I Am A Tamil #9, Tamil Nadu 2010
By kal • Feb 7th, 2010 • Category: Daily Shots
From the series “I Am A Tamil”
This was a change of film to TXP rated at EI-320 in Rodinal, which made a change from HP5 in Rodinal. More necessity than intent (I had a specific use for the HP5 in Kanyakimari).
As for the image, it is probably my favourite from the trip for many reasons…but most of all, because this was a simple crossing of paths on the road…
Bronica SQ Ai, 80mm f2.8 PS, Kodak TXP (R.I.P.), EI320 in Rodinal 1:50
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This is a very powerful portrait Kal. The weight of years and a life can be felt.
Nice shot Kal. Maybe because of the background, the face does not ‘ping’ in the neg scan but it will be a cracking print.
Excellent, Kal. What a superb collection of photographs in this series so far. This reminds me how (relatively) easy my life is, and makes me quite thankful for that. Her stoop actually makes her meet the camera on an equal level – an even balance and dialogue between camera and subject.
Incidentally, I made it along to East Wing Nine yesterday; aside from one or two pieces that I wasn’t fussed about I was impressed with the standard there, and your larger print looks absolutely fantastic. Congrats again!
Thanks Stu! Well two thankyou’s actually…the first for making the time to make it to the East Wing Exhibition (there are few peices there that were bordering on teh ridiculous I agree…but some amazing work). the second is for your comment on the sries. It was a risky choice I made to work mainly in B&W and to make tis as you say a dialogue with the people, rather than a travelogue. Thanks again.
Ewan, totally agree with you on the tonality here. As you know, I post on apug, so i try and avoid much manipulation in the scans. I full expect the print to sing, when I print down the hilights and dodge the face.
I do, however, find TXP dispappointing where I have used it in this contrasty situation (much better and impactful in the shade…examples to follow later). Anyway, it hardly matters now that Kodak have chose to discontinue it in MF…Ho Hum. I am still using it in LF, but I just may not bother after I get through the last two boxes.
Rgds, Kal
Ewan is so right and in what have come to be your words the print will indeed sing. Am I right in saying she is making her way up a steep hill? If not, it’s not just her posture, you seem to have rendered the world around bearing down on her. Exquisite. What a series.
I will be in Varanasi two weeks from today. Black and white or colour? Which Camera?
I’ve actually decided to keep things very simple and just take my rolleiflex but haven’t decided what film to bring. I can’t get portra in Bangkok so I will probably take slide film and triX. What do you think oh wise one?
What slide film do you shoot? As always , i’m trying to simplify things and may just end up shooting Velvia and BW this year… I have enjoyed Ektar a lot but i’m always disappointed with the sharpness (oops supposed to call it actuance right :) compared to a good low ASA black and white film when scanned. I have yet to shoot trix amazingly.
Sorry, that was a sidetrack.
What i meant to say was that this is a fantastic image Kal. I’d be really (really) interested to hear about how you go about approaching your subjects for this kind of street portraiture. I’m a big fan of how you approach these environmental images – resisting the urge to shoot up close, with nice eye reflections, withered skin, etc. I think full body portraits such of these are much harder in many ways because there is so much going on (and so much to go wrong) so seeing you pull it off so consistently is v impressive.
Hi David, At least from my experience the Tri-x will be perfect for the conditions. I also find that since in certain developers (e.g. T-Max) the development time is the same for EI800 and 400, then you basically have a film that is very flexible for different lighting conditions. HP5+ has a very distictive look and I was after that look with rodinal on this trip, I don’t suggest you start experimenting now LOL!! I am not sure about slide film. If you have very contrasty conditions (e.g. like this image above), then you will always be looking for a compromise, so it is subject to the weather conditions. I took slide film and used it but only in the right conditions (becasue I can swap backs on the Bronica)…you won’t be able to do that so you need to consider carefully when it is right to load it, and if you will be using the whole roll. I used what was left of my Kodak E200 (R.I.P) Since it can be rated anything from 200 to 800 and that gave great flexibility. It isn’t made anymore also, so it isn’t a choice unless you can get a hold of it, and remember it tends to cold end of the spectrum but I like it. The rest was on Portra 400NC and Ektar 100 as well as some Fuji 800 Pro. I took two ND filters (1 and a 2 stop) to allow me to shoot open even at EI800 during the day. As an alternative maybe you can shoot a quick roll of Fujicolor 400 Pro (or 160)…I have heard great things about it, and I have used the 800 Pro (in India) and been very impressed (yes more grainy, but this is MF and nothing outrageous). If you take Velvia, beware that I think it is just too saturated for portraiture (for my taste), and that you may find the 100 too limiting in the shade. I am sure that wasn’t much help and all over the place, but I think the main message is be sure not to only take slide film, since you will need the right conditions for it’s use. As a pointer to shooting rate, I ran about 3 MF films per day and 1 35mm per day and ended up with about 40 films….
Lawrence, I wish I could tell you LOL!! I can only imagine that I am not a very threatening person. I could not communicate, it was usually a gesture with the camera, a smile and I just take the photograph, but I don’t just snap it, I hold the camera to my face for a long time, and they just start to communicate with it….or maybe they just get bored? ;-) Either way, there is always a smile and a “Namaste” afterwards in appreciation. Sometimes there is laughter. I think the point is that by spending the time taking the photograph, there is a sense of care communicated. This is not a stolen moment, but shared..I hope that makes sense. I think as Kaden mentioned in an earlier post, I am also obsessive about order in my images, and I will not take a picture if it simply does not work (or maybe I will try one and then accept it is not possible)….so the consistency you mention is related to not taking pictures if they don’t work, I guess ;-)
Rgds, K