Aren’t sunsets about colour? Black and white is pattern and texture of course but more than that, for me at least, it captures the soul or atmosphere of the scene. I find black and white images are abstractions of reality needing mental interpretation; a monochrome sunset is calmer and a better reflection of the time to reset my mind at the end of the day. Colour is just reality – loud but ordinary. Black is the colour of the coming night, while the setting sun is taking the raucousness of the day behind us with it.
I used my Leica M3 with a Zeiss Planar 50mm lens, red filter, and three years past the expiry date Silvermax. Film was semi-stand developed in Rodinal 100:1 at 15 degrees C and scanned using a Sony A7Rii and Sigma Macro lens. The Silvermax was what happened to be in the camera when we had 5 or 6 days of interesting sunsets – partially clear sky but lots of interesting and different clouds. There is a special developer for Silvermax (which I don’t have but should try sometime); the cold development was part of an experiment trying to reduce grain (results coming later).
All the images shown have a straight line contrast curve – the only adjustment made was nudging the black point close to the start of the histogram. In the featured image the sun is setting behind trees on the horizon.
![Sunset Silvermax Rodinal](https://www.35mmc.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/DSC01055-sunset-3-border-1024x685.jpg)
![Sunset Silvermax Rodinal](https://www.35mmc.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/DSC01058-sunset-3-border-1024x688.jpg)
![Sunset Silvermax Rodinal](https://www.35mmc.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/DSC01046-sunset-2-border-1024x688.jpg)
![Sunset Silvermax Rodinal](https://www.35mmc.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/DSC01042-sunset-1-border-1024x688.jpg)
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Miguel mendez on 5 Frames of Sunsets in Black and White
Comment posted: 16/07/2024
Comment posted: 16/07/2024
Ibraar Hussain on 5 Frames of Sunsets in Black and White
Comment posted: 16/07/2024
Shot beautifully and with very nice prose
How’re you getting on with John Garrett’s book?
Comment posted: 16/07/2024
Comment posted: 16/07/2024
Gary Smith on 5 Frames of Sunsets in Black and White
Comment posted: 16/07/2024
Comment posted: 16/07/2024
Tony Warren on 5 Frames of Sunsets in Black and White
Comment posted: 16/07/2024
Comment posted: 16/07/2024
Comment posted: 16/07/2024
Comment posted: 16/07/2024
Comment posted: 16/07/2024