chris_waller

<p>There is a major exhibition of Horst's fashion photography on at the V&A in London until January.</p> <p><a href="http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/exhibitions/exhibition-horst-photographer-of-style/">http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/exhibitions/exhibition-horst-photographer-of-style/</a></p> <p> </p>

<p>And I used to think 1/1,000 th sec was fast. :)</p>

<p>The particles of silver resulting from development are extremely small and have a rough surface so they don't reflect light as does a large piece of silver where the atoms are aligned in planes.</p>

<p>Somebody once asked Pablo Casals, the famous cellist, why he continued to practise at the age of 90. Casals replied, "Because I think I'm making progress."<br> I find the same is true for me with photography. After almost 50 years of taking photographs, and 35 years of serious darkroom work, I think I'm actually getting somewhere. I love the darkroom and its now seemingly arcane processes. With 'wet' photography I am engaged in photography in a way that digital photography never can engage me. It is too remote - I need to handle the materials and the chemicals.<br> <br />The secret is to find your subject, that is, what it is that drives your photography. Constantly I ask myself: What do I want to photograph? Why? What do I want to say about my subject? How will I say it photographically?<br> A lot of my work is documentary work. I shoot photographs like some people write a diary. My need to record is a mild neurosis which I trace back to my childhood. While on the one hand I look forward to the future, for all its uncertainty, I feel a visceral need to record for posterity.</p>

<p>This generated a far bigger response than I anticipated! :)<br> Many thanks to all who responded with thoughtful comments - and those too who responded with humerous comments!<br> <br />At the very least my conscience is now much easier. :)</p> <p>Thanks again,</p> <p>Chris.</p>

<p>Sometimes when I'm shooting landscape, I tidy up the foreground. This usually means clearing away beer cans, fast-food wrapping etc. but sometimes I do a little pruning to remove intrusive foliage and the like. I sometimes feel that I am in someway interfering with the subject matter. What are the limits to 'enhancing' a landscape?</p>

<p>Yes, everywhere. We seem now to live in 'The Age of Entitlement'. I come from a place and a time when even the smallest transaction in a shop was accompanied by a brief exchange of pleasantries. All gone now.</p>

<p>I buy a camera in order to use it. I scrutinise the lenses for scratches etc., check the shutter fires and seems to run OK at all speeds particularly the extremes of the range, i.e. B, 1 sec and 1/500th and beyond. I check that the aperture moves OK. I check the state of the light-seals and other such stuff. As for the appearance I don't care as long as it shows no signs of impact damage.</p>

<p>Yes, that looks about right. I have processed APX 100 in Rodinal in the past and that is the sort of grain I got.</p>

<p>As a Mamiya TLR enthusiast I would keep the C22. I have a couple of C3s plus a 220 and a C330. They are good solid cameras and will last a long time with careful use.</p>

<p>For washing film I recommend the Ilford Method:<br> Using tap water at 15-20 C:- </p> <ul> <li>fill the tank with tap water, give 5 inversions, pour away water.</li> <li>refill and give 10 inversions, then empty.</li> <li>refill and give 20 inversions, then empty.</li> <li>The film is now fully washed - but I give an extra cycle of 40 inversions.</li> </ul> <p>Then take the reel out of the tank and immerse in a jug of water plus wetting agent.</p>

<p>For an acid stop bath you could use white vinegar diluted 1+1 with water.</p>

<p>Ivan, hi.<br> 1) I never squeegee. Correct use of wetting agent will allow the film to dry without water marks.<br> 2) I use Tetenal Mirasol or Paterson Acuwet wetting-agent. You can dry the film just by hanging it in a dust-free area.<br> 3) I doubt that you can wash off any dust that has already stuck to the film.</p>

<p>I recall being bitten on the leg by a horse-fly. Twenty minutes later my leg is red, itching and swollen and I can hardly walk.</p>

<p>This sort of thing makes my blood boil. Do the powers-that-be think that a terrorist would take the trouble to set up a highly visible camera and take a photograph? No, they would discreetly use a smart phone and immediately transmit the picture to some other interested party and no-one would be any the wiser.<br> I despair at the intellectual calibre of those who claim to protect us.</p>

<p>Expected to go for around $400,000.</p> <p><a href="http://www.rferl.org/content/auction-leica-camera-khaldei/25451369.html">http://www.rferl.org/content/auction-leica-camera-khaldei/25451369.html</a></p> <p> </p>

<p>If you are only developing the occasional roll then I would recommend a liquid developer such as Adonal which keeps for a long time. As for stop bath, I use Kodak Indicating Stop but I have also made my own stop bath using white vinegar diluted 1+1 with water. I added a pinch of bromocresol purple as indicator. I use Ilford Hypam rapid fixer.<br /> <br />I store my stop and fixer working solutions in old bleach bottles.</p> <p>I heat the water for developing in a microwave cooker.</p><div></div>

<p>Primarily to make a record of the world as I see it. Some people write a diary, I take photographs.</p>

<p>Robert, thanks for that information.</p> <p>Chris.</p>

<p>Ludwig, thanks for that. :)</p>

<p>Many thanks, all, for your responses. I have 4 bottles of a&o Rodinal (labelled 'Agfa Rodinal') which, I believe, was 'genuine' Rodinal but I also have 5 bottles of R09 made by KG of Germany. The a&o Rodinal lists its ingredients as potassium sulfite, potassium hydroxide, p-aminophenol and potassium bromide. I shall order some Adonal as soon as my supplier has it in stock. Thanks again.</p>

<p>I find this very same thing. and as Lex has said it is an optical effect due to the changes in densities as the negs dry. As long as the negs print OK then there is nothing to worry about.</p>

<p>I am told that Adonal is exactly the same formulation as genuine Agfa Rodinal. Can anyone attest to its shelf-life?<br> <br />TIA.</p>

<p>The one-and-only, the original ....</p><div></div>

<p>If it's an R25 then it is a 3-stop filter. The R25 is the most common red filter.</p>