pat_kearns1

Edward, beware of mean tripods. On a cold November morning in

Monument Valley I was opening my tripod and felt the pressure on my

little finger. I close the leg to remove my finger and saw the

fleshy pad fall to the dirt between my feet. The temperature was

about 25 degrees and the numbness of my hands prevented any pain.

Now I always pack bandaids and antibiotic cream in my camera bag. I

honestly say that my photography is a combination of blood, sweat &

tears.

Bill, I have experienced strange fogging on some exposures while

using Cokin filters and holders using a medium format camera last

summer at the Grand Canyon. It didn't appear on the entire roll but

only two frames. I believe it was due to relection on the reverse

side of the filter. There is a gap between the filter and the lens

and the sunlight was reflecting through the gap. If there are no

light leaks with your bellows and/or film holders I would try an

exposure under the same conditions with the filter and one without to

see if the back reflection is the cause. Good luck.

Charles, I have seen a commercial photographer using a Minolta meter

that has a an attachment similar to a wand and about the size of a

pencil that is inserted like a film holder. The meter has a digital

display and measures in tenth's of an f stop as well. The wand

measures a small degree like a spot meter. I don't recall the

particular model number but it worked like a charm. His polaroid

test shots with it made me envious.

Try the following procedures and see if you are able to get a print.

First, in the dark without a negative turn on the enlarger, open &

close your lens. There should be a definite lessening of the light

as you stop down the lens and brightening as you open the lens. If

the light stays the same the blades are stuck. Second, read the data

sheet for the paper to see if there are recommended dichro filter

settings and set them. Third, select a negative with good contrast

features to make an 8 x 10 test print. That is, good black tones,

varying gray tones, and some clear tones, if your negative is too

thin or underexposed your print will be black. Focus your negative,

(unless you are contact printing an 8 x 10) then stop the lens all

the way down and back it up one stop. Turn the enlarger off, place a

sheet of paper in the easel and cover all but 1/2 inch with

cardboard. Set your timer for a 2 second exposure. Make the

exposure, move the cardboard 1/2 inch make another 2 second exposure,

continue to move the cardboard 1/2 inch and give a 2 second exposure

until the entire sheet has been exposed. Fourth, all chemicals

should be at 68 degrees. Develop in Dektol 1:2 dilution for 90

seconds, Stop Bath 30 seconds and Fixer for 4 minutes. The

resulting print should show twenty 1/2 inch bands of exposure from 2

- 40 seconds. The lightest band will be 2 seconds and the darkest

will be 40 seconds. Somewhere in the scale of the print should be a

time that will give a good base time for your exposure. Once you get

the hang of it test strips can be cut to 1 inch widths so you don't

waste an entire sheet of paper as a test. If the print is still

totally black after this test, stop the lens all the way down and try

again. If it is still black after stopping the lens all the way down

replace the enlarger bulb with a lower wattage bulb. Sorry if I was

long winded but this is what I teach students in the continuing

education classes at one of the local universities. Check your local

university for non-credit darkroom classes. Happy

printing.

I rate Tmax 400 at 250 & Tmax 100 at 50 and process with Tmax RS 1:9

dilution for 11 minutes in a Besslar rotary tube and motor with

excellent results. Tmax film will exhaust fixer so I use Kodak Rapid

Fix for 7 minutes and it clears up the pinkish cast. Good luck &

good shooting.

Bill,

If you are a photographer of the desert then you need to take a trip

to Tombstone, AZ. Camilis S. Fly had a studio in Tombstone near the

OK Coral. It has been restored with many of his famous photographs

in the surrounding area on exhibit. Fly accompanied the US Calvary

to photograph the capture of Geronimo, his son Chappo Geronimo and

the warriors he led in battle against the settlers of the West.

Gernimo & his warriors were then imprisoned at Ft. Pickens on Santa

Rosa Island near Pensacola Fl. Many of the indians died there due to

the harsh climate and were moved to Mt. Vernon, AL where it was a

little milder. Geronimo and the surviving indians were later

returned to reservations in the West. Chappo Geronimo died at Mr.

Vernon and is now buried in a National Military Cemetary in Mobile,

AL. Fly's historical photographs of the surrender of Geronimo are

probably his most famous.

Paul,

Before you give up on the Tmax try the following: Tmax RS Dilution

1:9, temperature at 75 degrees, development time of 11 minutes with

constant agitation. You didn't state your dilution ratio but it

sounds like you have been underdeveloping with your time,

temperature, & possible dilution.