I did it!

[jessicadittmer]

had to share, was so excited. I tray processed - new to that and to 8x10. I don't have the proper clips for drying film this size as I'm use to 120 film but it is there and hanging. sorry for the crappy quick cell shot of it- dark - now I'll have to do a contact print (another first for me) but I don't have any papers yet ack! I think it looks okay though. the older boy is sharper focus even though it was f8 but using an 8x10 I'm sure it isn't the same as f8 on a med. format. This is the 9 1/2 lens I bought from Jim Galli used in this -
72018

[Brian C. Miller]

You're off to a good start! You can use little battery alligator clips to hold your film. (At the moment I'm using plastic clothes pins with a big paper clip to hang them up.)

You'll need to stop down more. f/8 is still really shallow for 8x10, and f/22 is also usually the sharpest aperture.

[Old-N-Feeble]

Jessica, if only you weren't already married..... :)

[Leigh]

Congrats, Jessica. Well done!

I don't recommend any sharp-toothed clips to hold the film while it's drying. They'll damage it.

Buy some 8x10 sheet film hangers, like are used for developing the film in the first place.
Put one in each hanger and let them dry.

- Leigh

[Michael Clark]

Great looking neg!!

[Greg Y]

Good job!

[Mark Barendt]

You go girl.

[evan clarke]

Excellent..easier than you thought it would be?

[jessicadittmer]

thanks so much! I'll look at getting a proper hanging system. I have another neg to do also that was shot at f16. the max my shutter speed is 1/50 but it was very overcast before the storms hit yest. in Iowa here so I did a few of the boys to test. I'll try f22 next as well and see how it goes (although not today - seems the storms are still not done-yuck). I thought it was a bit tricky because I had the trays in the tub in total darkness and then a timer that I had to know where the buttons were and how to set it in the dark - the darkroom stuff I just picked up had a graylab timer (quite old looking) but I'll clean it up and see if I can get it to work for me. All in all a lot of fun and pleasantly surprised by my first try. I need to order paper now to do a contact print (another first for me). Then I can post again what it looks like.

[John Kasaian]

Congratulations! Ain't big negs grand? FWIW wooden clothes pins work just fine for me(wooden clothes pins, wooden camera, wooden tripod, wooden holders:rolleyes:)

[evan clarke]

What will you use for a light source?

[Tori Nelson]

Congratulations Jessica!

[jessicadittmer]

thanks! we were just outside on the deck before the storms came yesterday. natural light.

[MIke Sherck]

That first 8x10 negative is really special, I remember. Congratulations on such a success with your first one! You obviously did enough right; go ahead and bask in it! Don't worry about film clips; I use plastic clothes pins from the dollar store; every once in a while I dump them all into the sink, squirt in some dish soap and clean them thoroughly. They work fine and, I expect, always will. There's something to be said for the simple solutions! Again, congratulations, good luck with the storms and we can't wait to see more!

Mike

[jessicadittmer]

thanks! I'm tapped out on buying anymore new for a while - I have plenty of film sheets and just mixed a fresh batch of chems yesterday - only thing I still need is paper- the clips I can use your suggestions for now to make do.

[Old-N-Feeble]

Congratulations! Ain't big negs grand? FWIW wooden clothes pins work just fine for me(wooden clothes pins, wooden camera, wooden tripod, wooden holders:rolleyes:)

... wooden shoes, wooden teeth... :D

[Peter De Smidt]

Make sure to test whatever hanging system you use before hanging valuable negatives. Some clothes pins work, and others don't, and it's really depressing to go to all the work of an 8x10 shoot, development,...only to have the carefully processed negative fall on the floor. Unlike Leigh, I prefer a strong metal clip, ala test leads at Radio Shack. It's easy to hold the negative outside of the image area, and they grip the negative very well.

[jessicadittmer]

oh good tip! I'll do some research... this first piece was ilford aerial film that the photog I bought the film holders from loaded for me so I'd have something to start with. he warned it would be flimsy,etc. but I didn't have any trouble with it and was pleased with what I got.

[Leigh]

I don't object to metal clips, just to the type with sharp teeth (because they damage the film).

A good compromise is binder clips, available at any office supply store. They grip firmly along a wide smooth edge.

But plastic clips are less likely to have corrosion problems. The same is true for wood (as others have mentioned).

- Leigh

[Alan Butcher]

Congratulations! Ain't big negs grand? FWIW wooden clothes pins work just fine for me(wooden clothes pins, wooden camera, wooden tripod, wooden holders:rolleyes:)

Congrats also, I second the use of wooden clothes pin, have used for decades to hang film.

[jessicadittmer]

thinking there was a box of clips we cleaned out of that darkroom I bought out. I'll have to check it out.

[desertrat]

It has already been mentioned your Wollensak lens will he sharpest around f22, and I agree with that for landscape work. For portrait work, old timers used portrait lenses about the same aperture as your Wolly wide open. Depth of field is non-existent, but they learned how to work with that. Wide open, your lens won't be as sharp as a modern lens, but that is usually beneficial for portrait work. With a top speed of 1/50 second, you won't be able to shoot wide open in direct sunlight without neutral density filters, but in subdued light it might work well.

You mentioned in the APUG thread you were looking for a low cost tripod. I posted this last year about using a cheap contractor surveyor's tripod, and it works well for me:

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?81049

I've seen these on Ebay for less than I paid for mine, shipping included.

[jessicadittmer]

thank you!!!! Great info from all of you and I so appreciate it. hubby mentioned a surveyor tripod so we are going to look into that. I'll read the thread you linked. I'm thinking of trying the contact print tonight but looking for how-to's on exposure time and then tray time. I brought home one of my smaller enlargers to use for the light source and I have a contact frame. I found old paper in the studio too from when I bought some stuff from another photog but no idea of age or if it is good anymore. Ilford fiber paper - thought I could try anyway. My paper isn't here yet. Not sure what I'm doing but willing to experiment.

[Cor]

good start, Jessica!

On the paper: Ilford (Fiber) paper has a very good "shelf life" if it wasn't stored too damp/hot, try it! What you can do: take a small piece of paper; cut it in 2 (all under safe light conditions) and plunge one piece directly in your fix, the other one you develop for your normal time, stop and fix that one too, wash both, dry and compare. Fogging should be apparent, and can sometimes be tolerated if it is mild. While you are busy expose a piece to (day0 light and process as well: see if you obtain a nice piece of dep black paper so you know there is still some "life"in it.

good luck and enjoy!

best,

Cor

[jessicadittmer]

this was some adorama type paper it says...it's very old I think and not good conditions. I'm going to have new fresh ilford arriving this week so I can try. Also, I think my shooting technique could help as well...there was even soft light for this first one so not the contrast I like to start and I need to look into reciprocity failure and all that as well when using this camera.

[tgtaylor]

Don't spend a lot of money on clips. Get these stainless steel for a buck apiece - they will last a lifetime:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/123163-REG/Delta_58050_Stainless_Steel_Film_Clips.html

Thomas

[Leigh]

Those Delta clips from B&H would be a good choice.
They have a smooth wide gripping area, as I suggested.

- Leigh

[jessicadittmer]

thanks I'll look at those.

[Tony Karnezis]

Jobo used to make clothespins that pierced the film to hold it securely. I don't know if they can be found anymore.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/25442-REG/Jobo_J3524_Sheet_film_clips_Pack.html

A simple alternative is to use a small hand-held punch and hang the film from a paper clip opened up into an "S" shape. Cheap, easy & secure.

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?10586-Hanging-Sheet-Film-To-Dry&highlight=punch
http://www.amazon.com/Fiskars-Inch-Hand-Punch-Circle/dp/B0001DT3YU/ref=pd_bxgy_k_img_a
http://www.cutting-mats.net/5448.html

[SpeedGraphicMan]

Jessica, if only you weren't already married..... :)

I was thinking the same thing... At least that way I would have access to an 8x10 camera! :rolleyes:

I think you will find that 8x10 is terrific for portraits.

Always good to hear new folks are still interested in using large format in this boring-digital world!

Great work!