper my father gave me:


(View from my darkroom AKA attic room. Yelabuga, 1973)

Memorial Day's Night at Ocean Drive

Leica M2, shooting TMax 3200 at E.I.12000, accompanied by Hector Issac and Wenbo Wang

Last night of November at Lincoln

Leica M2 with 28mm on TMax P3200 @ E.I.12500

Friday's Night Catch

Leica M2 has become my #1 camera for night work. Tried: Leica IIIf, Nikon F5, Nikon S, Contax IIa...you name it. M2 is a clear winner. The lenses are 35mm and 28mm (this is 28mm).

Night at Ocean with TMAX P3200

Leica M2/28mm/Kodak Tmax P3200 @ E.I.12500 in Tmax developer

Kodak discontinues TMax P3200 TMZ film :(

British Journal Of Photography

Sad news. The film is the one I use every week, my nocturnal companion...oh well

Ocean drive's nights in September

The film has its limits; when the light is as weak as it usually is at the Ocean at night its failing to record anything at all, even at the sensitivity as high as 12500.
Still, people at night are open as never during the day and I just keep shooting, hoping for the sudden glimpse on the subject, just like in the picture above and below...

South beach nights

Night is the only time when I can shoot comfortably these summer days. Even at night --- this one was hot (87F) and humid -- the feel and the load of subtropical summer never goes away.
Shooting streets at night is tricky:
- the light is unpredictable;
- exposure error is rather a norm;
- bracketing rarely helps;
- focusing is unreliable, both manual or AF,
and despite of all of this I love the view of night-time pictures and how people open to the simple emotions in the dark. Again, Satursday's South Beach was packed with people, celebrating life and I had my glimpse of it. Here another second for you:

"Big Night" in Lemon City

Three frames from the event in Little Haiti. Taken with Nikon F5 camera on Kodak P3200TMZ film shot at E.I.12500.

Soccer fan

At South Beach last Friday, Tmax P3200 film exposed at E.I.6400 / developed to ISO 12500; Nikon F5 camera with DW-30 waist level finder installed.

Nikon Nights: myths debunked

It had been my believe for ages that a rangefinder is the best camera for available light/night time candid street photography, and it still is...with one bold exception: Nikon F5 SLR. Heavy big camera just won't shake at all. It is stable in hands as it is attached to the tripod -- well, almost. Plus, it has interchangeable viewfinders I love; use them to compose from the low view point; like the bright high magnification finder DW-31 or the convenient waist level finder DW-30. Add to the recipe Ilford Delta 3200 or Kodak Tmax P3200 film pushed to 12500 ASA and you have the best film-based night-time street setup ever! Of course it is BIG, BOLD and HEAVY camera and I have been noticed and frowned at much more often when with F5 than with my leicas but the results are stunning and I don't care. Let it fly!