Filed under: (5.) Processing
Long Time … hello!
so i’ve been researching film processing/ developing a lot recently and ive also just (yesterday to be exact) purchased an Olympus XA3 off e bay for cheap, so im pretty stoked at the minute. i don’t always like to have my digital slr with me, sometimes it seems pretty unnecessary? and as my Ricoh is broken…yup, not much film photography happening atm. but now my apparent lack of options is no longer a problem; bring on the XA3!
another plus to getting the above object is having something i can shoot with all the time, il be able to take it everywhere, meaning when (not if, when!) i get my self sorted with some home processing/ developing equipment, i will (hopefully) have rolls and rolls and rolls and rolls and rolls of film to practice with…
its been recommended i start toying with B&W film first- apparently its financially friendlier. this suits me fine anyway, mainly for these two reasons:
1.) i dont want to end up penniless 2.) i wanted to shoot B&W in the first place!
so heres what i’ve found out…
Processing Film.
i need an inversion tank and reel, four measuring cylinders, a stop watch, one thermometer, neg clips, a stirring paddle, a changing bag, a stop clock, (about) a liter of water for a pre soak aka water, a developer, a stop bath (some people use water, others a indicator, i will try and attempt both), and a fixer.
before i can expose my film to light, i need to process the film. i place my inversion tank (lid separate), the used film, and the reel, inside my changing bag (i light proof bag). i will then try and feed the roll around the reel, after ensuring i have the start of the roll trapped in-between the reels spring clip and supporting bar. once wound all the way tight (making sure there are no kinks), place the reel inside of the inversion tank, and secure the lid stopping all light leaks.
now i have my roll ready to be chemicalarised!!! (not a word, i know!)
so what i need to do now is ensure all my chemicals are at the right temp. from what ive seen on various sites, blogs etc, 68 fahrenheit or 20 degrees celsius will suit just fine. i will need to fill my sink, bath, or any suitable container – deep enough to heat the cylinders effectively, but still shallow enough to prevent any unbalanced falls, with water heated to the correct temp, i.e 20 degrees. i will then place the four cylinders (containing the correct chemical measurements, ex. if the inversion tank is 500 ml, make sure you have 500 ml of developer, stop bath, and fixer) in the water. waiting for them to reach the right temp, 20 degrees, i can start the physical process…
Below is a Conversion chart based on Ilfords. it is essential to know just how long you should carry out the conversions for. this chart will be key in my success.
first, i will remove the cap, NOT the lid! on the inversion tank, and pour in the pre soak or wetting agent. (apparently not everyone uses a pre soak, but i will try it as some say it it ‘brings the films emulsion up to temp thus creating some level of consistency’.) once the pre soak is inside the tank, turn it upside down and back again for a 1 – 2 minuites. make sure you rid the film of any air bubbles by tapping the tank in-between inversions. (it isn’t as essential to keep a strict set times for the pre soak as it is for say the developer.) then pour the water away.
second, il poor my developer into the tank and start my stop watch. invert the tank four times at the start of each minutes tapping the tank to dislodge the air bubbles. after the correct developing time (see temp/ time chart above to see how long that is) pour out the developer.
third, I’ll pour my stop bath into the tank and agitate for the recommended time (again see chart). then il pour out my stop bath.
step four, il pour in my fixer and initially invert four times. then invert four times every thirty seconds for the recommended time, remembering to get rid of any unwanted air bubbles by tapping the tank on your work surface. when the time is up, il pour out my fixer.
next step will be to wash the film. i’ve found out there are a few ways in which i can do this. i think when i actually come to do this for real, i will try and find the method i like the best by experimenting with them.
method 1 – Ilford Method
having already poured out all of my fixer, i will fill my tank up with water and invert 5 times. then pour this water away. il repeat this, only this time im inverting the tank 10 times. and finally repeat this again, but now im inverting the tank 20 times. then empty the tank. my film is now ready to develop : ] (apparently!)
Method 2 – Paterson Force Washer
first i will have to connect the washer with my tank (basically a long tube that funnels water from your tap) and leave to wash for 5 – 10 mins. next il need a wetting agent where i can agitate the reel for one minute. then i can twist open my reel and end the processing process!
so there you have it, my first instalment of research…hope it is clear/ accurate. if you see any flaws or errors in there, please comment to let me know, id very much appreciate the help!
my next post will be coming soon, really soon hopefully, im just sorting through some old photographs ready to upload. anyway…byeee
Filed under: (4.) Exhibition
Exhibition: 19th June.
Below is a picture of the venue. image taken from google for temporary use !
So earlier today, max and I actually went into Dusk after weeks of putting it off (you know how it is, you think you have all the time in the world and then all of a sudden- later is now!) to schedule a definite date; 19th June. it falls between Paris Trip and Medias end of year show *.
The venue is going to be the up stairs of a popular bar called Dusk. it has great potential: great lighting, good space, useful layout, built in & hidden sound system. we have to go back to discuss details soon, so i will take some photographs of our room and post them in a later entry with layout plans, ideas etc.
*Media end of year show….
Basically, all media students pull all their work together [at the end of the year] (believe it or not) and hold one big exhibition. But because Max and I wanted more control over our space, music, lighting etc, we came up with a way to incorporate the organising of the event with our photography work, which in turn will hopefully aid in us achieving the best grades possible.
Peace and goodwill. x
Filed under: (3.) Switzerland
so i just recently went skiing in switzerland for a few weeks with some friends…had a really good time, was just soooo expensive. (the fact that i made my way over to morzine (france) for a few nights visiting another friend didnt really help my financial state..anyway! here i’ve posted a few photos from the trip, the rest have yet to be sorted through. all shot with nikon d 40 + 18-55 mm lens.
we had a really early flight, but like not early enough to just stay awake, but not long enough to make falling asleep worth your while? yeah but as my dad was helping load james and zaks bags into our car, i took this of james new flat, kind of a second home for me.
so we arrived with no problems, everything went a.o.k (pretty unusual!), but then we had to find our way from Geneva to Verbier. this was taken on the airport underground platform thing while the two i went with tried to work out how we get from A to B. was taken with a high iso (think it was like 800?) and a slightly delayed shutter speed to try and get some distortion. quite like it, although it took so long to wait until the escalators were free, was soo busy! anyway…
plan sorted, we were on our first train to the home of kings bar (a seedy bar in verbier we late made ours). this is zak, click the image to see with NO cropping! what like about this is the depth of field, lowest f-stop number (think around f 2- 3?), medium iso setting and hoped for the best haha. killing time on the train really..
ah this photo.. i love it for some reason? i suppose becasue its a direct reminder of the scenic views switzerland had on offer the whole way there. i set the focus to manual, and then fiddled with some more focusing settings (what exactly, im not sure!) and ended up with this, which looks pretty similar to the prints i sometimes get with my ricoh when using with the broken wide angle! anyway yeah, like it. (ps click to view with zero cropping.)
so these next few photographs are taken on second platform, whilst waiting for the second train. above, some really nice tones. i especially like the pole on the right?
and what i like about this most is the clean cut- black and white contrast, effecting how i think we set the rest of the scene in our heads. there are’t many tones, not many variations on shades, just really dark, dark and light. i also like how the lines lead your eyes out (more so the train tracks), and how the platform and the train run parallel, highlighting the colour contrast. however, i do wish we could see more of the women on the platform, to help give some story to the photo, who is she? where is she? where is she going? etc.
right so again, just waiting on the platform: slower shutter speed, otherwise same camera settings (medium to high iso rating etc). with the mountains were more visible, they look quite white washed.
hahahaha zak.. couldn’t resist playing with the levels with this, well the one on the right. he thinks he has bad skin- he doesnt, and he thinks the way to resolve this issue is to put toothpaste on his skin- it isnt !!!
quite punk? love it. it was taken in the bunker on our first night. mental. actually is the weirdest place i have ever stayed. it was built to shelter the people of Verbier should nuclear war ever break out.. however, now? its a cheap (for switzerland) place to stay. had my i pod stolen and EVERYTHING.
this is a church in verbier. the first of the two i visited. i spent a bit of time like bill murray in lost in translation actually- time to kill when i wanst skiing, waiting for them two to come back. so with a wonders spirit i took to the streets and stumbled across this, a house of god. the stain glass slits illuminating the room just looked plain and a bit odd from the outside, so when i went in i was not expecting this. the two people in the shot also appeared to be wonders. just us three in there. i then lit a candle…
did not donate though. dug deep, but found nothing. nightmare when you light a candle in church you cant pay for. anyway, bad photo, good memory.
so yeah bad to end with a bad photograph but anyway. i have loads more to look through, think most are just fun photos like with not much thought behind them, but you never know! so until next time…
Filed under: (2.) F.M.P
Right, second entry!
hope everyone is okie : ]
sooo, had you come across my introductory page you would probably know that the purpose behind this blog is to keep a live, online, up to date journal of my college work as part of my Final Major Project (FMP). however, what i failed to mention was the subject of which my FMP is to be based on; photography.
my FMP will consist of these main ingredients: cameras, photographs, film, patience, my macintosh, wordpress, and an exhibition.
around may/ june, max and i (max is a college friend also doing photography) are planning to hold an exhibition where we hope to tick boxes right across the syllabus. fingers crossed! an exhibition isn’t really my thing, i’d prefer to keep things low key but unfortunately thats not how you pass the course!
meet max…
^hello max^
developing…
i have no experience with producing my own prints but i will definitely be experimenting as part of my my FMP. i am actually so excited to have a go at developing my own prints! i have a second hand Ricoh [manuel SLR] (courtesy of grandad) to aid in fulfilling my desire to develop. and i also have a Nikon d 40. i am currently in the process of buying a Holga on ebay, a fun camera to keep on me always.
in terms of developing equipment, i have seen a few youtube tutorials on the magic black bag, meaning i wouldn’t have to turn my bathroom into a dark room; although turning my bathroom into my very own darkroom would please me more than anything, i dont think my parents would approve! if anyone has seen any of these videos, please let me know what you think! helpful, or not so helpful???????
click here to see an example video… comments please!
thanks for reading…
over and out!
Filed under: (1.) about me..
