It looks like I’m on a bit of a streak here when it comes to processing images from studio sessions. This image is going back a number o years but as I mentioned in my previous post, sometimes revisiting the “details” in a simple studio image can be a wonderful thing. If memory serves (seriously, I think this image is at least a decade old at this point) I was using a Mamiya C330 TLR mounted to a tripod. Taking a look at the negative before scanning it I was using Ilford Delta 100 for my film stock. That is a rarity for me as I typically prefer Ilford FP4 when using slower speed films. I couldn’t say now why it is I had some Delta 100 on hand but there you go.
The highlights are a bit blown out on the right side of the frame but I did manage to keep most of the details in the scene intact. All I had with me was a single flood light with a very bright 500 watt bulb in it so I had to point the light at the wall and bounce it back toward the model. I would have preferred an umbrella or a soft box to diffuse it but sometimes the art of photography is about making due with what you have on hand.
Come to think of it, I don’t believe I developed this image in my usual Rodinal either. There was a short period of time when I was developing my film in a community darkroom and all they had on hand was D-76. Taking a hard look at this image actually inspires me to perhaps go back to D-76 for a little while. I’ve always like the sharp yet soft look of D-76, I just hate mixing powders into a working solution. I’m very lazy that way. Maybe I’ll do some research and find a developer with similar attributes that comes in a liquid form.