I use a Sinar P2, FP4, PMK, process and print all my negs.
I use a Sinar P2, FP4, PMK, process and print all my negs.
I shoot primarily B/W with a Pentax 645n and a Wisner 5x7 with a 4x5 reducing back. I shoot old barns, collapsing houses, portraits, and what I like to call; "things invisible to see" Film choice is Ilford PanF 50 for the 645 & Ilford HP5+ for the Large Format. Pan F developed with Ilford DD-X. 5x7 or 4x5 processed in Ilford ID-11.
Prints made with a Saunders 4550 Dichroic Enlarger on Forte Glossy VC paper, souped in Dektol. 5x7 work is usually portrait work that I print as a contact print.....
Scoot
If every company in the world stopped making film and paper, I would never go digital. If this happened it would be time to go back and make my own glass plate and contact it as a cyanotype. I shoot with a Cambo 4x5 onto HP5 or FP4 developed in HC110. Enlarging onto ortho film to make cyanotype contacts. Or enlarge onto Oriental Seagull, developed in stock LPD for normal prints. About once a year I get the urge to shoot some Velvia, it has nice colors.
Shoot mostly 4x5 chromes and scan them on my Epson 3200, or sometimes an Imacon. Print 8x10s at home on my Epson inkjet, or I get bigger prints from a Epson 9600. I often convert color to B&W, and print only on matte papers. I don't try to make my inkjets look like silver prints - that is a fool's game. But they do look good as prints unto themselves (matte color is very rare with chemical prints.) I no longer shoot 35mm or 120 film as my DSLR is at least as good as roll film. When I can get close to 4x5 quality from digital at a reasonable price and size, then it's game over for film. To me, it is the image that is important.
That said, I really like the process and using good equipment. Sometimes I get nostaglic for the darkroom (I was a decent fine art B&W printer) but the smell of fixer and acetic acid cures that. If I get really nostalgic, I could read the warnings on a bottle of Selenium toner.
No digital! All B&W silver. 4x5 with Graphic Crowns, Speeds and GVII's. 8x10 with Century Universals and 80 year old glass. I now like Ilford HP5 and FP4. Print on Centennial POP paper and looking into other alternative processes and still like Polaroids...
4x5, 6x7, 35mm, all color trans (typically Provia pushed two stops). All early work scanned on a TANGO. Presently, all but 4x5 scanned on my own Nikon 8000. 4x5 sent to West Coast Imaging. Output (customer request) either from my own Epson 9600 (Premium Luster or Textured Fine Art) or Calypso's Lightjet 5000 on Fuji Matte. Also manipulated SX-70 scanned on a LinoColor Ultra Saphir and output with 9600 or Lightjet. DSLR (Digital Rebel) now used for metering exposures and "happy snaps." Having a darkroom in employee housing in Yosemite was impractical, so I always relied on labs to print my work. In 1996 Bill Atkinson and Charlie Cramer introduced me to TANGO scans and Lightjet output so that finally, I could completely control my results from start to finish.
All "traditional" - 9x12cm, 4x5", 5x7", 13x18cm, 18x25cm. 99% BW, mostly FP4+ and EFKE. Smaller sizes get enlarged, 18x25cm only contact printed. Use all traditional methods including gelatin/silver, cyanotype, POP, van Dyke, lith printing.
All chemical.
35 mm still mainly with Nikons. KM until the freezer is empty, EB, and TMX. When the EB runs out, will probably switch to EPP or EPN. Have to do some high res work soon, will use TP for it.
2.25 x 3.25 mainly with 2x3 Graphics. EPP and TMX. When the EPP runs out will probably switch to EPN.
I send all film out for processing.
Cheers,
Dan
The gamit. From Fuji S7000 6.3 mega pix P&S to 8X20 film / contacts, and everything in between. Right tool for the job. I will add that when shooting for pure enjoyment it is 100% analog. Digital is work, film and all it's host is play.
8x10 E100VS although I still have some RVP I'm running down. Processing outsourced. Toyo 810M. Lenses: 150mm; 240mm; 450mm; 600mm. Most used 240mm and 450mm. Have an 11x14 and a good stock of film, but don't use it much - should get a lighter camera!
Up to now, prints up to 20x24 on Cibachrome, all outsourced. Am going to go the digital route, so am stockpiling trannys. All work for myself.
Favourite photographers include Burkett, Sternfeld, Simon Norfolk (mainly because of one book, Afghanistan), Michael Kenna, some Struth (but don't push it...), Wim Wenders (still and motion-picture photography).
Live in the UK, and 30 years old.
Carry it all in a Super Trekker II, with typically 8 film holders, Gitzo 1548 and 1570M; Sekonic L508; BZTS dark cloth; Muesli bars in one side pocket, water in the other.
Lose lots of spirit levels in the field, and some adaptor rings;
Day to day, typically carry at least a Konica Hexar AF with me, and sometimes a Minolta Dynax 9 with 100-400. Have started taking a Canon Powershot on 'proper' holidays (rather than photographic 'holidays').
I crop if I feel the need - cropping is NOT 'an admission of failure to see creatively'.
Motto: 'Too much talk; not enough photography' (been saying that a bit much lately).
Biggest mistake? Didn't pay enough attention to tripod when leaving a scene: result: one lost 1548/1570M south of San Quirico d'Orcia, and a trip cut short...last month.
Tired of photographers esp. LF photographers, relying on the use of recondite or archaic processes/techniques to convince people their work is of value; equally tired of overly-florid speech to achieve same end.
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