Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Print: Body Awaiting Cremation, Katmandu Nepal

The print of today is a shot I made in Kathmandu Nepal of a shrouded body awaiting cremation. The image was made in extremely low light with Tri-X exposed at 1600 ASA and then stand developed for 2 hours. The neg is high in contrast and grainier than normal but I am quite happy with the way this 11x14 print turned out. I now have the freedom and confidence to shoot with pushed Tri-X at 800 and 1600, I will be using the flash a lot less if at all now. This print was made on Oriental Seagull warm tone, and developed in Dectol 1/1 for 2 minutes. I made the body in the print look a little less contrasty and a bit more spotlighted than the digi scan version in the earlier blog entry (the joy of pushed tri-x).

Body awaiting cremation, Kathmandu Nepal 3rd print of 5 made
Here are the steps I followed to make the final print, it was not that difficult a print to produce.

- Basic exposure 72 seconds F5.6 and filter 2 (did one print at filter 1 1/2)
- Burn with card bottom section, curved shape burning +35 seconds spread.
- Burn with hole card under head on ground + 20 seconds spread.
- Burn with mask #1 +70 seconds (mostly burn on white body).
- Burn with mask #2 +35 seconds at F2.8 and filter -1.
- I will bleach, re-fix, hypo clear, tone and archival wash the print in the coming days.