No big whoop to most but OMG I can't believe it to me

[Michael Lloyd]

After creating stacks of "clear test shots" while trying to learn how to make and process 4x5 black and white negatives I finally have 6 negatives for 6 with an image on them. I don't know if they are sharp but based on a preliminary look while they are hanging and drying I think I may have actually done something right!.

I'm so fired up I almost put this in the Announcements section.

I had one sheet of film that I didn't install in the holder right (I missed the rail on one side again) but even that is a major improvement for me.

It helps that I am using a Jobo but I've already proved to myself that ain't necessarily a guarantee for success. The Jobo is pretty nice though. Film was Delta 100. I used DD-X and Ilford Rapid Fixer. I followed the method on the MaxDev app. I've successfully processed negatives with Rollo-Pyro so technically this isn't the first time that I got it right, but this is the first time that I got all of the negatives right. I took the Ilford chemistry right since it's been so long since I've done anything with film.

I was afraid that the film that I shot in Feb of this year was toast. It's been riding around in vehicles, getting cold and hot, for most of this year. It looks ok. Once the negs are scanned I'll post something up (hopefully).

My next hurdle is learning to load 120 and 35mm... and process color. I'm really stressing over the color stuff.

[Vaughn]

Way to go!!

[TXFZ1]

I think since May, I have made four copies to base+fog test sheets for my collection. Too bad it is all the same film stock. I guess it is better than a double exposure.

David

[Jordan]

Congrats!

[Michael Lloyd]

Gracias

These were made back in February. They've been riding around in holders since then. Even in the heat of this summer here in TX they seem to have survived ok. Don't think I would do that again but the negs all seem ok.

Here's the first two. To be honest... I can't remember how to use ColorPerfect to convert my color positive scans to negatives so I eventually just inverted the scan and ran it through Silver Efex Pro 2 then back to LR5 for exporting to the website. I hope to try wet printing one of these days. Gotta have a darkroom first though.

This is the inside of the barracks at Ft. Laramie, Wyoming. There is a plexiglass sheet (complete with nose and hand prints) between the camera lens and the image. I moved in as close as I could to the plexi hoping that it would not be visible.



This is the barracks at Ft. Laramie

[paulr]

There are so many ways to wreck a piece of sheet film that I understand it feeling like a miracle.

I got very lucky, sort of ... the first sheet I ever exposed was an image that I still like today (if I overlook all the scratches and gouges in the emulsion from my ham-fisted processing).

But sheets number 2 through 20-or-so didn't do so well. Whatever I didn't wreck in the camera by forgetting to stop down or close the shutter, I managed to thrash beyond recognition in the trays.

I got fed up with trays and switched to a jobo tank as well. Not the full processor ... just a tank and a motor base. That worked so well I never switched to anything else.

[Michael Lloyd]

There are so many ways to wreck a piece of sheet film that I understand it feeling like a miracle.

I got very lucky, sort of ... the first sheet I ever exposed was an image that I still like today (if I overlook all the scratches and gouges in the emulsion from my ham-fisted processing).

But sheets number 2 through 20-or-so didn't do so well. Whatever I didn't wreck in the camera by forgetting to stop down or close the shutter, I managed to thrash beyond recognition in the trays.

I got fed up with trays and switched to a jobo tank as well. Not the full processor ... just a tank and a motor base. That worked so well I never switched to anything else.

I like to think of those scratches and gouges as character They beat the he double toothpicks out of freakin sensor dust...

Last two from Ft. Laramie (I still can't believe they survived the temperature extremes)

Old Bakery (I missed focus on this one. I can still put it on Facebook and call it art... nobody will know any different



Officers Quarters

[richardman]

Looking fine, looking fine. Congratulations. Next try E-6. There is nothing like holding up a transparency in your hand...

[Liquid Artist]

They are looking good so far.

I would be very surprised if anyone here hasn't messed up several sheets at once. It doesn't take much.

With me I made the same mistake of leaving the lens on T after focusing with my first and third shot. I don't know what happened with the second shot, other than the film got pealed from the holder with the darkslide. Then I was way off on the exposure with my forth shot. Only 2 film holders at that time, so my day was over. Good thing for digital.

My second outing was better. I did everything right with the camera, but then came home to develop it using the taco method in a Patterson 2 reel tank. I had hairline cracks in the emulsions of all 4 where the bend was the greatest. That is the first and only time I will use the taco method, although I still use the Patterson tank with 2 sheets with a mild bow. It works quite well, as long as you don't overlap 1 side like I did in the beginning.

Since then my most common mistake is taking my arms out of the change bag and even opening it before putting the lid on the daytime tank. I've done that twice.

When it's all said and done, even if I only got 1 incredible photo out of a box of film it would be worth it for me.
Which is still better odds than most machine gun shooters get.

[analoguey]

After creating stacks of "clear test shots" while trying to learn how to make and process 4x5 black and white negatives I finally have 6 negatives for 6 with an image on them. I don't know if they are sharp but based on a preliminary look while they are hanging and drying I think I may have actually done something right!.

Congratulations! It is great to see the negative turn up just right on processing (and the first few times, it's a relief to know that theres an image recorded!!)

I'm so fired up I almost put this in the Announcements section. .

Bwahahaha!

My next hurdle is learning to load 120 and 35mm... and process color. I'm really stressing over the color stuff.

I don't know if you've done it before, but why not tray process thesheet film and process the 120,35 in jobo? I found tray processing very relaxing - compared to processing in a daylight tank.(No idea how it compares to jobo, of course)

Btw. Nice images. If I hadnt read your description, I'd have thought the barracks beds were a row of 4x5 enlargers (thumbnail)!