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Still Life Images, 2013
Happy 2013 everyone!
I've been playing around with some 5x7 film that expired in 1944. It is severely fogged with all sorts of other artifacts (streaks, blotches, specks), and the processed negative looks almost opaque to the naked eye. Scanning it was tricky; I'm not sure it would be printable by conventional means. Still, I'm amazed to see any image at all from 70 year old film. Tray developed in HC-110 dilution H for 9 minutes at 66°F.
Century 10A 8x10 with 5x7 back, Kodak unnamed 259mm process lens, 5x7 Gevaert Ultra Panchro film (expired 1944), rated at ISO 12.
http://www.kolstad.us/ebay/Gevaert-5...29-Test-01.jpg
For those who are curious, here is the film box:
http://www.kolstad.us/ebay/5x7-Gevaert-01.jpg
Jonathan
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Re: Still Life Images, 2013
Nice work! Where did you find the film?
e
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Re: Still Life Images, 2013
Thanks. I found the film--where else?--on Eb@y. Often people have high starting bids for film this old thinking, I guess, that it gains in value as it ages, but sometimes some cheap boxes slip through. I was able to get usable images from 120 roll film that expired in the 1960s a couple of years ago, and so I was curious to see what I'd get if I went even older. Now I know.
Jonathan
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Re: Still Life Images, 2013
"will be gladly replaced, if found to be defective in manufacture"...
so you had no risk
:-)
hendrik
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3 Attachment(s)
Re: Still Life Images, 2013
Beautiful image Jonathan..
Are these glass plates?
I have 5 boxes of different ancient glass plates in 18x24cm size...
Have been wondering whether totry it out or to donate them to a museum....
Time will tell
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Re: Still Life Images, 2013
Quote:
Originally Posted by
hendrik faure
"will be gladly replaced, if found to be defective in manufacture"... so you had no risk.
None at all! ;)
Quote:
Originally Posted by
gandolfi
Are these glass plates?
The Gevaert Ultra Panchro is sheet film, but I also have two unopened boxes of very old glass plates. Unfortunately, I have no plate holders to load them in. Some people seem to think you should keep old film and/or plates in the original packaging as collector's items, but I love shooting very old emulsions. I have yet to find an unopened box of sheet film that is so old as to be unusable.
Jonathan
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Re: Still Life Images, 2013
Here are my first still lifes, not just of 2013, but ever. I generally fancy myself a landscape photographer, and I definitiely enjoyed shooting at 75 Fahrenheit, no wind, and quite a bit of control over the light and composition!
Attachment 86398Attachment 86399Attachment 86400
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Re: Still Life Images, 2013
There is something about the vintage fonts and design of the box that says "shoot me and prepare for greatness". And sure enough... it's giving you stunning results! Lucky, lucky you!
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Re: Still Life Images, 2013
Quote:
Originally Posted by
hendrik faure
"will be gladly replaced, if found to be defective in manufacture"...
so you had no risk
:-)
hendrik
Although I have lived here in Williamstown for nine years, I had no idea that film was made here. I will try to get some information, but my suspicion is that the company existed on what is now a Superfund site on the edge of the Hoosic River.
Dave
PS I found that Gevaert film was manufactured here for short time during and shortly after the war. The factory was in a converted textile mill, which is now referred to as the Photech site, from the last owners, who fled and dumped the property on the town for unpaid taxes. The factory was demolished and the contamination far more extensive than foreseen, so it remains a ten acre brownfield owned by the town.
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Re: Still Life Images, 2013
Fascinating work Jonathan - you are indeed getting a look akin to an alt-process. The cool thing here is you are using your digital tools to make something all together new, and different - truly a merger of technologies if there ever was one, what with the negative likely unusable for silver prints.
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Re: Still Life Images, 2013
Found some never-refrigerated "expired in 1994" Tri-X in the basement, so (following the lead of all the "expired film shooters" around here) decided to see what it would do. I exposed at 200, 100, 50, and 25 ASA. As I posted in the "digital processing" forum, I'm left a bit adrift with scanning and judging negatives. Due to the wonders of Epson software, all four exposures looked decent! I guess I will have to get down to the basement darkroom and make a "proper proof" to see what is really going on, but I decided to scan the 50 ASA experiment. The only photoshopping was to darken down the brightness control a bit, equivalent of a longer exposure in my enlarger. As far as I can tell from this scan, its a decent negative, but I could probably have chosen any of the four (or at least from 100 ASA and down) and gotten about the same result. Right now I'm grappling with the horrible thought that scanner software has made careful metering and exposure somewhat less relevant? Anyway:
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8354/8...d58b0635_c.jpg
img073-scrn by Pete Lewin, on Flickr
Canham 4x5, window light, PMK, Epson 4990
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Re: Still Life Images, 2013
Lovely quality of light in that, Peter. Viva expired film!
Jonathan
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Re: Still Life Images, 2013
My First long exposure. Metered 1 minute @ f45. Factored in for RF, and exposed for 6 minutes -1.5 stops
Fomapan film, Graphlex Graphic View, Arista Developer 1:9
http://www.keepsakephotography.us/4x5/Balls.jpg
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Re: Still Life Images, 2013
Already posted this in the Heliar-thread, shot it on thursday.
30cm Heliar @ f/8, 8x10", two minute exposure with ambient artificial light, Efke 25, developed in Pyrocat HD.
http://www.abload.de/img/tassekanneschaley2odo.jpg
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Re: Still Life Images, 2013
Farmers market apples. I'm thinking of switching to Ilford Delta 100 from TMax 100, so I had to shoot something. It doesn't show at this small size, but the results are very pleasing, with almost no grain, so I'll stick with Delta 100.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8084/8...93b1cffb_z.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8378/8...af1296a1_z.jpg
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Re: Still Life Images, 2013
Shot this tonight. Grabbed one of my wife's candle sticks from the mantle and played around until I got the lighting (mostly) how I wanted it.
Kodak 2D 8x10 w/5x7 back, 240mm Hugo Meyer Doppel-Anastigmat No. 4, Kodak Low Contrast Aerial Duplicating Film (SO-277).
http://www.kolstad.us/ebay/5x7-SO-277-Candle-2b.jpg
Jonathan
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Re: Still Life Images, 2013
OCD alert: that should be "mantel," as in the fireplace mantel from whence I grabbed the candle holder, not "mantle," as in the stuff below the earth's crust. D'oh!
J.
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Re: Still Life Images, 2013
Continuing to experiment with my old Tri-X and HC-110; increased development time about 10%, still using ASA 50. Both set-ups on the same dining room table, same window light, as previous submission.
First, "Friday Night Clean-up:"
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8054/8...efd53a86_z.jpg
img076 by Pete Lewin, on Flickr
Second, "The Old Camping Stove (Svea):"
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8516/8...6c3048ea_z.jpg
img077 by Pete Lewin, on Flickr
Comments always welcome!
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Re: Still Life Images, 2013
Same lighting set-up as above, but with different candlesticks and a different lens.
Kodak 2D 8x10 w/5x7 back, 10" A.T. Thompson projection Petzval (~f/6), Kodak Low Contrast Aerial Duplicating Film (SO-277)
http://www.kolstad.us/ebay/5x7-SO-277-Atlas3-01.jpg
Jonathan
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Re: Still Life Images, 2013
Yet another one. All different equipment this time (except for the lighting), with a bit more exposure for a brighter image. I am amazed at how well some of these old Polaroid materials hold up. Sharp, virtually grainless negative, too.
Toyo 45A, 210mm Sironar-N @ f/11, Polaroid type 55 film (expired 2001).
http://www.kolstad.us/ebay/T55---Candlesticks-r2.jpg
Jonathan
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Re: Still Life Images, 2013
Jonathan, love these, especially the lighting, and especially this last one. What exactly is your lighting, and what kind of table/surface is that? I assume that's a simply cloth background as well?
I hardly do still-life because I hate setting up lights but I need to do more of it.
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Re: Still Life Images, 2013
Bryan,
Thanks. The lighting is as simple as you can get: just one 250W Smith-Victor photo flood lamp aimed up at the wool blanket I'm using as a backdrop. The candlesticks are sitting on a shiny piece of plastic sheeting I had left over from installing a tub surround in our bathroom a few years ago. If the lighting were more complicated than this I wouldn't do many still lifes, either.
You can see the single light on the floor below the table:
http://www.kolstad.us/ebay/LIghting-Set-Up-01.jpg
Jonathan
P.S. Big thanks to my wife for letting me take over the living room for a few days.
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Re: Still Life Images, 2013
8x10 Cambo Legend
300mm Caltar II N - F11
Single Novatron flash head
X-Ray film - 80 ISO
D76 full strength
6 minutes @ 68 degrees F.
http://www.gophotog.org/allphotos/fi...apotAndCup.jpg
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Re: Still Life Images, 2013
Thanks for the info and picture Jonathan! That is very helpful.
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Re: Still Life Images, 2013
Same lighting, different arrangement of candlesticks.
Pacemaker Speed Graphic, Zeiss 15cm f/4.5 uncoated Tessar @ f/8, 4x5 T-Max 100 (expired 1999).
http://www.kolstad.us/ebay/T-Max-100...9-Atlas-02.jpg
Jonathan
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Re: Still Life Images, 2013
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Re: Still Life Images, 2013
Quote:
Originally Posted by
cjbroadbent
Nice work, Jonathan!
Thank you kindly!
J.
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Re: Still Life Images, 2013
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3 Attachment(s)
Re: Still Life Images, 2013
Focusing on Soft Focus technique. SF lenses are not easy to use. I"m still getting the hang of it.
Verito 14" on 4x5
Attachment 87221
Kodak 305 on 8x10 Xray
Attachment 87222
Verito 14" on 8x10 Xray
Attachment 87223
George
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Re: Still Life Images, 2013
Hurrah for Xray film. A God Send for us po' folks who still want to shoot 8x10. It's all I shoot now in 8x10.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
jon.oman
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Re: Still Life Images, 2013
Quote:
Originally Posted by
gbogatko
Hurrah for Xray film. A God Send for us po' folks who still want to shoot 8x10. It's all I shoot now in 8x10.
Without it, I would not be shooting 8x10 either! Too bad they don't make 4x5......
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1 Attachment(s)
Re: Still Life Images, 2013
Starting to try Still Life.
Feedback welcome.
Sinar f, Symmar S 210. F45 90 seconds Delta 100 Rodinal 1:50 14 minutes
Thanks
Andrew
Attachment 87281
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Re: Still Life Images, 2013
An utterly pointless photo, except to test my new E6 chems! Processed in the Tetenal 3-bath kit. My plan using several tanks to do a dip and dunk style development process worked like a charm. I forgot to attach my 80A filter though so I had a strong color cast from incandescent lighting, but not bad otherwise! Going to shoot some more test shots tomorrow and try developing several at a time. Oh yeah, this is expired Ektachrome Plus 100.
http://www.oceanstarproductions.com/...itled-41ss.jpg
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Re: Still Life Images, 2013
camera : Zone VI,
210mm Caltar II-E, 4x5 Shanghai 100
KODAK D-76, 1:1 @ 20deg C , V700 scanned
exposure 10 mins, F/32
Billy
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Re: Still Life Images, 2013
Tonight I was leafing through my grandmother's diary (that she kept from age 18 to 23) when it flopped open with one page remaining upright. This was a strange enough occurrence that I went ahead and photographed it that way.
Pacemaker Speed Graphic, 15cm f/4.5 Zeiss Tessar (uncoated), T-Max 100 (expired 1998).
http://www.kolstad.us/ebay/4x5-Jean%27s-Diary-01.jpg
http://www.kolstad.us/ebay/4x5-Jean%27s-Diary-SQa.jpg
Jonathan
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Re: Still Life Images, 2013
I don't see (m)any polaroid transfers here. This one is a bit old.
http://ramiroelena.com/wordpress/wp-...Future-Col.jpg
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Re: Still Life Images, 2013
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Re: Still Life Images, 2013
Quote:
Originally Posted by
jcoldslabs
Tonight I was leafing through my grandmother's diary (that she kept from age 18 to 23) when it flopped open with one page remaining upright. This was a strange enough occurrence that I went ahead and photographed it that way.
Pacemaker Speed Graphic, 15cm f/4.5 Zeiss Tessar (uncoated), T-Max 100 (expired 1998).
Jonathan
I'm chiming in late but Happy New Year to all, anyway. There's already a ton of great images in this thread. Jonathan, I really like these two of the diary and once more they come with a great story.
Peter
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Re: Still Life Images, 2013
Yes, really nice stuff Jonathan! I like the second one especially.
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Re: Still Life Images, 2013
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Ramiro Elena
I don't see (m)any polaroid transfers here. This one is a bit old.
Ramiro, you are right and you show two very nice examples. So, here is my contribution:
https://sites.google.com/site/gourme...ansfer_vsm.jpg
I took this a long time ago. For a short period I had to live without a darkroom and played with polaroid quite a bit. It was fun, though a bit expensive. But having no darkroom felt like having only one leg and I couldn't bare it. So, I ended up squeezing a Beseler 45MXT into the bathroom of my tiny apartment and pretty soon stopped making pola transfers. Now that polaroid is gone, I kind of regret that I didn't make more of them.
Peter
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Re: Still Life Images, 2013
The font on that lamp (Ken's post) is fantastic!
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Re: Still Life Images, 2013
Peter, Bryan - Thanks. The second image is the better one, I think, but the first one gives it context.
Jonathan
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Re: Still Life Images, 2013
Quote:
Originally Posted by
ShawnHoke
The font on that lamp (Ken's post) is fantastic!
Yes, they don't make them like that any more :)
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1 Attachment(s)
Re: Still Life Images, 2013
A toy truck. 8x10. Schneider 165/8 (beast of a lens). Xray film. LOTS of swing.
Attachment 87353
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Re: Still Life Images, 2013
Still had the spotlight set up in the living room from yesterday, so I left it in place and used a new prop.
Pacemaker Speed Graphic, 15cm f/4.5 Zeiss Tessar, Polaroid type 53 film (expired 1993).
http://www.kolstad.us/ebay/T53-Vase-and-Shadow-NEGb.jpg
Jonathan
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Re: Still Life Images, 2013
While I was in Tucson over the holidays I shot this still life, my first. Its not very good but has a lot of personal meaning. My father died a couple of years ago, but all his stuff is still out in the garage, and I gathered all these items, except the memorial card but including the work light I lit it with, within two feet of the workbench where I set it up. My dad was a geologist, amateur archeologist and woodworker, retired from the army, and a veteran of World War II.
http://i1120.photobucket.com/albums/...masinUS002.jpg
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Re: Still Life Images, 2013
That's a nice remembrance of your father, Tim.
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Re: Still Life Images, 2013
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Re: Still Life Images, 2013
Taken tonight just before I turned my makeshift studio back into the cozy living room that it usually is.
Kodak 2D 8x10, 15" B&L f/4 projection Petzval, Kodak Low Contrast Aerial Duplicating Film (SO-277).
http://www.kolstad.us/ebay/8x10-SO-2...dio-Lights.jpg
Jonathan
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Re: Still Life Images, 2013
Kodak 2D w/5x7 back, 240mm Hugo Meyer Doppel Anastigmat, Kodak Low Contrast Aerial Duplicating Film (SO-277) (Exp. 1984).
http://www.kolstad.us/ebay/5x7-SO-27...-01-CROP-7.jpg
Jonathan