pemongillo

Thanks Ellis. Yes you can get it in readyloads. That is why I

suggested he get it instead of Velvia. Velvia would have been nice,

because there is so much more experience with it out there. I don't

have a Fuji film holder but do have the kodak, thus the decision to

use the E100VS.

 

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Paul

Hi All,

 

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Its nice to be back again. Lost trck of the page for awhile. I have been strickly a B&W shooter in 4x5. I have a friend that is interested in shooting 4x5, but wants to shoot color chromes. He and I are leaving for the the Alvord Desert in SE Oregon on Wed. I told him to get a box of E100VS readyloads. I don't know much about color, but will use a gray card for determining exposure. Should I shoot at 100 or 80 ? I notice that most Velvia shooters shoot at 40 or 50.

 

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Thanks

Paul

This is not a funy comment but perhaps a funny story. My girlfriend

and I were wandering around the alleys of Varinasi, India a couple of

years ago. I stopped to photograph some pilars and the usual crowd

gathered. This is good, because my girlfriend enjoyes shooting

people. Anyway, I got all my stuff out and began the long process of

taking the photo. As we all do when in crowds, I was trying to keep

very good track of all my stuff. Suddenly I could not find my Pentax

digital spot. I stood straight up and said to my girlfriend in a very

concerned manner that I could not find my spot meter. No one but us

spoke English, but they all obviously became very concerned and

actually began looking around the area as we did, even though they had

no idea what we were looking for. I found the meter under some stuff

in my tripod apron in a minute or two and held it up and smiled.

Everyone smiled and cheered. What wonderful people.

Please don't discount the possibility of light leaks somewhere in your

camera. Put a flashlight inside the camera (on),extend your bellows

all the way out, put a film holder in the back and make sure your

shutter is closed. Sit in complet dark for a few minutes. Even tiny

light leaks will materialize.

All good advice above. However,I think that the main culprite is too

high a temperature. Leave the print under a weight, with the matts

that you placed over and under it for at least a minute. I use two

pieces of 4-ply matt on top and one on the bottom. This means my

press time is just over 4 minutes. The extra matts help distribute the

temperature more evenly and it cools slower. Different parts of the

print cool at different rates. That is why the edges sometimes pull

away. Good luck.

Chris, could this be a case of enlarger movement (ever so slight).

Perhaps that is why when you are more gentle that the blurring does

not happen. I am much more careful about how quickly I move my

burning tools around on a bigger print. My enlarger is attached to

the wall, but if I move around too much or too heavily it will

vibrate. I even turn the CD player down for larger prints, because I

can feel the vibration of the bass on the surface where I place the

easil (spelling?).

Thanks for your comments. I contacted Jobo and got the following

response.

 

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"If you use your dishwasher, you will never use those reels or tank

again.

DON'T DO IT!!!!

 

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Instead soak the reels in a 50/50 solution of Clorox and water. It

could

even be done in the tank to clean both at the same time. After about

an

hour of soaking, remove the reels, use a moderately stiff tooth brush

on

them, and that should clean them up. For the tank use a paper towel

to

clean the inside as much as possible.

 

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Obviously follow up with a VERY THOROUGH series of rinses.

 

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Ken Owen"

Thanks JP, but the responses don't really address what to do once you

have got the residue.

Simple question. I used photoflo in my Jobo drum a time or two a couple of years ago before I realized you were not supposed to do it. The scum seems to build upon itself even though I no longer put photoflo into the drum. Has anyone put a Jobo drum and reel into a dishwasher and lived to tell about it ?

Hi David,

 

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I have been using the same set up as you for two years. My results

are consistant and development is even. By the way, the tank you have

is too small to fit on the motor bases that the previous poster

suggested. I slowly and smoothly (no jerking motions) rotate the tank

for twenty counts one way than do the same in the other direction

until the time is up. I do a two minute presoak as well, and HC-110

is also my developer of choice.

 

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Don't spend a whole lot of time worrying about rotation rates, just do

it smoothly, and be sure whatever you do is consistant. T-max is a

very sensitive. This is good, because it is easier to manipulate than

other films, but it is bad, because you need to be consistant. You

can get away with a lot more inconsistancies with Tri-X.

Which side of the film do you put the nose grease on ?

I use Ilford Hypo Check for straight Kodak Fixer to regularly check my

first fix when processing fiber prints. I don't normally keep Rapid

Fixer for negatives much over a month anyway, but can't you use the

same stuff to see if its still OK ?

The same survey I mentioned above indicates that 7 people that

participate on this website and responed to the survey sell more than

50 prints each year from their websites !! Who are you folks and what

is your secret ?

According to a survey of participants of this website, 46 percent of

those with websites have sold images through thier website. I don't

know how to link you back to the results, but go to the homepage and

click on "Please Tell Us About Your Photography Business".

I am tired of hand rotating my Jobo tank. I would like to get a Beseler or Unicolor (auto-reversing) drum from Ebay, but don't know if my 2500 Jobo drum is going to be long enough to work. I'm at work so I can't measure the drums demensions, but it can't be much more than six inches long. Anyone out there know it my Jobo tank will work on either of these motorized bases ? Thanks.

I recently put 13 of my images on line at

www.artmecca.com/artwork/pmongillo.htm

 

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There will be five more soon. I look at this site as an inexpensive

alternative to having my own website. It requires a one time fee of

$250 for up to 20 images. They get 25% of sales. I have only been

on line for about a month. No sales so far, but a least I now have a

place to refer people to that want to see some of my work.

Aaron, you are spending way to much time trying to apply a formula or

scientific technique to creativity. The bottom line, is don't take an

image unless you are moved by your subject matter. I spent the last

two weeks of September wandering (mostly alone) and exploring the

ruins of Cedar Mesa, Utah. I only took 31 photographs, but I have

five maybe six outstanding images. I took a couple just because I

nearly killed myself getting to one particular ruin. The image is not

impressive, but will always remind me of the ordeal I went through to

get there.

 

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Ordinary things may not move you as they do others. Only you can feel

what that motivation is. I can't imagine myself finding beuty in a

fork, but others might and will probably blow me away with the image.

If you aren't moved by your subject, how can you expect your audience

to be moved by your final image?

 

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On the scientific end, you need the technical skills to bring what

excited you to the final print. What moved you when you took the

image may or may not play a role when you decide to print it.

Something different may grab you months later in the darkroom.

Develope the technical skills you need, then stop thinking about it.

Just do it....

I have never had success going straight from the fix into selenium, I

get stains. I use your basic Kodak Fix and have to give the prints 4

minutes in HCA before going into the selenium to avoid stains. Is

Kodak Fix an acid based fix ? What would not be an acid based fix ?

I know nothing about this person or his art. I do have a comment on

the subject of longevity. There is nothing that I can think of that

requires art to be permanent or long-lasting. Color prints are far

from permanent. Look at the beautiful mandelas (spelling) done by

Buddist monks in sand grains. Weeks can be spent on creating them.

They simply let them blow away when complete. I don't think cost has

anything to do with it either. People regularly pay around $75,000 (a

guess) for a Porche. I don't think they expect it to last forever if

they drive it. Whether the stuff this fellow is selling is art or not,

I don't know, but unless he is making false claims about any aspect of

it, then its just free enterprise. I'm impressed that he is making

gobbs of money. I would be happy to break even selling my fine art

photographs.

Jim, I completely relate to what you are experiencing. Probably not

to the extent though. My son is grown, I don't have a wife , but I

do have a live in girlfriend and a job, other artistic endervors

(dance) and a number of friends that I backpack, ride mountain bikes

with and have lunch and dinner with. My girlfriend is also a

photographer so she is supportive of my efforts, but I have to

continualy fight the urge to completely withdraw into photography.

However,I am nt willing to give up the other stuff and feel like I am

burning the candle at both ends. I think my money making job has

definately suffered. However, I can see the light at the end of the

tunnel. I will no longer need to work in two years and my 53 year

old body isn't going to be able to do the kind of rigorous activity

that I now do too much longer. Things should begin to get a bit more

mellow and I will have more time to market my portfolio. Keep on

truckin Jim.

 

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Paul

Sorry Mark, I don't think there is any going back once you get the

staining you are talking about. I actually have a print that I had

the same problem with matted and hanging here in my office. It is

still a very nice print. I probably tend to tone longer than most so

the staining is not that unappealing to me (1:30 water and Kodak rapid

selenium for up to 10 minutes)

I have always been told you can go straight into the selenium toner

from the fix. This has never worked for me. Now I go to the hypo

clear after the fix for 3 or 4 minutes and then rinse off each print

before going into the toner. After the toner they go back into water

and then back to the hypo clear for another 3 or 4 minutes and then

wash. I have no more staining problems.

Hi Robert. Film will be the cheapest part of your trip. Experiment

with different filters for each shot, because it is sometimes

difficult to predict what you will get. I find a green filter the

most pleasing in bringing out details in red rock and wood. When I

think a filter is appropriate for a certain shot I almost always take

another without one(except when trying to bring in the sky). Many

times when I am just not sure what will work I'll shoot 3 or 4 shots,

each with a different filter. Its easier and cheaper than going back.

Polaroids can also be helpful in determining which to use. Have fun

in Canyonlands. I spent the last two weeks of September in Grand

Gulch and am having a ball working on prints of anazasi ruins.

 

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Paul

Hi James. I don't use the loader. Unlike the previous responses, I

load from the outside in. I let my thumb and pointer finger be my

guide for where the film must enter the reel. The biggest problem I

had when first starting out was film not going in parallel to the

guides in the reel. It would get stuck. Once I figured out what was

happening (practice in the light)I quickly found a solution. I just

move the film from side to side when it gets stuck, while gently

pushing until it begins to go in again. I would practice in the light

a bit and not attempt 6 sheets until you have four working well. Good

luck. Paul

Hi Chad. I gave up on trying to find a used stainless steel sink.

Its dificult when you only have "X" amount of space to find one that

will fit. I made a sink out of wood and marine epoxy. I used 3/4

inch alder for the sides and 3/4 in plywood for the bottom. I even

added color to the epoxy. The sink is great ! and is exactly the size

I needed. Good luck.