Ed K.
18-Jan-2011, 00:01
While rummaging through the various film surplus today, I unearthed one unopened package of 4x5 type 55, and a few sheets sitting in an opened box. Figuring that the open sheets were probably the least likely to be good, I tested one out. To become an immortal member of those who have had their portrait taken on 55, naturally there was only one choice for the test subject.
Exposed at 50 using studio lights, a nice negative was produced, just as if this were a few years ago. The stuff really keeps.
Given that there are probably vast hoards of the stuff hidden away in the caches of some million packrat geezers, but taken with the thought that some people allegedly sold out of the stuff at $230US per box after production ceased, it would seem that Type 55 is some kind of rare thing today, a Jurassic period example of what is, or will be, the stuff of unobtainium. Normally, I’d just shoot it and think nothing more of it.
In this case, there seems to be a call to do something greater with it, to see it off with a good shot. Selling it would be dropping to a lower level than a ticket scalper.
So here is question for you thoughtful large format artists:
If you had the last of an old friend film type that has no real replacement, as Type 55 is in this case, what would you do? A series with just the one box? Portraits of your friends? Keep it until the year 2012 to see if it can be used to reboot the Mayan calendar? Offer each of your friends a piece of it?
Ummm, no more nice clean Quickloads with their neat little packs, so compact. Nearly purchased the last of them from S’s today, Grumble, grumble! So, while Velvia and Provia 4x5 are still around in cut sheets, they too have a certain portability that makes them “special”, and again, the same concept applies.
Exposed at 50 using studio lights, a nice negative was produced, just as if this were a few years ago. The stuff really keeps.
Given that there are probably vast hoards of the stuff hidden away in the caches of some million packrat geezers, but taken with the thought that some people allegedly sold out of the stuff at $230US per box after production ceased, it would seem that Type 55 is some kind of rare thing today, a Jurassic period example of what is, or will be, the stuff of unobtainium. Normally, I’d just shoot it and think nothing more of it.
In this case, there seems to be a call to do something greater with it, to see it off with a good shot. Selling it would be dropping to a lower level than a ticket scalper.
So here is question for you thoughtful large format artists:
If you had the last of an old friend film type that has no real replacement, as Type 55 is in this case, what would you do? A series with just the one box? Portraits of your friends? Keep it until the year 2012 to see if it can be used to reboot the Mayan calendar? Offer each of your friends a piece of it?
Ummm, no more nice clean Quickloads with their neat little packs, so compact. Nearly purchased the last of them from S’s today, Grumble, grumble! So, while Velvia and Provia 4x5 are still around in cut sheets, they too have a certain portability that makes them “special”, and again, the same concept applies.