Bucket List of equipment

[bob carnie]

I would like to start this thread based on a couple of recent threads that I have participated in.
It seems we like to fight, argue, insult ,bully, defend in threads , and within these threads I find a lot of differing
thoughts that actually put me on the fence but at the same time create ideas that I would like to flush out and make happen.

Bucket list- ideas and solutions- lets see positive reply's - keep the nastiness out.

Bob Carnie needs:

1. I want a dual purpose Contact Exposing unit with vacuum platen for registration. It needs to be able to handle 24 x36 inch paper minimum and I want to be able to expose silver gelatin paper and Platinum Palladium. - consider LED technology and the required kelvin temp for each process.


2. I want very simple pipette of measuring devices that can handle minuscule to large volumes and I do not want to pay an arm and leg and NO I do not want to count drops .

3. I want someone to design / build a floor model archival washer that I can wash large sheets of paper at one time, this system needs to remove fixer effectively and be easy to use.


any one else game to help solve/direct to right source/ or have wish list items of their own?

[Michael R]

I don't have a long wish list as far as gear goes, but I would like some kind of registration film holder for making dodge/burn masks in-camera. I think something like this did exist at one time but not anymore.

[DrTang]

auto focus for 8x10 studio camera

actually..wouldn't even need to be 'auto' - it could be like two lasers that would focus to a single point when in focus...

I have a Polaroid dental camera that works like that

someone more..um...precise than I should fabricate something like this

[bob carnie]

Could you explain how dodge burn masks would work, are you thinking an ortho type pos /neg film to record shadow and highlight detail out of focus??


if so I can see how this would be a tremendous asset for difficult lighting scenes, you would then only need a registration device in your enlarger.
You would need to figure out how to choke or spread the mask and register would be perfect.

I don't have a long wish list as far as gear goes, but I would like some kind of registration film holder for making dodge/burn masks in-camera. I think something like this did exist at one time but not anymore.

[John Kasaian]

A couple of Series IX slip on filter rings for my 10" WF and 14" Commercial Ektar would be nice, although I've been doing nicely with Lee polyester filters and that rubber band thingy.
Series slip on filter rings for the 19" Artar and 12" Dagor would be nice too, but I'm not sure which Series they use.
And of course a passel of Wratten filters to fit.

[vinny]

hasselblad xpan with 2 lenses.
arca swiss cube geared head.

[Kirk Gittings]

a well behaved goat to haul my equipment around.

[Michael R]

Could you explain how dodge burn masks would work, are you thinking an ortho type pos /neg film to record shadow and highlight detail out of focus??


if so I can see how this would be a tremendous asset for difficult lighting scenes, you would then only need a registration device in your enlarger.
You would need to figure out how to choke or spread the mask and register would be perfect.

Difficult lighting is what it's all about. Hard to describe in writing. I only use masking when it is occasionally impossible to burn/dodge any other way. The masks I make are really only for that - ie local exposure control. They don't create any unsharp masking effects etc.

Similar to some other types of masks, these dodge/burn masks typically require a few steps with intermediates, but are problematic and frankly, a pain in the ass with a lot of trial/error etc. Working through the problems over the years in my head I realized if I could simply make a second negative at the scene which would be exposed and developed specifically for the purposes of making a mask, things would be a lot easier. The second negative made at the scene would still be in focus etc. The only differences between it and the main negative would be exposure/development. Or it could even be a different type of film (ideally a short scale film).

Alternatively, if I just bit the bullet and went a little hybrid on the mask part, making this kind of mask in Photoshop is probably trivial.

[bob carnie]

I think this idea is radical thinking out of the box and I believe you are onto a very important step that will tame a scene.
Thinking out loud those workers who do large pt pd prints from large negatives could explore this reasoning and see its potential.

Very good concept... FYI - I am making three different separation negatives of a original black and white scene and using them for multiple hit over palladium.
there is absolutely no reason why this could not be done in camera, in fact I would be surprised it was not done in the past.
You will see examples of my first attempts at this in my show in Montreal.

Monty and his big 20 x24 camera could make supplemental negatives to increase tonality by registering these big in camera negatives that he makes.

Difficult lighting is what it's all about. Hard to describe in writing. I only use masking when it is occasionally impossible to burn/dodge any other way. The masks I make are really only for that - ie local exposure control. They don't create any unsharp masking effects etc.

Similar to some other types of masks, these dodge/burn masks typically require a few steps with intermediates, but are problematic and frankly, a pain in the ass with a lot of trial/error etc. Working through the problems over the years in my head I realized if I could simply make a second negative at the scene which would be exposed and developed specifically for the purposes of making a mask, things would be a lot easier. The second negative made at the scene would still be in focus etc. The only differences between it and the main negative would be exposure/development. Or it could even be a different type of film (ideally a short scale film).

Alternatively, if I just bit the bullet and went a little hybrid on the mask part, making this kind of mask in Photoshop is probably trivial.

[Michael R]

It could probably be done without a registration film holder, and then registered carefully by eye later in the darkroom, but I just never got around to actually trying it. Mostly "thought experiments" for now. Making these masks digitally would probably be very easy. Both Alan Ross (in his selective masking tutorials) and Lynn Radeka apply that sort of hybrid approach to dodge/burn masks.

Anyhow, just some food for thought since it was a wish list.