A new variation on the Print Exchange

[Eric Rose]

I want to throw this out to the masses for comments. How about one of us donate a negative to be circulated around to the participants and each of the participants could make a print from it. This print would then be included in the package sent to the next person. That way we could see how each of us would interpret this same negative. Cropping would change, toning, processes etc. Each of use would have our own way of presenting this image.

I think it could be a real learning experience to see how we would all individually interpret this negative.

What do you say?

 

[frank]

Cool!
Frank

 

[Ailsa]

Count me in!

 

[Les McLean]

I'm up for that one. Who will donate the negative and what format will it be?

 

[bmac]

Sounds interesting. Might be better for one of us to go out and shoot a scene and make a ton of in camera dupes to send out. I am guessing it will have to be 35mm because not everyone has darkrooms set up for MF and 4x5...

 

[Aggie]

..

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Interesting. I'd give it a go. I like Brian's in-camera dupe suggestion to keep the risk down, but on the other hand, it's hard to predict what scene will benefit from this sort of treatment, so it may not be practical.

I suspect it would be best to vary the format, since, while everyone can probably do 35mm, 4x5" would open the option of contact printing or alternative printing and enlarging of the same neg.

 

[Eric Rose]

Brian had a good point in that to make it universal we should probably make it a 35mm neg. We don't want to make it exclusionary.

I suppose we could send an individual neg out to all those that want to participate and then post the resulting images in the gallery, but you loose a lot in the scanning etc. What we could do is send the negs out, have everyone take their best shot at printing it and then mail their <= 8x10 print to me. Once I get all the prints back, I will mail them out as a bundle to the first person on the list. That person would then mail onto #2 etc.

There are advantages and disadvantages to this method. The disadvantage is that you can't see what the previous people have done prior to you making your print. This I think is minor however. As it goes around we could post our individual comments here.

I will volunteer to make the 35mm negs, manage the list and collect the prints for mailing if all of you are ok with this. Of course you are at my mercy as far as subject content!!LOL.

If we want to do 4x5 or MF then I think we need to go with the original idea of using 1 neg and passing it around.

Ideas??!!

 

[Jeremy]

this is quite an ingenious idea! while I'm now set-up for up to 4x5 I think the 35mm idea would be the best bet.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Maybe the Traveling Portfolio, then, would be a better model than the Print Exchange. We make a list and the first person sends a neg and a print to the next person who makes a print and sends it on and when it comes back around it goes to the next participant who wants to volunteer a neg, maybe with all the prints from the first round intact, ad infinitum.

 

[Eric Rose]

If we are going to use 1 neg and let it travel around, then I can shoot 1 35mm, 1 MF and 1 4x5 of the same scene. All three will travel together and you can choose which one you want to use. I will use the same film, same filters if any and same developing chemicals to try and get them as equivalent as possible. I think this could be a lot of fun.

If your interested email me your info:

Name
Address
email address
board name

to eric.rose@shaw.ca

 

[Nige]

Count me in.

We do this at our camera club once every so often. Someone shoots the multiple negs of the scene and hands them out, then we display our interpretations at a club night.

I agree it should be 35mm
I like the idea of everyone getting the neg, then mailing their print back to Eric (or whoever is the round organiser) who then sends around the group. I wouldn't like to see other peoples prints before doing mine. With unmounted prints, postage won't be to much.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Either way is fine by me. Eric, you can take my address from the postcard list.

 

[Eric Rose]

We need to do a vote but I don't know how to start one up on this thread.
the options would be:
-1 neg, circulated (multiple formats)
-or multiple negs sent out at once (all 35mm in this case)

if anyone knows how to start a vote thing please do.

 

[Jeremy]

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

 

[Jim Chinn]

I like David's idea of making it like the traveling portfolio. have a single negative either 35mm or other formats. I don't think they would have to be the same image if we have more than one format. We would still get a good cross section of 35, medium and LF for each negative.

An interesting adjunct to this idea could go along with the print exchange. For example, David and I exchange negatives. Format doesn't really matter as long as the other person has the ability to print from the neg he is sent. We both make prints of the others neg, and then send back the print. Now you have an interpretation of how someone else would print your negative.

But I especially like the idea of a group printing from one negative.


As long as we are talking about exchanging negatives, another idea would be for a couple of us to provide one or two 5x7, 8x10 or larger negatives to be "loaned out". It would give some members an opportunity to experiment with contact printing a larger negative without having to have the expense of the camera. I would be willing to go out and expose a couple of 8x10 negatives and they along with some from others could circulate among anyone interested.

 

[Ole]

My darkroom's set up for anything from Minox to 5x7", I'd be happy to provide some 9x12cm, 4x5" or 5x7" negatives to play with.

 

[Nige]

BTW, our club calls our event "Interpreting the Negative"

 

[Eric Rose]

Ok everyone I am back in town. I knew ya missed me.

So what I will do is email Sean and get a page put up similar to the names and addresses page for the postcard exchange and also email people the names of all the participants. Updated as necessary.

Once I get back from the Barnbaum course I will go out and take a shot with my 35, MF and 4x5 of the same scene. It appears the voting supports this approach. This will be sent to the first person on the list. I will do it alphabetically at the time of initial creation. People who join later will be added onto the end of the list.

I thought of trying to layout the distribution list based on proximity, but in todays screwed up postal world it really doesn't matter if your across the country or around the corner. It all gets delayed somehow.

I'm really excited about this project. Please register with me asap so I can get it all organized prior to leaving town on Friday.

Thanks everyone.

Eric

eric.rose@shaw.ca

 

[bmac]

Eric, I just PM'd yopu my info. I just want to make one last plea for dupe negs. These negs are going to see a lot of handling and will most likely end up scratched and / or dirty at some point. Ok, plea over...

 

[Eric Rose]

I was planning on making some copies/dupes incase they got lost and/or damaged. I wasn't planning on sending them out with the package but keeping them safe at home until they are needed. They will actually be addtitional originals. Also insures I can prove ownership of the original negs not that I have to worry about it.

 

[Nige]

grab my details from the postcard list

ohhh, can you also summerise just what's going to happen? Maybe start a new thread so it's easy for possible particpants to find.

 

[Eric Rose]

Good point Nige. Will do.

 

[lee]

mine too,


lee\c

 

[Aggie]

..