Some very nice pics uploaded by mcrtchly, taken around 1981 :thumbsup:

🔗Longrake-Calcite-Calcite-Mine-Archive-Album-Image-30968[linkphoto]Longrake-Calcite-Calcite-Mine-Archive-Album-Image-30968[/linkphoto][/link]

🔗Longrake-Calcite-Calcite-Mine-Archive-Album-Image-31101[linkphoto]Longrake-Calcite-Calcite-Mine-Archive-Album-Image-31101[/linkphoto][/link]

🔗Longrake-Calcite-Calcite-Mine-Archive-Album-Image-31100[linkphoto]Longrake-Calcite-Calcite-Mine-Archive-Album-Image-31100[/linkphoto][/link]

🔗Longrake-Calcite-Calcite-Mine-Archive-Album-Image-31102[linkphoto]Longrake-Calcite-Calcite-Mine-Archive-Album-Image-31102[/linkphoto][/link]

It's nice to be reminded that good underground photography is not an invention of the digital age and that it's certainly not dependent on high-tech lighting - although I'd be fascinated to know what was used to light them!

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Good indeed, considering these were taken in the days before digital cameras and you only knew how the shots had turned out once you developed the film. Well done Martin. :thumbup:

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Thanks for Vanoord's and Sharron's kind comments on my photographs.

The photos were taken with a Practica manual SLR and a 35mm lens. The film was Ilford XP1 B&W which had a good dynamic range and could easily be pushed (it was a dye based film like colour films). In fact the good dynamic range allowed a useable photo to be taken even in poor lighting conditions. The illumination used was just an electronic flash gun or two but with multiple flashes whilst the shutter was on brief. The main downside of XP1 was low contrast. In the pictures I upload I scanned either prints or from the original negatives and did a bit of contrast enhancement in photoshop. Of course they look a bit grainy compared to modern digital cameras but I guess it adds to the 'old time' look.

Manual SLR's were very well suited to wet and muddy underground conditions (unlike digital cameras; two of which I have had die or go faulty due to damp conditions). The problem with film cameras was though that you never knew how the shot might turn out until you developed the film maybe several days later.

after the pics were taken, it was exciting to go to the chemist to see what you had got, many is the time all I got was ghosting, well done Martin, :thumbsup: also good you still have the old b&w stuff.

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Nice photographs Martin, well done.

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Agreed, genuinely excellent photographs, and I've got a lot of respect for anybody who can produce results like these on film. Takes a lot of experience to get the lighting spot on and not recourse to deleting the file and starting again.

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