Switching back to film

[false_aesthetic]

The prints were magical...that's something that you have a hard time conveying to digital gurus, just how amazing large prints from big film can be. I've yet to see that kind of quality from digital, it's been a couple years since I've checked anything out for art photography in galleries/museums and maybe it's gotten a lot better but the museum quality stuff I made all digitally wasn't up to analog printing from big film.

I'll make the same deal with you that I made with Nick Nixon, Frank Gohlke and Abe Morell:
Give me a negative and a print. I'll match it digitally and fool you (behind glass).

I'm 3 for 3 right now.


I just saw Koudelka's show at the Getty. There's gelatin silver from the past 30 years and a few new digital prints (36x100"). The dig prints are sharper and have better tonal separation.

Abe's newest work is shot with a Leaf Aptus mf back (65 megapix IIRC) and printed with the Epson 79/9900 series. They look better than c-prints.

----

You're in VT. Check out Cone Editions in East Topsham. He'll blow your mind with b/w prints.

[Ignignokt]

Ill try to make it up there, is there a gallery there or is it a printer?

[spopepro]

I'll make the same deal with you that I made with Nick Nixon, Frank Gohlke and Abe Morell:
Give me a negative and a print. I'll match it digitally and fool you (behind glass).

I'm 3 for 3 right now.


I just saw Koudelka's show at the Getty. There's gelatin silver from the past 30 years and a few new digital prints (36x100"). The dig prints are sharper and have better tonal separation.

Abe's newest work is shot with a Leaf Aptus mf back (65 megapix IIRC) and printed with the Epson 79/9900 series. They look better than c-prints.

----

You're in VT. Check out Cone Editions in East Topsham. He'll blow your mind with b/w prints.

F-A, I've seen some over-the-top good work also, but it's odd... my favorite color results still come from shooting film, doing an excellent scan, and then a top quality print with something like a PROGRAF on Awagami or Hahnemuhle paper. It's especially satisfying with cross-processed slide film.

[false_aesthetic]

I haven't used Awagami but I'm a huge huge fan of PhotoRag 308. The new Cannon printers are SICK. Huge gammut. Small droplet size.


I don't know if Cone has a gallery but my bud Walker worked with John for a while. I printed my thesis work with their technology and the images looked like 35x47" platinum prints. BOO_YAH!

[sk_tle]

So after a little while dabbling with instant film, I've become interested in film photography lastly and thanks to my lovely partner who went all in finding the perfect gift while she has no idea about photography I ended up with this nice small fixed lens rangefinder for my birthday. I didn't want an SLR, I wanted something with a fixed lens and not too much to worry in term of settings so that I can focus on the instant and the composition. It pretty much works as a camera set in aperture priority mode.


(a thread about photography and I can't even take a picture in focus correctly doh!)

Born in the early 80's, my experience in films is limited to my father letting me take a few shoots on his SLR during holidays, maybe 2 disposables cameras and a Konica Point&Shoot I received at my first communion that I only remember using it for 2 rolls while travelling with school. I am not really interested in discussion about film vs digital. I like digital as well, I just realized that allowing to take as many picture as you want with immediate result kind of makes me lazy about choosing the right pictures/compositions. I'd rather have less pictures but more interest in actually printing them so I hope using film will also help me progress on my digital skills.

I decided on trying out developing at home. I won't print to paper directly as I don't really have the room to have a proper dark room, I'll just develop, scan the negative and print the pictures I like the most from the computer. I bought a second hand patterson tank, a darkroom bag, some opaque bottles for chemicals, a cinestill CS41 chemical kit that came in bags as powder that I prepared yesterday, a dark room bag, dedicated plastic box, jars and funnels and some supplies to protect my eyes and hands. I've read a number of tutorials, the cinestill instructions as well as watched a few videos. I'll focus on 35mm color for now, will probably switch to B&W when my chemicals are too old to be reused. Who knows if I enjoy the process I might dabble into 120mm film and 6x7 or 6x9 format in the future. But I will make sure first it is not just a temporary hobby for me. I don't want to plunge into Gear Aquisition Syndrome.

I've already shot 2 rolls with the Yashica as well as 2 rolls from a disposable camera (yes the Kodak funsaver can be reused if done carefully). So the idea is to process my first few rolls tomorrow, starting with the ones used with the disposable as I expect struggling a bit to mount the first rolls into the patterson tank spirals blindly in the darkroom bag. I must admit I am anxious to know if my 50y old Yashica has any leak. My understanding is that time and temperating control is very important so I have a thermometer and I simulated maintaining a 39celsius degree water bath for the chemicals and tank by putting the plastic box filled with hot water on top of a large saucepan with hot water and swapping cold/hot water when temperature is going up or down. It is a bit finicky and a sous-vide cooker would do a better job but I managed to maintain a steady temperature for an hour or so. I initially planned on rolling gently the patterson while it is floating in the water tank to do like the bigger Jobo processing systems but found out I get water entry so it might be better to do the traditionnal way of keeping the tank still with the lid out of the water and agitating every 30s.



Any advice?

[steve garro]

10463740_906982355986652_8817390862323814114_o.jpg10896239_906982252653329_6958753444970605615_o.jpg10818260_906982609319960_5803425640146388430_o.jpg

I've been downloading slides I took in Peru in '04 and the Fujichrome Velvia POPS

- Garro.

[sk_tle]

I've been downloading slides I took in Peru in '04 and the Fujichrome Velvia POPS

- Garro.

Nice pics and a beautiful country, thanks for sharing.

[Bobonli]

So after a little while dabbling with instant film, I've become interested in film photography lastly and thanks to my lovely partner who went all in finding the perfect gift while she has no idea about photography I ended up with this nice small fixed lens rangefinder for my birthday. I didn't want an SLR, I wanted something with a fixed lens and not too much to worry in term of settings so that I can focus on the instant and the composition. It pretty much works as a camera set in aperture priority mode.


(a thread about photography and I can't even take a picture in focus correctly doh!)

Born in the early 80's, my experience in films is limited to my father letting me take a few shoots on his SLR during holidays, maybe 2 disposables cameras and a Konica Point&Shoot I received at my first communion that I only remember using it for 2 rolls while travelling with school. I am not really interested in discussion about film vs digital. I like digital as well, I just realized that allowing to take as many picture as you want with immediate result kind of makes me lazy about choosing the right pictures/compositions. I'd rather have less pictures but more interest in actually printing them so I hope using film will also help me progress on my digital skills.

I decided on trying out developing at home. I won't print to paper directly as I don't really have the room to have a proper dark room, I'll just develop, scan the negative and print the pictures I like the most from the computer. I bought a second hand patterson tank, a darkroom bag, some opaque bottles for chemicals, a cinestill CS41 chemical kit that came in bags as powder that I prepared yesterday, a dark room bag, dedicated plastic box, jars and funnels and some supplies to protect my eyes and hands. I've read a number of tutorials, the cinestill instructions as well as watched a few videos. I'll focus on 35mm color for now, will probably switch to B&W when my chemicals are too old to be reused. Who knows if I enjoy the process I might dabble into 120mm film and 6x7 or 6x9 format in the future. But I will make sure first it is not just a temporary hobby for me. I don't want to plunge into Gear Aquisition Syndrome.

I've already shot 2 rolls with the Yashica as well as 2 rolls from a disposable camera (yes the Kodak funsaver can be reused if done carefully). So the idea is to process my first few rolls tomorrow, starting with the ones used with the disposable as I expect struggling a bit to mount the first rolls into the patterson tank spirals blindly in the darkroom bag. I must admit I am anxious to know if my 50y old Yashica has any leak. My understanding is that time and temperating control is very important so I have a thermometer and I simulated maintaining a 39celsius degree water bath for the chemicals and tank by putting the plastic box filled with hot water on top of a large saucepan with hot water and swapping cold/hot water when temperature is going up or down. It is a bit finicky and a sous-vide cooker would do a better job but I managed to maintain a steady temperature for an hour or so. I initially planned on rolling gently the patterson while it is floating in the water tank to do like the bigger Jobo processing systems but found out I get water entry so it might be better to do the traditionnal way of keeping the tank still with the lid out of the water and agitating every 30s.



Any advice?

Welcome back. I pretty much abandoned digital (except for phone pics) about 2 years ago. Had a box of Nikons dating back to the 80s and decided to develop my own. I took a 2 hour class to refresh my memory and then dove in. I find it very therapeutic to be focused on the process, much like learning a new recipe. Honestly, sometimes the developing is more rewarding than the images! Last winter I took a printing class from the same people. I'd strongly suggest taking a class in a real darkroom; usually there's a community darkroom or school lab somewhere offering a class. It's worth the time and money to learn to do it properly from someone who does it regularly. You tube will get you 80% of the way but the last 20 can be shaved-off with a class.

I only do B&W but I handle temp control as if I were giving a blood transfusion! I'm fortunate, my tap water is usually +/- 2 degrees of 20Celcius. So I either add an ice cube to cool it, or warm 30ml of water in the microwave before mixing everything. Contrary to what people say, a degree here or there isn't going to completely ruin the film. I use a Patterson tank and agitate by hand. DO WATCH the YT videos on how to seal the lid; otherwise, it leaks. Time is critical too. Whatever you do with the timer, make sure you're consistent when you start and stop it. I start as soon as I finish adding the chems, and start emptying a few seconds before the timer ends.

Check out Ribsy on Youtube. He does C41 in a Patterson/Jobo without the rolling in his NYC apartment. He even prints in the bathroom. The GAS is real. Two days after I developed my first roll of 35mm, I thought "This would be really nice with medium format film" and I bought an old Rolleicord 6x6. I much prefer the square format, can't believe it took me this long to discover it.

[j44ke]

The Patterson uses plastic reels and in a dark bag the humidity created by your hands can make the film stick winding onto the reels. If you can find any Hewes or Kindermann reels (often sold as other brands, like Nikon etc.) and tanks, those are stainless steel and less prone to stickiness. Plus you wind the Hewes metal reels from the center outwards, rather than the Patterson reels which wind the film into the the center from the outer edge.The metal tanks are also better at adjusting to water bath temp and easier to clean completely. If you use the same tanks for developing color and b&w cleaning 100% will be important.

Agitation is very important. You aren't shaking a mixed drink. Just inverting while rolling your wrist so that the tank turns and twists, preventing the solution inside from creating any standing waves of chemistry that will create uneven development. This is especially important with 120 film. You usually only need to do 2-3 inversion to agitate enough.

You can get metal tanks that have a metal top, but the good plastic tops seal better as long as they are in good condition. The small tanks that take 2 reels (and thus two rolls of 35mm film) at a time are best to start with. Smaller volume of chemicals etc.

[robin3mj]

I have an Olympus XA2 that I run a few rolls a year through. Recently printed a photo from that camera I took at Joshua Tree at 60x36” and it came out great. Not museum quality obviously but it has a character to it.

Also had a waterproof Nikonos for a couple years and loved that one but wasn’t using it enough to justify keeping it versus selling to someone who could do it more justice. My aging GoPro fits that role well enough with the kids and the beach etc.

Pentax is releasing a half frame, fixed lens film camera this year. I’m excited to see what it looks like.

[sk_tle]

So I processed 3 rolls, I think successfully by looking at the negatives as I can easily recognize my daughters and places I took pictures of. Now I need to come up with a decent setup to scan them. I love the irony of digitizing negatives with a DSLR or a smartphone.

[j44ke]

So I processed 3 rolls, I think successfully by looking at the negatives as I can easily recognize my daughters and places I took pictures of. Now I need to come up with a decent setup to scan them. I love the irony of digitizing negatives with a DSLR or a smartphone.

My sister-in-law does the reverse sort of. She shoots photographs digitally, then runs them through Photoshop and prints them out on large sheets of transparent medium. Then she contact prints them in glass frames outside as cyanotypes or using other historical processes.



http://alyssasalomon.com

[sk_tle]

I am interested to dabbling into paper later but right now I don't have space for a dedicated dark room. We are considering relocating because one bathroom won't be sustainable with so many female human beings at home but I won't start looking before end of the year so I'll just wait for that.

[rwsaunders]

My youngest had been dabbling with 1/2 frame film and disposable film cameras so as a surprise around Christmas, I picked up a nearly new, Minolta X-700 with a Minolta 45mm Rokkor lens for about $175 from an eBay seller in Japan. He’s been having a lot of fun with it and it’s interesting to observe a 24yo robotics engineer working with a tool “that doesn’t demonstrate an instant result” as he stated. Thanks Jorn for the help.

http://www.fogdog-photography.com/fo...-minolta-x-700

[j44ke]

I am interested to dabbling into paper later but right now I don't have space for a dedicated dark room. We are considering relocating because one bathroom won't be sustainable with so many female human beings at home but I won't start looking before end of the year so I'll just wait for that.

One thing nice about cyanotype is that you don't need a dark room to print (though you do need a darkened area to coat the paper - so just do that at night.) Just a frame with glass over it to hold the negative and paper flat together and then expose in the sun. Then you can tone and fix (water) or just fix in a plastic wash tray. Hang to dry. Or paper tape the edges on a board to stretch and dry flat.

Kids can do it.