rob_pietri5

Check Ebay. I've seen that model there, though you may have to buy a complete camera. Still, good for spare parts.

Just a few suggestions. Check to see what your home owners policy covers and also your car insurance. Theft, fire, accident, may be covered on your equipment under some circumstances. Their are several other lesser known, but still reputable companies that will write a "Floaters insurance" policy that will cover your equipment. A good independent agent, agency should have several companies to consider. Call around and see what they have to offer.

 

Insurance companies are getting very selective these days because of fraud, excessive claims. Be honest with what you own, costs, and what you use it for.

I took the basics in college as an elective which required 35mm. After graduation, I went right into 4x5 but have never gone any larger and why bother. With modern materials, know how, you can get fine grain, extreme detail in 16x20 enlargements from 4x5 negs.

 

But for learning, I recommend selecting one format, preferably 4x5, one film, one developer, one paper and so on. The purpose is to learn the basics, a standard, know it forwards and backwards so that you can accomplish and perfect the most important part of taking pictures, that is seeing! The ability to interpret the subject infront of the lens and translate what you see and feel into the final product that hangs on the wall for who ever wants to look at it. Being able to do that sucessfully requires complete, intuitive control of the technique.

 

As far as I'm concerned, there is really only one format, that is the rectangular format. There has been more subject matter packed, stuffed, carressed, lovingly placed within those four walls then any other form in the history of art. As simple as it may sound, I believe it is true. From paintings, to photographs, to all works on paper, publications, tapestries, the rectangle is the basic format.

 

In photography, that rectangle can take on the various dimensions from 35mm to whatever. Which selects which varies. I would think most select the format they intend to work with for a particular shooting sesson before hand and work the subject, compose it into that format. There is also the situation where a particular subject will work best with a particular format. Some subjects need a square format, vs 4x5, vs panoramic. For fast shooting, moving subjects, a motor driven 35mm is the camera of choice. Hand helds from 35mm, to square, to 6x7, take your pick. Smaller formats will give more depth of field, different perspectives because they use shorter lenses.

 

What counts is the final result as has been previously stated. When you look at the finished product, has the artist been sucessful? If he has, the format, technique will fade away and the visual impact is all that will be on the viewers mind.

New Jersey, What's left? Not much. Where there was once open farm land is now condos, strip malls and strip bars. The Garden State is a misnomer. It is really the City State, Gridlock State, Mafia State.

 

Peters Valley is very nice and you are right in the middle of the nicest spots left. Except for the shrinking Pine Barrens. Lebanon State Forest is very nice and so is Batsto Village, both in Burlington County. The shore is one big condo complex. You might visit Asbury Park, of Springstein fame off the Garden State Parkway.

 

Buttermilk Falls is only a few miles from the Craft Center. There is also Stokes State Forest, Tillmans Ravine, Van Campen Glen. These are places with waterfalls, mature trees, mossey rocks. All within a few miles of where you are. However, with the drought, Buttermilk may not be as impressive as it should, a 100ft falls, best shot early am or pm, no sun.

Just some quick thoughts. If you are really serious, then LF is the only way to go ahead of MF. Get the best lenses availale, even if it means buying 2 or 3. Buy a spot meter, preferably a Pentax. Learn the Zone System. One book to get is "The Zone VI Workshop" by Fred Picker, AA series is also excellant. You can buy a meduim format, roll film back if you need to conserve on cash.

 

The point is, to become a professional photographer, especially Architeucural Photography, you have to learn the craft, the fundamentals of photography. You cannot just go out with a camera and expect to learn on the job. LF forces you to learn composition, perspective, how to see and interprete, complete control of the medium which are vital.

It is not recommended to use daylight film for exposures over one second on interior photography work. Use the tungston film, buy the filters so you will have them next time. Their also may be some tungston fixtures, ambient light in the mix.

 

Architectural photography is not a fast job. It is highly specialized. Builders, designers sink millions into their projects and they deserve to be photographed properly. There are several books written by Norman McGrath, a world renouned architectural photographer, that have good info on filtration. It is worth reading and using it as reference.

 

You can also take the time to do some testing with a color key, and various filters in the rooms you are photographing. Keep records so you will know next time.

STOP THE GUESS WORK!

 

You are going about this all wrong. Forget about what others development times are. The manufacturer provides guides, start there. What you need to do, is standardized tests for exposure and film development. If you do not have a spot meter, get one and learn the Zone system. The book to get to start is "The Zone VI Workshop" by Fred Picker. It is a short, bare bones basic start. It has specific proceedures for determining your personal film speed for you meter and camera. Also a proceedure for processing film, your film development time that coordinates with your enlarger system. Follow them and keep careful records of your results.

 

If you like the drum for developing that's fine. So long as you learn to use it properly, rotates in both directions. I personally use HP combi tanks, one tank for each step. The book recommends tray development but it leads to uneven development.

 

The point is to standardize and "gain control" of your technique so that you do not have to guess. Control is the key to creativity so that you know exactly what you are doing. So that when you are shooting, you can concentrate on the composition, lighting, all the elements infront of the lens, to say what you want to say. Take the time to read and follow the book. It is not rocket science, but a recipe for obtaining properly exposed and developed negatives.

Was your fixer fresh, or exhausted? You can try first soaking in water, then refixing in fresh fixer. Then rewash to archival standards. Dont't forget the photoflo rinse for at the very least, 1 minute.

All my sinks I have ever owned have been homemade from exterior plywood and resin. First by my father, then me. We never used any caulk what so ever. The constant exposure of chemicals will quickly deteriorate the caulk, no matter what the duration rating of the caulk. The best thing to do is to disconnect the plumbing, drain, faucets so that the sink can be moved. If you can tilt the sink so to angel it so that the resin will flow into the crack and harden, that is the way to go. If not, take it outside and work with it there. Take a scraper, putty knife and remove all loose resin, then sand the area to be repaired. Make sure the wood has had plenty of time to dry. If not, the repair will not hold. Repairing the sink with resin is like repairing a dinged surfboard.

 

Homemade sinks are easy to make to any specification you desire. If you are a semiskilled carpenter, it can be done. Hint, use flexable hosing bought in pool supply stores as a drain pipe instead of a regular drain pipe. Easy to flex into a trap drain in any direction.

There is nothing wrong with using a film holder to coordinate the position of the sheet and projected image. Make sure the emulsion side is up, meaning the grooves are on the upper right when loading the sheet into the film holder. You should also make four exposures and bracket them. Then give normal plus 2 development to all the sheets to increase the contrast. Do a contact sheet of the four sheets for minimum exposure for maximum black on the borders. The sheet that looks the best is the one to print. Then, take careful notes of your proceedure; enlarger height, lens aperature, focus, exposure, film, development and time, etc. That way you can repeat the proceedure for all you slides.

 

Hope this helps.

Subject: Response to Kodak Advertisement

 

This is probably a general consumer ad and not geared for professionals. These consumer ads always have some clear crisp image, probably shot by a professional, which is beyond the capabilities of your average amateur consumer. However, freezing a kid in mid air with ISO of 100 is not that difficult. I shoot mostly Fuji Velvia that is rated at 50, with a basic exposure of f/11 at 1/60th in bright sun light.

 

A film speed of 100 is twice as fast. So the exposure could of been f/8 at 1/250th of second. Without seeing the image, it was probably shot with a wide angel lens, 28mm or 35mm lens for 35mm camera. So an aperature of f/8 would give plenty of depth of field.

 

National Geographic photographers shoot mostly 35mm anyway and so do many noted nature photographers. Art Wolfe comes to mind.

Yup, make your own. Head over to a fabric store and see what they have. Make it a heavy duty fabric, two colors, black on one side, white on the other. Treat it with Scotchguard or other water proofing. The elastic sounds like a great idea. I sewed a heavy duty zipper at one end to zip it up around the camera so it does not slide off while working.

 

Hope this helps!

GREAT THREAD! I enjoyed reading all the posts!

I use a Sinar F all the time. The rear element has just about all the movements I need, especially the shifts. They are great for framing. It weighs as much as some flat beds, Weisners and Zone VI. Packing it into mt Tamrac backpack camer bag takes a little doing. But I fit the camera (disassembled) 4 lenses, film holders, meter, filters, etc and off I go. What is important is not to get too caught up in equipment. You should decide on one camera and use it exclusiively so you can use it intuitively, second nature, so to concentrate on taking pictures.

I made a bag bellows for my old Omega enlarger out of some naugahyde. Dyed it black and fitted it to the enlarger. It is better then the old accordian bellows in that there is more space inside for ambient light to be absorbed. You might try this approach instead of making an accordian bellows for your camera. I use a bag bellows on my Sinar F most of the time for the same reasons. It also makes for easier movements.

AA not abstract? Photography not abstract? Well, Adams did not consider himself an abstractionist. When asked about his photography and Zen, he stated, "I practice Zone not Zen." But when you consider, taking what is precieved in real life, a 3 dimensional, full color reality, and interpreting, transforming it onto a two dimensional plane and in black and white, requires at least, some abstract interpretation.

 

In my readings of AA, his autobiography, he never attended college, I don't think he ever got a high school diploma. I never heard of him ever taking any art courses. Yet his interpretations and compositions are as melodic, rythmic, flowing, expressive as any ever produced. He was trained to be a concert pianist, which in itself requires the understanding of abstract concepts. That type of musical personality, screams, cries, flows, emminates from his works like a piece of classical music, as varied in his images as there are pieces of music and composers. He had the uncanny ability to read the subject before him. Like sheet music, not only to see in his minds eye, but hear in his minds ear, the emotions from what was presented before him. Then transfer that music to the finished print. Many composers used the sounds and sights of nature as the basis for their great compositions. Adams produced visual images, rather then sound images.

 

These ablities are something that cannot readily be taught. You either have it or you don't. Much like artistic abilities, you can only teach a person so much. To be truly unique, you either have that ability or you don't. Open your eyes, and hear the music.

This is the second time I will post. The first time never made it! First I want to say thanks for the link and the comment!

 

I attended the AA retro at MOMA back in the 70's that was also curated by Szarkowski. It was the first time I had ever seen fine prints of anyone and it was mesmerizing. It consisted primarily of AA's most noted and popular images, most printed high key, which I prefer. They were mostly of the larger sizes. Prints of the same negative done at different times of AA's life were hung together to show the changes and evolution of AA's creativity and craft. This was the first time this was ever done. The book "Yosemite and the Range of Light" came from the show.

 

I also attended the Szarkowski lecture. The concluding statement was what I remember the best, that essentially said, Now we can all go home, to dinner, or for drinks to discuss what we have just seen and heard. Essentially saying this is all find and good, but don't let it consume you.

 

AA at 100 is pretty much a different approach by Szarkowski, concentrating mostly on images that may be considered AA's seconds, rejects, images not widely known, printed in AA's earlier days, with some of his more popular images and style interspersed.

 

One of the things that strike me is comparing my own prints with AA's at comparable age and stage of development and I think, wow, some of mine are better then his! HOW ARROGANT OF ME! No not really, because so are many other photographers prints. It says to me that AA had his phases, stages of development like so many others afterwards. That maybe he should not be idolized to the extent he is.

 

To me, AA is the father of modern photography along with Stieglitz. Stieglitz identified it, and Adams defined it. AA's contribution of writings, textbooks, zone system, how to see, previsualize what you see and feel and translate it into the finished product is the foundation we all work and build on. That contribution can never be surpassed. AA was a true genius in that he realized that he is only a link in the chain. He encouraged, taught those who follow to build and improve on what he built. AA as great as he was, is not the epitome of landscape photography, the final say. If that were the case, why bother, we should all just hand up our tripods.

Your comments and thoughts on this matter are completely repulsive and grossly insensitive! It is obvious you have absolutly no idea the horrors, the stench, the insane tragedies that are completely indescribable during that event and the days and months afterwards! Sir, I strongly recommend you recant your question and post an apology!

I havn't decided.

Just a post script. I had an exhibition years ago. One peice was of a

chunk of snow and ice, taken on a frozen salt marsh. My aunt, who I

dearly love, but has absolutly no artistic perception, at least none

that I could see, said that the photograph reminded her of a HUGE

PIECE of lemon merangue pie! Now the form of the ice is triangular,

the configuration of a piece of pie, and I LOVE LEMON MERANGUE PIE!

(any correlation to Weston's peppers, did he enjoy stuffed peppers?)

 

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The morals of the story, when contemplating modernism, the meaning of

art, remember to have a good meal and good drink before hand.

I have not, as of yet had that problem, at least not that I know of.

At least you were able to find out and get the evidence. Sounds to me

like pure thievery. Though in this day and age of Enron, Global

Crossing, pedophilic clergy, mafia mentality catch me if you can,

it's a wonder anybody can stay in business.

 

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The general perception of photographers is that they are push overs,

starving for work, that it is a buyers market, plenty of starving

artists who will give away their work for exposure. Plus the many

stock houses dictating conditions, prices. If you had not seen it for

yourself, you probably never would have found out.

 

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Perhaps you should contact the company directly and see what their

attitude is. Explain your situation, copy right laws, how they apply

to their situation. See how willing they are to pay for the usage.

Charge them at first for what you would normally charge. If they

balk, do not back down, they are in the wrong. Be firm and stick to

your guns. If you negotiate in good faith, they may realize they are

on shakey ground and pay you and give you work in the future. If they

remain stiff necked, call a lawyer and sue.

 

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Remember,copyrights do not have to be nationally registered for

copyright laws to apply.

I WOULD LOVE SOME PANATOMIC X!! Can you still get some frx-22

developer?? You know, with all this debate between digital vs film vs

tonality vs charataristic curves (Brittany Spears has some character,

still trying to figure out if her naval is 1 or 2 stories high in

Time Square NYC).

 

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What I think should happen is let digital go where it wants. But film

makers like Kodak, Ilford, Agfa should do extensive research into the

BEST EVER black and white film for slow, medium and fast films,

select the three best in regards to tonality, latitude, finest grain,

sharpest etc, etc, etc. Then produce only those three to the highest

possible standards. The same with papers.

 

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I don't know, would ya??

Or Clara Bell the mule. HHHEEEEEHHHAAAWWWW!!!!!

It would seem Stevie is mostly referring to big budget, sci-fi,

special effects flicks where digital has definitly made for some

exciting effects; Spiderman swinging through Manhatten, Jedi's

jumping, flying, weilding light sabers, even the flying sequences

from Hook with Robin Williams are a far cry from Chris Reves in

Superman.

 

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But even in these fun to watch, slick as buttered popcorn flicks, the

digital applies mostly to the great action special effects that only

last a few seconds to minutes. However, filming and entire big buget

flick in digital will happen.

 

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As for us minority maniacs running around with antiquated cameras may

go the way of the Box Brownie. But when film became ubiquitous, some

thought paints and canvas would vanish. Even if Kodak discontinuous

film, there will be other companies like Ilford, Berger, Agfa, or not

yet formed to carry the ball.

I used to do trays but switched to tanks. If you really want to use

trays, make sure to use an over sized tray, 5x7 trays for 4x5 negs.

They have to have grooves in the bottoms so you can get underneath

each sheet with your fingers. You also have to shuffle them fast

enough to keep the developer fresh, between the sheets. The amount of

space between each sheet is minimal and that developer will exhaust

faster then you think. Also, the volume of chemestry has to be deep

enough to keep each sheet properly suspended.

 

<p>

 

Here's an experiment. Set up a blank smooth card, like a neutral gray

card or a mounting board, on the side of your house, in open shade.

Set up your 4x5 camera so the card fills the frame, and is out of

focus. Make 6 exposures for zones 2 through 7. Then develope them

normally in trays. When I did this, the negatives were not evenly

developed with the greater density at the center of each sheet. I

didn't have to use a densitometer, but eyeballed it on the light box,

it was so apparent.

 

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My conclusion, use tanks.