Missing Light

4:45 in the mountains of Western PA.  Sun is setting casting beautiful long shadows showing promise of a nice little getaway to make a few pictures.  As soon as I hop in the car to find some trees to shoot, a storm blows in and ruins it all...  I found myself on a snowmobile trail, carrying my backpack of gear in the flat, grey, and dull light that I was left with.

Well I had told myself to make a photo so I did.  Mostly to try a new method of processing 4x5 myself, because the cost of doing so with the lab is too high...  It turned out well - the scene was pretty flat light-wise.  The processing test was pretty successful - almost as successful as my experience with 120 and 35mm.

Also - I am working with a new UV printer that I built for Platinum/Palladium and Van Dyke Brown prints.  That's all at my studio - so I will have to update more on that when I am there later this week.  The Van Dykes are pretty good - a little faded (I think 2 coats of sensitizer will do the trick), but after printing custom negatives I am pretty excited about being able to produce these for the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts.

Heres' the flat-light tree:

Ilford Delta 100 @ 100.  around 1/30 sec.  Ilfosol 3 1+9 for 6 mins.