A short roll of film can make a gal take a few risks!

That sounds much more serious than I intend. Particularly when it’s cold, I prefer to use 24-frame rolls to the longer 36-frame rolls of film. Aside from it being inhospitable outside, it can shift from day-to-day.

So yesterday when it cleared up (sun! glorious clear January sun!), I decided to load one of the very few 24-frame rolls of film I have left: Astrum FN-64, which like its cousin NK-2SH, is usually pretty darn contrasty.

When I combine that with the ready developers on my shelf being HC-110, Rodinal, and Black, White, and Green (which which I have no times for FN-64), like on January 1, I had all the ingredients for contrast.

And wouldn’t you know? That’s *exactly* what I received.

Unfortunately, in the sunnier frames (more than half), I earned myself highlights that ran away so quickly that I couldn’t even see them on the horizon. Completely obliterated.

When I looked back at my rolls of FN-64 from the past (developed in HC-110 dilution F (1+79) and Rodinal (1+25), respectively), I have had better – but only very slightly. A few even older ones that were lab developed showed a little bit of restraint, but only just.

What I do know is that dilution B is *not* it for someone like me, whose personal preference is for calm, reasonable highlights. Next time, it’s a more dilute, longer development!

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