steve_feldman2

Eric,

An interesting idea. But, at first blush, IMHO, you may be shooting yourself in the foot. My mind says that you'd cancel and double expose each of the areas you're trying to enhance.

Yup, the blue filter may separate the shadows a bit, but when you change to the orange you'd kill the effect you were after in the shadow. The opposite would also be true.

See if you can get a grad orange and a grad blue. Stack the orange to orient to the sky and the blue to the shadows. Both would have to be the same filter factors. Should look really neat on the GG.

Gee, I'm starting to be sorry I suggested the whole thing.

Best of luck.

Next . . . .

Hi again, gang. I'm back with a new conundrum (sp?).

I've used (for a few years now) 35mm, 120 and 4x5 HP5+ @ 320 dev in

HC-110 dil. B. +1, N or -1 well under control and so far, pleased

with the results. BTW, all my films dev in Uniroll tanks w/ motor

base.

What advantages or disadvantages in making a switch to XTOL? Grain?

Speed? Expansion/contraction control?

I know, I know, "If you're happy with what you've been doing, thus

far, why change?" My ansewer, "I won't know until I try."

Opinions and experiences please.

Carina,

Ken's got it exactly right. I used a Kenro vertical camera in the late 60's (that's the 1960's) for copy litho neg work. This camera was aboard the USS Hornet CVS-12. Yup, I was a printer on an aircraft carrier. You may remember that this ship was the recovery vessel for the Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 moon landings.

Two years ago I went to Alameda, CA where the the old girl is now a museum. I went down to the old print shop and there was the Kenro process camera. Still there after 34 years.

Oh, yea, we were talking about a Kenro camera, weren't we?

Bob F.,

Brand name - Model - Cost.

Please.

Paul M.,

I've been to yours a few times. A very professional and efficient set up.

Fred,

Mine's 'bout the same as your description. Two walls, a door, and a ceiling. 6'x 8' working area. Dry wall and insulated. 12x12 vinyl flooring. Found a stainless steel sink of the right size at a yard sale - pure dumb luck. Built a stand for it of 2x4's. Pulled electrical wires, extended hot & cold water lines. When I had the house ducted for A/C I had the contractor run a duct into the darkroom. Nice on a hot day in S.F.V. The only problem was draining out water. I ran the drain out thru the back wall to the outside. Dug down one foot and a line ten feet away from the garage into a three foot deep "dry well" dug into the grass. The grass loves it.

This is my 3rd darkroom (same house). Works very well for me. Because it's a room within a room, it's very dust free.

Jeff - I recommend this setup highly.

Good luck.

~:+)

Wow! That�s the first time I�ve been called a �personality�. Or even having one.

For the past 20 + years my interests have been photography. Been playing folk guitar for the past 40 years and can�t read a note. Hmmmmm . . maybe I should photograph the guitar.

And now, a few comments on the comments:

James D � My first car was a �55 Buick Special � a 3 holer.

CXC � Watch out for him in SF. Especially down Lombard St.

Brian A � How do you breed snakes.? Answer: Very carefully. Very carefully.

Blake A � Hassey�s will cost a lot less than women.

Gene M � Combine hobbies � Photograph fit bass.

Michael S � You can have some of mine. The wife says I�ve got BS to spare.

Ed C � 40 pounds ago I was . . well . . lighter. And much younger. Much younger.

Ole T � Fry up a handful of mushroom, a nice trout and poor the wine. I�m there.

John N � When you find the �perfect� dough � I�m there. Call Ole T.

jnorman � you too?

Richard M � Let�s see � A filter factor of 3 is . . . . ? ? I dunno.

Art H � The English language is not rational. English spelling even worse.

Eric R � Waddu got gainst country???

John E � I�ll help you with the Yiddish. Can�t help with the Swedish. Hmmmm . . . sweet and sour matzo balls? A meter for white tail deer? A Gossen WTD of course.

Tim O � What can you tell me about starting an apricot tree.

H. C. � A man after my own liver. Have you and Ole heard about the Charles Shaw Merlot? Available at Trader Joe�s @ $1.99. It�s pretty good. Locally we call it �Two Buck Chuck�.

David G � I�m tracks 2, 7 & 8.

Bruce W � �Recovering rock climber and fighting gravity. Always remember, �Gravity ALWAYS wins�.

Per V � Sorry I can�t come to Shasta in Oct. Anyone who can should listen to this guy. Olives in wine??

Hogarth H � You�re kidding . . Aren�t you?

Hugo Z � Damn long pool.

Peter G � Mark Twain said, �Golf � A pleasant walk in a beautiful park setting . . . ruined by a little white ball.�

Kevin B � Ana one Ana two

Brian E � What can I say? Renaults? Cushmans?

Lex J � I performed once on stage � barfed � before AND after. Never again.

Sam C � Always remember, �Gravity ALWAYS wins�.

Wieslaw Z � Amen!

John C � There IS hope.

Cheers, my obsessed friends.

WOW!

You guys are great. Thanks to all contributors.

Most of the "mistakes" listed I've done . . . at least twice (that I'll admit to).

If anyone wants a compiled version of all of the above Murphy's Laws, just drop me an e-mail. I've put it together in a WORD document.

Many thanks to all respondants. I have set the Minolta to match the Luna Pro. Ohhmm - Ohhmm. Feeling much better now.

BTW 1. A "Yeoman" has nothing to do with barnyard animals.

2. Please read my next "Murphey's Laws" post and have fun.

~:) -Steve

Murphey is alive and well and living inside my camera bag. Here's my

thoughts. Some original. But some stolen. Everybody jump in and add a

few of your own. I'm taking bets on the final count.

1. No two meters agree.

2. Just when you think you understand your materials, the

manufacturer discontinues or improves it. Making you start the

learning cycle all over again.

3. When man makes a sharper lens. G-d will create a fuzzier object.

4. You can't make a good image in Fresno.

5. f8 @ 1/60 is better than anything you picked.

6. A butter knife used to tighten a miniature screw, will cause

$50.00 more damage than the price of the proper jeweler's screwdriver.

7. Film is sensitive to thought.

8. Fog will roll in 5 minutes before your sunset shot.

9. Fog will roll out 5 minutes before your foggy sunrise.

10.Important things are always simple.

11. The simple things are always hard.

12. The filter you want is the filter you left at home.

13. New batteries never fail. Old batteries fail only when new back

up batteries are left at home.

14. If there's a way - it won't work - for you.

15. Traveling with significant other on long car photo trip is a good

idea. Not.

16. The weather is always better (poofy clouds) for photographers who

are better than you.

17. Fall color in the Northeast is always a week before or a week

after you get there.

18. Flashes don't.

19. You packed all of your film holders. Too bad the film's in the

box on the kitchen table.

NEXT:

Bill & Mike:

Thought of that right after I hit the confirm button.

Thanks.

I know Murphy�s First Law of Photography, �No two meters agree�.

Murphy also makes the corollary that, �Since the first �Law� is true,

the number of meters necessary to arrive at an accurate reading is

either one (don�t compare to any other meter) or three (take the same

reading on three meters and throw out the one that is furthest off as

inaccurate).

I have now proved the corollary to also be true. (There�s a question

coming, so please read on).

I have a Gossen Luna Pro F meter. It has done a yeoman�s job for many

years. Intuitive use. Bang on exposures in all modes: incident (for

transparencies), reflective with the 7-1/2 degree spot attachment (+3

compensation). Incident flash readings are always dead on. Fast ZS

computations for my 4 x5 b & w work. Who could want for more?

Me. I�ve always had a hankering for the more narrow reading accuracy

of a 1 degree meter. I know some who�d like even smaller spots. I

found a good deal on a Minolta (1 degree) Spotmeter M. A wiz bang of

digital desires. A few hours of reading the manual (Yes girls, some

guys do read instructions) and I was confident in my ability to use

it properly.

Then old Murphy crept into the equation. So I made the comparison.

Stepping outside (Los Angeles today @ 4:00PM is 95 degrees) I pointed

the Minolta at a Kodak 18% gray card in full sun. Reading was EV

15.6. I then set up the Luna Pro with a 7-1/2 degree spot attachment

and compensated +3. The Luna Pro read EV 15. I also read the side of

my house in shade and a white painted metal shed. The differences in

reading � meter to meter � held true. The Minolta Spotmeter M

consistently read 0.6 EV higher than the Luna Pro. Seems Murphy was

right. At least these two meters did not agree. Then I pulled out a

Sekonic View Spot L-438. A nice little 3 degree meter I use for a

back up. Did the same iteration. Read one EV less than the Luna Pro

in all respects. This proved Murphy�s corollary to be true.

The question (finally he�s getting to the question) is: Which of the

other two meters is correct. BTW, both are user adjustable. I�d

really like both of these meters to read the same and true.

Sorry for the long windedness of the post.

Chris,

I'll take all sixty-three of your new grey hairs. That would be sixty-three more hairs than I have now. I've never stressed the signature thing. I sign on the matt - light pencil, lower right and small. Doesn't interfere with the overall image or presentation.

Of course, I've signed damn few.

BTW, great presentation in View Camera. Ya gotta explain the time exposure process.

Marios,

Now that you�ve tried Large Format � you�ll think that 35mm are toys for wimps. Seriously though, I develop film in the same manner as you. As my photo instructor would say (and often too), �Keep It Simple, Stupid.� (The K.I.S.S. principle). Personally, I follow the McDonald�s approach � Fast, Cheap and Easy.

Here�s my suggestions:

1.Use the Unicolor base for all three formats. (I have 2 � just in case one fails � but it�s been going for fifteen years). �CHEAP�

2. Use the Unicolor *PAPER* drum for 4 x 5 FILM only. �EASY�

3. Use Patterson reels and tanks for 35mm and 120/220 film. All you need is a tank that is long enough to straddle the two rollers on the Unicolor base unit. The smallest �Patterson System 4� tank that will work for me is 8 ½� from it�s base to the top of the cap. �FAST�

4. Use the volume of developer in the Patterson tanks as recommended on the bottom of the tank. No less. �K.I.S.S.�

Don't bother with modifications

Your mileage may differ. Good luck.

-S.

Thanks for your help, George. I'll try the site as well a few more 'Googles'.

-S.

Hoping someone here has a better memory than I.

I've been looking, in vain, for an article I'd seen either on this

site or perhaps on graflex.com. The article explained, in good

detail, the procedure to check, clean and adjust the bi-post pins on

a Flash Supermatic shutter. I have a sharp Ektar 203mm f7.7 and would

like to connect up to a modern flash or studio strobe. I do have the

proper connecting cord from Paramount.

I'll post this question with the Graflex site also.

Thanks in advance.

Barry - Don,

Reseda Camera is WEST of Reseda Blvd. on Sherman Way.

That would be the other east.

-S.

Brian,

Having lived here all of my life, I heartily agree with the above mentioned locales.

Here's a few more:

The Bradbury Bldg. Restored 1909(?) office bldg in dntn LA - call ahead for days and times. They'll allow a photog above the first floor if you beg and bribe a little. I've done it. It worked. The interior is georgeous with froo-froo iron work, marble floors and an open wrought iron cage elevator.

Descanso Gardens in La Canada-Flintridge.

The Huntington Library in San Marino - wonderful gardens and I think there's an E. W. display on now.

The L. A. Arboritum in Arcadia - Fantasy Island's Victorian house is there - "The plane, boss!"

Heritage Square near Pasadena - Victorian homes. Call ahead.

Carroll Ave - Near Silverlake, Dntn LA - Blocks full beautiful of Victorian homes. While there go to the Tiki Bar in Silverlake, Not photogenic, just good drinks.

As mentioned - one of my favorites - Vasquez Rocks - an easy drive north of L. A.

Crystal Cove in Laguna - a long drive south (70+? miles). Now under control of Calif. Parks - It was the playground of the stars in the teens and twenties. Old beach homes. Wooden plank sidewalks on the sand. Rotting shingles. Great stuff there. I'm going back.

Union Station has surley security lately so call ahead and get permission. You'll be able to shoot the interior of the station. But not the track areas. Afterwards, walk across the street to the corner at Ord St. Have lunch at Phillipe's - the oldest operating resturant in LA - home of the beef dip - sawdust on the floor. Communial dining tables. Great place!

I've made myself want to go back to these places myself. Call me. We'll go. You drive.

I'm sure you'll have a great time.

Regards.

-Steve

Andrew,

I, also, have this same lens. Got it from an E$bay seller. It's an older barrel style. Deep groved black outer ring. Performs very well. It's the only 4x5 size enlarger lens I've ever used - so no real point of comparision.

I'd say, "Go-fer-it."

Tim,

My $0.02.

I think Ralph's got the line on it. For me a photograph is "un-reality" or lack of reality. A photograph can be color or b & w. We, most of us, see in color. A photograph is 2 dimentional. We see the world in 3. A photograph can have areas of selective focus. Our eyes see everything in focus - near to far. Nor can we compress distance as a long lens does nor expand distance as a wide angle. (Ever do a close-up portrait with a wide angle?)

A photograph, by it's very nature is un-real. It permits the photographer to be an artist and not just the recorder of what was in front of the lens. The photo artist uses everything at his/her disposal to impart his/her feeling or impression on the subject scene.

For me, b & w photography does not limit expression, but permits me to show how an image "felt" to me as art. Many times the same scene, in color, distracts my eye from the "feel" of the image. Sometimes color is the right media for a particular image.

Okay, I'm startying to ramble here. Hopefully someone out there got what I'm trying to say. I'll bet most will.

I'd rather be making images than try to explain why.

Okay, I'm better now.

"She who (usually) must be obeyed" was looking over my shoulder on that last one. Gave me my very own bag of the new Lay's Chicago Steakhouse Loaded Baked Potato Chips. All for myself.

I fell much better now.

Sorry Chris.<div></div>

Oh, yeah. Well .. ..(Sputtering sound) .. Well>

Didja .. (Another sputtering sound).. .. ..Didja .. ..>

Didja see the letters to the editor of the last issue of View Camera?

Neener, Neener.