In this instalment of behind the scenes Endeavour photography you get a look at scenes that were filmed outside and inside the Oxford Union debating chamber. These shots are all from the same roll and the last frame was at the unit base on the last day of filming a couple of weeks later. I’ve photographed quite a lot of events at the Oxford Union so I’m familiar with the interior of the debating chamber and I really enjoyed seeing it completely transformed with lighting and haze lingering in the air. The scene outside where the flour bomb was thrown took a lot of planning and rehearsing. The shots below were with a stunt woman. One of my favourite b&w films to use is Ilford HP5 but to mix things up a bit I decided to use Kodak Tri-X for these shots.
[Tech info:] Rolleiflex 2.8F Zeiss Planar, Kodak Tri-X film @ ISO 800, developed in Kodak HC-110 1+31.
Nasir, love these, especially the one with the flour mid-flight. Really well timed.
Thanks, Nancy. I’m very pleased with how that shot turned out. Peak of the action.
Do you mind explaining your development process? I’ve been struggling with getting good results from HC110 as there are mixed opinions on the development time for dilution B. Kodak suggests 3.75 min for Trix 400. I was wondering what’s your development for this roll. Really love the tones on these scans.
Hey Greg, my most commonly used dilution for HC110 is 1+31. Gentle agitation for the first minute then 10 secs every minute. Nothing special. Keep in mind that not all films work well in HC110.
Hi Nasir, Thanks for your reply! I found your blog and it’s a gem full of beautiful photographs!
Do you recall how long did you develop it in HC110? Did you stick to the recommended time TRIX pdf suggests? “Because of these films’ exposure latitude, you can
underexpose by one stop and use normal processing
times.” ?