Break It Down Bob!

[brighteyesphotos]

He's a black man who rides his bike all over downtown and stops at random places and dances when something good comes over his walkman/mp3/ipod/whatever it is he uses. I wish he would've worn something different this day. This picture has been giving me fits in the darkroom. If I print for his face (he is probably the blackest man I've seen), his jacket becomes a white blob. If I print for his jacket, I lose all detail in his face. And burning/dodging thus far has not produced any results that I like.

The grainy effect is on purpose. And it's scanned from the negative. I'm just waiting for him to come back to that bench so I can try again.

I think I'm gonna try a different frame to print tonight.

 

[cal_gundert05]

I like the extreme contrast. Great composition, too.

 

[Efergoh]

I like the contrast too, but the #5 filter is my best friend, so...

Since it is just his face that is giving you fits, print for the jacket, then before you put it in the developer (before you take it out of the enlarger, even), put a spot of rubber cement on the paper where his face would be, then develop, stop, and fix like you normally would, then remove the rubber cement, and put the paper back into a weakened developer, and watch the face for the tone you want, then refix the paper.