What did you do photowise today? Shooting, Editing, Thinking...

[LtDave]

it was actually on Saturday (maybe Sunday?) i ordered some Potassium Permanganate, and some Sodium Bisulfate.

im going to try some direct paper reversal photography. looks REALLY simple and the results dont look bad either. ive got paper, and ive got paper developer and ive got water. those others were the only chemicals i didnt have. i couldnt find 2% sulphuric acid. ill have to substitute the Sodium Bisulfate instead...

 

[LtDave]

the local hockey team has NO GAMES this weekend. either home or away so a question was asked on facebook by one of the fan clubs, what everyone had plans to do since there arent any games. (although there are pro-football, pro-hockey, college everything, and the semi-pro league hockey our team is in, games)...

i said my intention (as we all know that good intentions have paved the road to hell, many times over) was to try an develop some of the 2 rolls of 120, 3 rolls of 135, and/or the dozen sheets of 4x5 film that's been sitting waiting, as far back as May of 2023!

 

[StephenM]

As a matter of interest (to me at any rate) how do you develop 5x4 film? I use tanks, normally Combiplan.

 

[LtDave]

As a matter of interest (to me at any rate) how do you develop 5x4 film? I use tanks, normally Combiplan.

years ago in the Air Force we used a sheetmetal tank with film holders that hooked on the top edge to suspend them in the chems.

the first time i did it (since about 1988?) i did them one piece at a time in trays. in the dark.

the second time i did some i used a Yankee daylight developing tank, but didnt care for it because while light tight, it wasnt fluid tight and ended up splashing some chemicals while being a bit aggressive with the agitation.

i picked up a Stearman Press processing kit (looks a lot like a whiskey flask) but i havent used it yet

 

[StephenM]

I've got a Yankee tank. The advantage (of my model anyway) is that it can take 12 sheets. The disadvantage of that advantage is that, when full of developer etc. it's heavy, and the lack of fluid sealing rather limits agitation options.

The Stearman Press is elegant, but there have been three or four designs of the holders since it became available.

If you're interested, I did a write up a few years back which is on my website on different options for sheet film. As I have cameras in 5x7 and 10x8 I covered those sizes.

 

[LtDave]

I've got a Yankee tank. The advantage (of my model anyway) is that it can take 12 sheets. The disadvantage of that advantage is that, when full of developer etc. it's heavy, and the lack of fluid sealing rather limits agitation options.

The Stearman Press is elegant, but there have been three or four designs of the holders since it became available.

If you're interested, I did a write up a few years back which is on my website on different options for sheet film. As I have cameras in 5x7 and 10x8 I covered those sizes.

i remember the Yankee taking a LOT of chemistry. im only buying the Ilfosol-3 (from BHPhotoVideo) in the quart size so even at a 1:9 ratio with water, it still takes quite a bit of developer. i go back and forth between water and using acetic acid stop bath. fixer (since i havent started printing again,yet) i would use for film, then store it in another bottle until i was out of fresh and the used would go in the print trays.

i dont have my darkroom up and running yet because i need to get the plumbing finished. yeah, you dont HAVE to have running water, i just WANT running water. since september of last year, ive had too much on my plate and since June of this year, ive not had a lot of motivation....

hopefully this coming spring?

 

[LtDave]

ive seen things about paper negatives. shoot on photo paper (typically an ASA i mean ISO of 3) then process it like normal and the a) scan and invert the colors/shades or b) use it as the negative on another sheet of paper.

there is ALSO the process of creating paper prints that are reversals. like slide film, they give you what you saw.

shoot an image
develop it in darkness or safelight
stop bath
bleach the image
clearing bath
then back in developer but you can do that in daylight

ive had paper and paper developer for a while now because i had expected to have my darkroom running long ago.

(this is where i say what i did lol)

i bought the chemicals for the bleach (2 part solution of sodium bisulfate and potassium permangenate and then some sodium sulfite for the clearing bath, and got them all in the mail this week so today, i went to the darkroom (as much as ive got finished) and cut some photo paper to fit my 2x3 film holders for my baby Crown Graphic.

maybe ill shoot a picture or 2 this week? maybe itll be another 3-14 months before i get around to them. or maybe ill shoot and then theyll sit for year and a half, before i develop them. like the dozen sheets of 4x5, 2 rolls of 120 and 2 rolls of 135 film i have waiting to be addressed

 

[Levina de Ruijter]

ive seen things about paper negatives. shoot on photo paper (typically an ASA i mean ISO of 3) then process it like normal and the a) scan and invert the colors/shades or b) use it as the negative on another sheet of paper.

there is ALSO the process of creating paper prints that are reversals. like slide film, they give you what you saw.

shoot an image
develop it in darkness or safelight
stop bath
bleach the image
clearing bath
then back in developer but you can do that in daylight

ive had paper and paper developer for a while now because i had expected to have my darkroom running long ago.

(this is where i say what i did lol)

i bought the chemicals for the bleach (2 part solution of sodium bisulfate and potassium permangenate and then some sodium sulfite for the clearing bath, and got them all in the mail this week so today, i went to the darkroom (as much as ive got finished) and cut some photo paper to fit my 2x3 film holders for my baby Crown Graphic.

maybe ill shoot a picture or 2 this week? maybe itll be another 3-14 months before i get around to them. or maybe ill shoot and then theyll sit for year and a half, before i develop them. like the dozen sheets of 4x5, 2 rolls of 120 and 2 rolls of 135 film i have waiting to be addressed

And I thought processing my raw files was a lot of work!

 

[StephenM]

You can use a developing tank in daylight for the processing, and a changing bag to put the paper in it. I'm assuming since you use sheet film and can load paper into a camera or film holder that you have everything you need. Darkroom not necessary.

 

[LtDave]

You can use a developing tank in daylight for the processing, and a changing bag to put the paper in it. I'm assuming since you use sheet film and can load paper into a camera or film holder that you have everything you need. Darkroom not necessary.

Yes I can. The sheets are only 2-1/4x3-1/4 (about 54mmx64mm?) so I could put a couple of sheets in a double reel tank with no problems. There’s actually a BACK that comes with a small tray (4x5, 5x7) that you pull the dark slide, shoot the image, put the dark slide back, place the film holder on the tray (light tight fit) pull a second dark slide that lets the paper fall into the tray, close the second dark slide then pour chemicals in through a light tight port. BAM! Pour out the developer (save for the 2nd use) hit it with stop bath and then you can take the film holder off and watch everything happen in the tray.

I haven’t bought one yet because they’re about $160…

 

[StephenM]

As an alternative:

Vintage Portrait Experience - Little Vintage Photography

Vintage Portrait Experience using a traditional analogue photography technique to create paper negatives using a hand-built Instant 'Afghan' Box Camera

www.littlevintagephotography.co.uk

There are quite a few videos about on this type of camera.

 

[StephenM]

Just adding. I first met Rachel about 8 years ago at a photo show, and at a recent one I was able to examine her camera.

 

[EdC]

it was actually on Saturday (maybe Sunday?) i ordered some Potassium Permanganate, and some Sodium Bisulfate.

im going to try some direct paper reversal photography. looks REALLY simple and the results dont look bad either. ive got paper, and ive got paper developer and ive got water. those others were the only chemicals i didnt have. i couldnt find 2% sulphuric acid. ill have to substitute the Sodium Bisulfate instead...

That is so cool. I haven't done that for so long.

 

[EdC]

the local hockey team has NO GAMES this weekend. either home or away so a question was asked on facebook by one of the fan clubs, what everyone had plans to do since there arent any games. (although there are pro-football, pro-hockey, college everything, and the semi-pro league hockey our team is in, games)...

i said my intention (as we all know that good intentions have paved the road to hell, many times over) was to try an develop some of the 2 rolls of 120, 3 rolls of 135, and/or the dozen sheets of 4x5 film that's been sitting waiting, as far back as May of 2023!

Recent!!!!

 

[LtDave]

here it is! THURSDAY.....

ive had the chemicals for about 3 days now. i THOUGHT about getting my stuff out and shooting a photo or two to start (i loaded the film holders sometime in the past couple of days. no idea what day though) because the sun was going to be out and sunny and shiny. after clearing about 4" of drifty snow last night, i woke up to 6" more of it drifty all over the place so after i came home from work the first thing i did was clear the driveway and sidewalk. dang it....

tomorrow im SUPER JAMMED with getting home (supposed to be MORE snow all day long) but a big big show at the hockey game. first REAL, OFFICIAL, CEREMONIAL number retirement EVER in Port Huron Hockey. the first team (started in 1962 and folded in 1984) has 7 'retired' numbers hanging but none of those players were ever honored at a game, when their number was retired. as head photographer i of course have to be there super early to prep everything and hopefully, ill be able to VET some of the wanna-be photographers who im CERTAIN will try to get involved somehow...