ryan_mcintosh

www.ebay.com, there is thousands of holder to buy there for cheep.

 

Ryan McIntosh

www.RyanMcIntosh.net

I have better luck NOT getting light leak with plastic holders. Also wooden holders tend to get worn more easy and look really bad with the paint all worn and wearing off. I usually find plastic holders on Ebay for a great price, of course wooden are cheeper, but not that much.

Jeffrey, It is very difficult to find a good green safelight. Do not buy one of those Arista safelights from FreeStyle Photo, they will not work. Here is what I recommend, Go to a Home Depot or Walmart or some sorts and find one of those green, flat plug in Indiglow nightlights. They are about a 3 inch square nightlight and just plug in to turn on, no switch. they can be picked up for about 3 bucks for a two pack.

 

Now, these lights are really TOO bright, so you want to cover the front of it about 2/3 with black tape to lower the amount of light. What I do is I got a old timer and I plug it into the side of the timer that is set for 2 seconds. It is right above and down from my developing tray about 4 feet. I have it hooked up on a footswitch so all I can have both hands to use. For awhile I had it hooked up with no footswitch and it became difficult to reach over and turn it on.

 

Michaeal says to use reflected light to view the negative, and personally...I like to hold it up to the light to see where I am at. Sometimes the film base will just be pure white, but when viewing thru the negative I can see the image strong.

 

Best of luck to you. I assume your doing Large format right? 4x5 or 8x10? The best way to learn is by PRACTICE. You will get a hang of HOW to do it, the hard part is know what to look for, so you just have to train your eyes and brain to know what your looking at.

 

Ryan McIntosh

www.RyanMcIntosh.net

All times I have used Ilfosol-S as a film developer I have been unpleased.

 

Ryan McIntosh

I contact print 4x5 negatives and I think its a good size for certain subjects. Check J & C film because they might make film for you in that size. I froget there website, it might be www.JandCphoto.com

 

goodluck!

 

Ryan McIntosh

Its not the type of film and developer ect that make you a "master", but yet how good your skills are at what you use. Most photographers just use the same exact film, developer, paper combo because that is what they have mastered and know how to use the best.

 

Just using a certain type of film will not give you the same great photographs like Sexton, Adams, Weston produced.

 

Ryan McIntosh

Dont waste your money on a large format Digital back. In a few months it will be totally outdated and rare and you will be paying so much for it...it is truly NOT worth it. Stick with film.

 

Ryan McIntosh

Okay...Seriously...I have to pick up that issue. HAHA!

 

If you truly think that there is not alot of Large Format Photographers going digital...just watch used large format equiptment on Ebay and how the ammount of it all is slowly RISING, and prices of it all is slowing going LOWER.

 

Digital IS going to become the standard of commercial photographers, but I believer Large Format will become the standard of most fine art photographers.

 

Ryan McIntosh

You would find the books to be more useful. They are amazing books and I dont recommend just trying to find the stuff online. Also, if you could find the OLDER edition of the book..they are ALOT better. They contain ALOT more information, pictures, explationations and sooooooooo much more then the skinny new books do.

Don,

You do not know of me, but my name is Ryan and I am a large format photographer that just moved here to Tucson. I have meet a few great LF photographers since moving here, but have yet to meet you. I was talking to Tim Curry, one of the most friendly photographs I have meet here so far, and he told me about the first show you will be having, and he invited me to come view your work, hopefully thats okay with you.

I have to work that Sunday, but depending on how late you are going to have your work up...I get off work at 7pm and would like to come meet you, see your work and maybe chat for abit.

You can email me at RyanMcIntosh@RyanMcIntosh.net if you so please, otherwise...I check this forum daily and will see any response you leave.

 

Congradualations on setting up your first private showing. I have had many individual showings of my work in gallerys but never at home, I hope to someday soon!

 

Ryan McIntosh

Hmm. I never heard of a camera "dissolving"

Its always good to see people getting into doing large format. I just with the number of people STARTING LF, was more then the number of people LEAVING LF for digital! YUCK!

 

Ryan McIntosh

I live down in Tucson, there is quite a few things down here depending on your style and what type of subject matter you shoot.

 

I would like to come up for the LF ground meetings that Rod has, can anyone tell me about them, where they are, what they consist of, when are they and free?

 

Thanks

 

Ryan McIntosh

www.RyanMcIntosh.net

Thank you.

 

The reason I ask is not because I want to judge my negatives I am doing now...but yet all my old 4x5 and 8x10 negatives vary alot, and while some are thin, and others really dense...I wanted to be able to know what went wrong. I have done tests, but I wanted to be able to look at a old negative and say "this negative is underdeveloped rather then under exposed"

 

I understand it now. thanks.

This seems to be something alot of photographers do not know, well I

am one of those that fit into the group. How can you tell the

different between a under exposed negative and a under developed

negative? Same with a over exposed negative and a over developed

negative.

 

Reason I ask, is that I have abunch of film I been developing and

its coming out too dense. I dont know if it is because I am over

developing them, or over exposed them.

 

Thanks.

With all those extra parts that move on it, you are SURE to have less stability with your camera. Also, That "Level Head" is not needed if you know how to properly possition your camera and use your camera movements in relationship with your current tripod movements. Getting the EXACT measurement in degrees of how your camera in place is not needed also. All you need to do is be able to compose your images properly on the ground glass, if you have mastered that...there is no need for this nonsense equiptment.

 

Ryan McIntosh

Few tips-Always use a cable release, and if your wanting perfect sharpness and depth of field...stop down small. Good glass is what matters. Use a darkcloth and loup or old cheep camera lens to focus on the ground glass. Dont rely on just the small shade to be able to see the ground glass perfect. Make sure you have a GOOD tripod that is sturdy.

 

To get better definition, I recommend trying a different develop. I would use Pyrocat-HD, which can be purchased in a liquid kit. It will give you better edge sharpness, tonal range, less grain (it masks the grain so it does not show at all)

 

Also, using a different film would be a good idea. I recommend J&C Films. www.JandCphoto.com I belive. There film is about 1/2 the cost of Ilford films, and has a longer tonal scale and thicker emultion. Also, use a slower speed film will be sharper. Even tho you cannot see the grain, it will still sharpen up your photographs.

 

Using the combo above, I can very easy print a 4x5 negative to 20x24 and have no grain and no extreme loss in sharpness.

 

Congrats on going to LF Cameras! You will be truly amazing with how much you can capture then with a tiny 35mm.

 

There is ALOT more that can effect your image now, things such as how you are developing your film (I would ALWAYS use tray development only with about 4-8 peices of film at a time) and agitate them continulously by shuffling them bottom to top. Do not use those tanks, as you may result in uneven film development or bubbles very easy.

 

When making the print, make sure you are using a negative carrier that will make the negative FLAT! They make ones with two peices of glass to make it perfect, or you can get two peices of cut glass to "sandwich" your negative between in replacement for a negative carrier. Also, stop down the lens on the enlarger, because if there is any curve in the negative...it will fix the depth of field and get sharper.

 

If you need anymore suggest, please just ask. I too any a student who started doing 4x5 a few years ago, and now just recently went up to a 8x10.

 

Ryan McIntosh

www.RyanMcIntosh.net

Yes, make sure you know the speed you will be shooting the paper at. You dont want to under expose, or overexpose it. If shot correcty, it will yeild a nice paper negative. If your shooting 4x5 camera, why dont you just use film and make contact prints or enlargments?

YES! I HAVE PROBLEMS WITH IT LIKE TERRIBLE! I got a cable release with a really long reach on it which I thought would make it fire...but you have to have the cable out PERFECTLY straight, and then only SOMETIMES will it decide to work. It really pisses me off! DOES ANYONE KNOW A CABLE RELEASE WITH A LONG REACH?! Or any other ideas please.

 

I have a Kodak Ektar 14" in a Ilex #5

I found that J&C Classic films are very similar to one of the BEST Black and white films made, Kodak Super XX. Check out www.jandcphoto.com

 

They are more then 1/2 the cost of the espensive Kodak and Ilford films, and are a thicker emultion and a VERY LONG Tonal scale, which is what is most important.

 

I been developing the film in HC-110, and had GREAT sucess with getting beautiful contact prints. With the long tonal scale, your shadows will block up, and your hightlights will not block up eaither...but yet contain AMAZING detail and tonal sepration. They recommend using Pyro developers for the film , which I plan on doing very soon to achive even a LONGER tonal range, sharper, better quality negative.

 

Please check out there site. You will be please.

The Ansel Adams book The Camera, The Negative and The Print are truly AMAZING books, anything you want to know about straight forward photography is there. Unless you bought them already, I really recommend finding the OLDER version of the book. the older pressings are about 2-3 times as thick and contain a large ammount of information...as time passed on...then new revised edition...they cut out tons and tons of useful info and also pages of photographs that were useful too because Adams would explain everything from film development to how he prints the negative, and how you his results!

 

Usually if your film is under fixed...check the outside clear unexposed edges of your film...if they are not clear...or have a purple cast to them...fix longer.

 

I assume you are shotting 35mm? Really really dificult to do, as usually photographs doing the zone system will develop each negative seprate to give - or + development. With 35mm, you might has some that need + and some that need -, so there is really nothing you can do about that!

 

If you dont already, I recommend trying large format. Your school would hopefully have a 4x5 camera on hand to check out to students.

 

Ryan McIntosh

www.RyanMcIntosh.net

Personally I think Kodak sheet films are WAY to expensive for what you get. I prefer to shoot with J&C Classic films. VERY VERY cheep film, but is a very nice thick emultion with a long tonal scale. For developing film I recommend eaither Pyrocat-HD or HC-110 would be a good choice to get a long tonal scale of the negative.

I have using a older Calumet monorail, with the four post that stick up that the front and rear standard are mounted on. It is not bad compaired to that gree Calumet. I did put a old ilex #5 shutter on it, that added a few pounds! Very bulky.

 

Im going to check at my work (Home Depot) and see what I can order in maybe. If not, im still looking for a good used one for sale if anyone has an extra or any suggestions.

Are new Ries Tripods really worth really 1,000.00 dollars after getting the legs and head? I think that is extremly over priced. I guess they could bank on the fact that both Ansel Adams and Edward Weston used them.

Thanks for some of the great suggestions. I found a old Ries Tripod, A-1000 for sale. Its 219.00 on Ebay. I might go for it, but cannot afford really anymore then what it is that now.

 

Surveayor tripods seems hard to come by that are sturdy. I work at Home Depot and I never see any good ones come in that would work. I need something that the camera can be taken off and on because I WILL be using it in the field.

 

The main reason im in need of a new tripod, is because I have a really expensive Gitzo tripod that I believe was made for 4x5-5x7, and I was using it today with my 8x10 and not only are the lens starting to "bow" but the head is WAY to woobly on it, and the hand know that adjust the front and forward tilt BROKE OFF INSIDE!