Saturday, January 11, 2014

Beauty Behind The Storm

So, I have ten rolls of film I never got around to developing before. So a couple hours ago I go upstairs to load a couple rolls onto spools so I won't have to when I decide to process them.  Well, I went this far...

So I says to myself, let's just do it.  Now, mind you, I have never successfully loaded a roll of 135 in my life. Tonight I nailed it. Glad I did. A roll of 120 as well.  TMY-2, T-Max 400, both rolls.  I mix up some chems, the dev was HC110, dil B.  I decide to give N+1 due to the age of the film.  I soup the 120 first. A couple frames of my brother burning stuff at Mom and Dad's and some landscape from Prime Hook, typical stuff for me.

Then I soup the 35mm. I inspect the negs. Only about ten frames. I see it is, again landscapes. But I can't place it. I see the last frame. Bright and blurry in the center. Hmm, that almost has to be running water...

Faith died April 2011. In October that year, I almost talk myself out of going to meet fellow APUGer Lee from Dayton for a photo hike. My brother invites himself along. Now I gotta go. I was having a very bad few days and shortly thereafter is when I decide to put the cameras down.

Yeah, I just processed the Rickett's Glen negs. I can hardly wait to see the beauty that came from a very bad day for me.  I would pull an all nighter right now to print and see the images. That's what the 12 year old in me is screaming for.

Well, sometimes the 44 year old wins.  I'll post some pics when I get them.

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Project: Dachau

A customer of mine and I spoke a couple of years ago about printing some enlargements from some negatives made by his wife's uncle in Europe in the 40's. He was attached to the forces who first entered the Dachau camp in Poland, IIRC. He warned me that some of the subject matter is on the graphic side, documentary in nature, but bald, no sugar coating.

Today he was in and I broached the subject of photography. He asked if I could work with old negatives. I asked if he meant the Dachau negs. Then he remembered we had talked. He will be bringing in the negs and I will make some contact prints so he can see what there is and how, if at all, he might wish to proceed, you know, what to do with them.

I remember when we had first spoken that the scope of what I had agreed to hit me. The enormity of what could be and the respect with which I needed to approach the subject matter were and still are foremost in my mind.  I do not doubt I can do the negatives justice. I look forward to the work.  And I will definitely keep updates here as they come to me.

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Squaring Shadow Up and Film Holder Notching System

Well, the Calumet showed up at the store in the post this past Monday.  It's beautiful. I know the camera's name was going to be Ellie. That changed. I'll touch on that below. At any rate, I'm going to have the shutter CLA'd in a mo. That's how the magic happens.h or two. Works fine, just has some serious lag at 1/2 and one full second. The camera moves smoothly. The Schneider Kreuznach Symmar  f/5.6 180mm lens has some minor dust. So, I have me some cleaning to do.

I got the camera from Barry Dial of Bennington, NH. He is a fellow APUGer (WWW.apug.com) and really hooked me up with this deal.  About $700.00 of camera and glass for $300.00.

So, I have spent today watching my son's gift to me, Duck Dynasty Season 1, and taking care of some loose ends. I have been making my exposure log sheets, more on that later. Also, I have been notching my film holders. Here's how I do it. On the bottom of the holder is an edge the folds out when you remove the darkslide so you can put the film in.

Here's what I do. The film notches go on the bottom left. On the bottom right I measure over a quarter inch and cut in a notch where light will pass through it and expose the film further up from the edge so you can see these notches on the negative. Then I put a series of notches inside of that marker notch that is on each holder. Each notch, depending on its location in relation to the marker, indicates a numeric value to 'number' the holder. A notch 1/4" left of the marker denotes '1'. 1/2" to the left is a '2'. 3/4" is a '4'. 1" is an '8' and so on.  Holder number 1 has the first notch cut out. Holder number 6 has the second and third notch cut out, leaving the first one blank. The second notch is '2' and the third one is a '4'. 2+4=6. Holder number 13 will have the first, third and fourth notches cut leaving number two blank. 1+4+8=13.

Mostly, just enjoying quiet day after this holiday season. Today is Dad's birthday. He died last March from dymensia. So, it's just a nice day to bum around and do what I want to for the day. Hope you have had a great holiday. Keep on clickin'.


Oh, and why did i name it Shadow? Brought home the camera Monday night after work and found myself singing 'Me and my shadow...'