Jump to content

Developed my first black and white!


PATB

Recommended Posts

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I am a little late to film photography, having started with a digital point and shoot then a consumer dSLR. I got my first real film camera in January, a Leica MP, and photography became much more fun for me. I am no artist or master photographer, but I take my MP with me to family vacations and business trips shooting Kodak 400UC or Fuji Superia 800. Light, relatively compact, and doesn't attract attention (most people think it is an old camera) -- just the way I want it. And the "workflow" is just great as all I have to do is drop off rolls at Costco or the local prolab (for important rolls) to get prints, negatives, and scans.

 

I thought I should give my photography a little push and signed up for Photography 1 at a local community college. Well, we developed our first roll tonight -- Tri-X on D76, 68F, 9.75 minutes. I scanned the first strip of 5 frames using my Nikon Coolscan V, and am glad to discover I didn't ruin my first roll! We will be printing a contact sheet next week, then an 8x10 using the enlarger the week after that. Can't wait :D

 

Thank you all for the encouragement and advice I have received here. I will need more in the coming months for sure!

 

Leica MP, 50mm Cron, Tri-X

1480859363_5d81d59e8e_b.jpg

Link to post
Share on other sites

Congratulations! Nicely done. Fun, isn't it.

 

Say, is there a storage space under those stairs? That's where the darkroom goes! :D

Unless, of course, you have a room with actual plumbing that you can convert for the purpose.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Congratulations, developing your own film is not only fun, its a kind of magic alchemy.

I can remember as if yesterday my first film (FP4 in Ilfosol) even though it was almost 30 years ago.

The only advice I have is stick to one or two film, and developers and to keep everything consistent, write on the neg sleeves the dev time, and film ratings this will help you later.

Most of all:

Have fun

Mark

Photo Utopia

Link to post
Share on other sites

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Great that you took the step! Working in the darkroom is great..especially with some nice jazz music in the background...but wait....the reward really comes after a couple of days when you look at your prints...and you are proud of it. For me working in the darkroom and printing on my own makes the photography circle round.

 

People who say that digital is faster......crap...just realize how many hours you are sitting behind your screen whitout even having a print and a zillion of pictures on your HD.

 

People whou say the digital learning curve is so steep...probably true. Doing your work in the daroom is just different, let's say kwality time over quantity.

 

And I am not an old dinasour who is saying this..age 28 and have a lot of experience with a DSLR, RAW shooting PS etc.

 

Finally it doesn't matter at all...digital, analoge, throw away camera whatever. It is only the image and fun that counts and everyone has it's on method of creation...keep on with the good work!

 

remember:

No photographer is as good as the simplest camera ;-) E.Steichen

Link to post
Share on other sites

I wish I could convert a room for a darkroom, but I doubt my wife will agree to that. However, I live minutes from the community college and they have newly renovated darkrooms with brand new (yes totally new for this semester because of new funds from the state) enlargers, other darkroom equipment, and get this, Hasselblad film scanners!!! You would think film is dead by reading posts on the Internet, but the college is committed to film. I will be back this weekend to develop more rolls as the college has convenient weekend darkroom hours.

 

BTW, I never realized how small 35mm negatives are until I saw the negatives the advanced students were processing :D

Link to post
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...