Here is a test image that I shot this afternoon with a huge dynamic range … it was 5 degrees Fahrenheit- but anything for art! The image was made with my Rollei TLR on Fuji Acros at box speed, processed in Caffenol C. So, what do I see?… a very nice range of tones, very sharp and nicely defined grain. The dark barn boards were metered for Zone 3 and the white patch of snow in the background fell around Zone 9.5 and yes there is tone… the sky in between the branches is a Zone 7.5. Overall I am very happy with the results and the level of control this unconventional developer provided for such a difficult shot. The scan was done on my Imacon… in Photoshop I did some standard black point and white point adjustments as well as a bit of a boost to contrast but not much more. The negative has very much a Diafine quality with regards to the required photoshop “S” curve to increase contrast and is very neutral in that it could easily be adjust to many different visual qualities. Interesting…
This detail crop would be from a 30″ x 30″ print and would represent a 4″ x 4″ area. Do you see the bent nail?… not bad for Coffee!
More soon…. Viva la Revolution!
Figital Revolution 
How long was the development times for this?
I am still tweaking… stay tuned.
I’m following for those initial dev times as well. As they say, “way cool”!
Is this your standard test shot for 120 film? Also, this technique is so awesome, It’s giving me the push I needed to get into developing my own film.
This is my standard test shot for all films as it is really difficult to capture. I agree that the process is really quite nice, esp for scanning… I am currently writing a book on Caffenol C and techniques / tips on scanning and printing these negatives which I hope will be out in a month or two… The Photographers Coffee Break… stay tuned.
Cheers-
Stephen
Completely random question (and possibly dumb) but after looking at the formula for Caffenol, does the 8oz water make 8oz of developer? My stainless tank holds 15-16oz for 120 or 2×135, so do I need to double the recipe? I’m just getting into home developing and really want to try this out on some C-41 films that I way over-exposed by accident to maybe see if I can recover some of the image.
Yes, the smaller measurement is for a sing 35mm, for 120 just double for for 2 rolls of 120 x4.
Hi Stephen! Happy New year!
Great shots and great processing! I bought Michael Axel’s book on stand development and found that the big mistake in the book was lack of editing and a non-technical user perspective.
I am offering to do that, I used to edit a lot of technical copy back in the early web/HiTech days, and I am not asking for money or credit. Just think it would be fun. Email me and maybe, if you wish, we can talk on the phone.
I will keep you posted!
How goes the book? Hope it is ready for release soon!
Marek