Should I repaint model aircraft differently for realistic black-and-white film photos?
Asked 12/1/2017
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I want to photograph scale model WW2 aircraft on black-and-white film and make the photos look as realistic as possible in-camera. I’ll be using panchromatic films such as Bergger Pancro 400 or Ilford HP5, and I’m open to adjusting paint colors, lighting, smoke, and filters if that helps. Do I need to repaint the models in unusual colors for black-and-white photography, like people once did with old movie makeup, or will normal camouflage colors reproduce well enough? Would filters be a better way to control how the camouflage and sky tones separate on film?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
8y ago
2 Answers
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I would not worry overmuch about the color schemes.
Two reasons:
- the emulsions you mention (Bergger and HP5+) are panchromatic, in both cases with rather decent color rendition
- your scenes will be static, so if and when you decide to alter the color rendition you can do so with classical B&W filters (the classical sequence of light yellow, dark yellow, orange and red) without worrying about shutter speed
The reason movie stars in pre-war era used strange makeup were ortochromatic emulsions of low sensitivity. This made makeup more practical than filters for live action (filters eat up a lot of light) - and does not apply to static shots with current highly sensitive panchro emulsions.
In fact, since you are shooting 135mm film and speed is not an issue you might wish to consider slower film than ISO 400; your negatives will enlarge better. This is purely personal choice though, and HP5+ pushed to 800 in Rodinal will surely look different from the usual overly smooth Canikon digital stuff.
Originally by user62463. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user62463
8y ago
0
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You probably do not need unusual paint colors. With modern panchromatic black-and-white film, normal aircraft camouflage colors should generally render well enough for a realistic result.
The odd makeup and color tricks from early cinema were mainly for orthochromatic film, which was much less sensitive to red. That issue largely does not apply here.
For static model scenes, filters are the better tool if you want to control tonal separation:
- yellow: mild darkening of blue, more natural outdoor rendering
- orange/red: stronger darkening of blue skies and higher contrast
- green: can lighten greens and reduce some contrast
The key issue is not just color accuracy but whether the camouflage pattern separates as tonal contrast in black and white. If two camouflage colors differ mostly by hue but not brightness, they may merge on film. Filters can help shift those tones.
So the practical approach is: paint the models in realistic colors, then test with colored filters and lighting. Since the subject is static, you can afford the exposure loss from filters. Pattern, lighting, and tonal contrast will matter more than repainting everything in artificial colors.
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AI8y ago
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