gardena

This might be of interest to some. http://io9.com/the-largest-photo-ever-taken-of-tokyo-is-zoomable-and-975127382

Jon, I searched for information about Jun Shiraoka in Japanese but found little more than there is in English. The only hint about his technique is that he has opened a rental dark room to support calotype methods.

He also seems to fond of advising people to make images of 'nothing in particular'. I know this is not very helpful, but there is little more to be found even on Japanese sites.

Larry, my time in NZ is nearing to an end. Fly back on 8 March. Truth to tell, the weather has been pretty bad. Two days of heavy rain in Dunedin, a huge storm in the North Island last night. I hope it will settle down by the time you get here. I guess you are going south. I really loved the scenery there, which I had not seen before. Didn't get a great many good shots I don't think, though. There is just too much there. Hope it all works out for you. From Adrienne in Taranaki, NZ

Larry, we might see you in NZ. We will be there from 16 February to 8 March. It doesn't rain all that much. Summer there has been bad so far so I am hoping it will settle in just when we do! Have fun.

What about ugly bridegrooms? Are they bad for business, too?

Some people live with this.<div></div>

Cherry blossoms in flower, portaloos in place - the best place.

Unfortunately it is raining today.<div></div>

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<p>Clay, the expiry date is on the back of the box, (the side divided into 4 squares with small print on it), shown second down from the top right in your scan. It is in the top right square (the pale green one). In that square you can see two rows of little Chinese characters printed on the box in black.The top ones says 'Expiry date' (有効期限） which is given as 2605 6. The 26 is Showa 26, that is the 26th year of the reign of the Emporer Showa (now deceased - it is Heisei 22 this year). That equates with 1951 in 'our' calendar. The 05 is May presumably. Don't know what the 6 is - unless it is the day. Under that is the 'manufacturer's serial number (製造番号) which I can't actually make out, but I guess it doesn't matter too much.<br>

As a matter of fact, I'm pretty sure Sakura film was still available when I first came to Japan in 1973.<br>

I put the Japanese in just to see if it would work. Can you see it or do you just get a bunch of question marks? I've always wondered about this on photonet. I do sometimes see different scripts, at other times question marks.<br>

Moderator trust me. They are not profanities!<br>

If you are interested in sites or blogs showing camera collections I am sure I can find you some. The Japanese are great collectors of cameras among a lot of other things.<br>

Cheers, Adrienne</p>

<p>Cheers, Adrienne</p>

<p>Clay, here is the other site:<br /> http://www2f.biglobe.ne.jp/~ter-1212/sakura/sakurafilm1.htm<br /> It is a Sakura film catalogue. If you click on the links at the very bottom (even if you can't read them), in one of them you'll find pictures of Sakura developers and other interesting but very quaint stuff. The lighter was some kind of special gift.<br>

BTW, I was wrong when I said the 'kuro' of 'pankuro' (which is how panchro is written in Japanese) meant black. It is a Japanese abbreviation for the 'chro' of 'chromatic'. Hope this makes sense.<br>

The instructions you sent say the film is general purpose with a fine grain.<br>

I wonder how your grandfather got hold of the Japanese film. Was he connected with the occupation forces or anyone in them by any chance?<br>

AG</p>

 

<p>Clay, I found 2 sites which show your Sakura Panchro F film.<br>

http://neco.mediacat-blog.jp/c2299_3.html<br>

If you do a Google translation remember that sakura means cherry blossoms and Google has a poor stock of proper nouns and is very literal!<br>

It seems you are concerned about which if any of the films are nitrate film. I don't know how to tell, but if it will help, according to the instructions you scanned, to develop the Sakura film, you need metol, Sakura anhydrous sulphuric soda, dihydrobenzene, Sakura anhydrous carbonated soda, and bromine potash. I know no chemistry and nothing about developing film, so if this list reads oddly please excuse it!<br>

I found one another site which I will put in the next reply as I seem unable to keep photonet open and copy and paste from another website at the same time.<br>

Cheers<br>

Adrienne</p>

<p>I checked a Japanese site. Sakura Pankuro (kuro means black) was marketed from 1936. As best I can see, the use by date of yours is Showa 26, that is 1951. Sakura Natural Colour Film was marketed from 1940 and was the first Japanese made colour film. If you want details of the characteristics of the film I can translate them from one of the sites I found.</p>

<p>Japanese are religious about giving a print of photos of groups to all the members of the group. Even when it is blurred. In Japanese I would ask myself why I had been given a photo which was so'bokehed'. In English I would ask myself why I had been given me a photo that was so blurred . In everyday Japanese 'bokeh' means 'senile'. It isn't my favorite word. I'm getting increasingly forgetful.</p>

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<p>I've come to hate the way many photographers love that word 'bokeh'. Another, and for most people in Japan, better understood meaning, is 'senility' or 'dotage'. I don't want to go there, with or without a good camera and lens!</p>

<p>Michael, I am a hobby photographer, so am hardly qualified to give advice, but I like to expose on the dark side and take back-lit photos. I find the 50D problematical in these situations. This is at normal ISO. It may be my technique or the scenes I choose, but another photographer recently told me the 40D was better. I wish I had waited a bit and tried out the 7D before I bought. Regards, Adrienne</p>

<p>I have no admiration for what the Japanese did in the Pacific or their reasons for doing it, bit I don't have a lot either for what the US has done there since they pushed the Japanese out.</p>

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