Young Whippersnapper from NW OH

[mat4226]

Hello All!

Keeping it short, I'm one of those kids that grew up on digital and until about six months ago, barely knew what film was. I picked up a used Hasselblad and started forcing myself to shoot at least one roll of film per week. In an attempt to document my film exploits, I created a blog which was later titled "The 52 Project". By the third week of said project, I started processing my own b&w film, loved the sharpness, and started hungering for more. With a few connections back at my local university, I got access to an even older Kodak Century 8x10 and have been hooked since the first sheet.

Searching for a little more control in the development process, I've migrated to a liquid developer, Pyrocat HD, and am conducting film tests this weekend with some fresh Tmax 400 (yeah it's expensive, but I've learned on it thus far).

Any thoughts, opinions, and pointers you guys have for me would be great. I'm here to learn, share, and grow.

Thanks for stopping by,

-Mat M.

P.S. Access to a scanner has been limited, but I should have my first 8x10 sheets up in the next week or so.

[ic-racer]

Welcome to the dark side!

[eddie]

nice one. welcome.

check over at apug.org as well. there is usually all kinds of great info on processing etc etc.

[Vick Vickery]

Welcome to group therepy, Mat!

[Andrew O'Neill]

Hi there. I use TMY-2 8x10 and pyrocat-hd. I usually develop in BTZS tubes. I print in carbon, so my development times are longer than if you are printing in silver. Along with this site and apug, there is also the pyrocat forum, started by Ken Lee, a LF forum member.

http://www.pyrocat-hd.com/

Good luck, keep us posted, ask lots of questions, and thank you for working with film!

[mat4226]

Hey Andrew, my print intentions are to start out with silver, but eventually make my way to alternative processes (pt/pd, ziatype, etc.). Will this be at all possible with one single development regime in Pyrocat HD?

In other off-topic news, while browsing your site (awesome by the way) I noticed you've spent some time in Japan. I spent most of my summer 2008 there, it's where I discovered my passion for photography. Since then I've made two smaller trips there and am planning to do so again next year. Now to just drag along the 8x10 on the upcoming. >__<

[Andrew O'Neill]

That's interesting. My background is drawing and printmaking and thought all photographers were hacks. I was pretty much anti-photography until I moved to Japan. Spent 12 years there (small city south of Fukuoka, Kyushu). It all started with a K1000, medium format for a short stint, then quickly to large format and now I'm building a 14x17 for carbon printing. Where abouts in Japan were you?
TMY-2 and pyrocat were made for each other for silver and alternative printing. Just test a bit to find a time that will give you a density range for whichever alt process your using. For silver printing my EI is 250 (DR of 1.35), and for carbon it's 400 (DR of 1.90). I've done Vandykes and Kallitypes, but for the past year and a bit been hooked on carbon transfer printing.

[mat4226]

The short answer for Japan travel, a little bit everywhere, minus Hokkaido. The majority of time spent on travels there has been Okayama (great little city), where my girlfriend has been teaching English while finishing her masters. Whenever I get a chance though, I try to pop in to Chosi (Chiba-ken) to visit my host family from 2008. It also makes for a great excuse to go to Tokyo and hunt down camera deals (Choshi is a 1 hour train ride away).

My university has all the supplies I could ever need to work in cyanotype and van dyke brown, but ever since seeing some pt/pd prints in real life, I'm bent on trying those out ASAP. Prior to the Pyrocat HD, I'd been processing TMY-2 in XTOL 1:1, negatives were a bit dense at EI 400, hence the testing this time around.

[Andrew O'Neill]

My other developer is Xtol, always at 1+1. TMY-2 also sings in that one.
Gotta stuff the turkey now...Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian comrades!