A/NZ PX Round #11 - Comments and Feedback

[hoffy]

AND....we're off!

By now, you should have all received a notification outlining the postage details. Please let me know if you didn't.

The participants are as follows:

1. Hoffy
2. Oxleyroad
3. Michael W
4. Munz6869
5. Nige
6. spatz
7. Andrew k
8. walbergb
9. Dr Croubie
10. TheToadMen
11. Jamespierce
12. quickbrownfox
    

Also, I have attached the template we have used in the past, to be used to give us info on your print. Please ensure that you include 11 copies of this in your package.

Cheers

 

[quickbrownfox]

Well I spent a seriously frustrating first half of the day dealing with my new enlarger .. this enlarger had a constantly flickering light meant the prints were 1 or 2 stops lighter and darker between the same exposures. I'd do test strips then burn a whole sheet only for the whole thing to come out black. also the contrast was all over the place, with the colour seeming to shift with the flickering. eventually the bulb gave up the ghost entirely. I took it all apart again , resigned to having to shell out $50 for another globe when I noticed a loose wire in the head, also the globes contacts were really corroded. I spent half an hour with wet and dry sandpaper and engraving tools and eureka! steady , consistant light! Finally nailed down a print I was happy with and they are hanging up with the washing now... http://imgur.com/BwQPhKl

 

[hoffy]

OK...I've decided to lead by example - my prints are printed and are currently drying. My back is sore and its time for bed me thinks!

Cheers

 

[Nige]

I've printed one! Still deciding if it's going to be the print!

 

[quickbrownfox]

yeah with Christmas coming up i needed to get on top of it other wise i wouldn't have had a chance, I only have about 6 days off before christmas! O.O

 

[Oxleyroad]

Well after deciding last Thursday to sell the house before the big move I've done nothing but 'declutter'. 3 skips later and a 1.5x2x2.5 metre storage container I still am being asked to put things from the house into my dark room. Have resisted so far, and as soon as the advertising photos are done, I'll be into the dark room making pictures. Going to have to get all my prints done before the auction which is mid December, as I'll not have an time after that. The international movers will come in and pack everything for shipping to the USA in Jan.

 

[hoffy]

Pack 1 has arrived today!

 

[hoffy]

Greetings All!

Its marching onto the end of November now - nearly the halfway point. How's our printing going?

 

[TheToadMen]

I hope to have my prints ready next week. Shipping from Holland might take 2 weeks?

 

[Dr Croubie]

I got into the darkroom for the first time in months yesterday, tried some 8x10 contact prints and taught myself burning.
Not sure if I want to do that another 11 times (it was something like 8 seconds #0 plus a minute of extra burning the sky, then 11 second #5), but at least I've got the times down for one pic.
I'll see if that 8x10 from the Grampians looks any better when I get to print that this afternoon (it's too good weather, feel like I have to go ride my bike or I'll waste it).
Something tells me I'll need to go buy more paper soon (or just post out RC Gloss, I've got plenty of that)

 

[Nige]

I've printed one! Still deciding if it's going to be the print!

Decided... No... weird reflection looks like a neg defect! Amazing what you miss when concentrating on other things!

 

[Oxleyroad]

I got into the darkroom for the first time in months yesterday, tried some 8x10 contact prints and taught myself burning.
Not sure if I want to do that another 11 times (it was something like 8 seconds #0 plus a minute of extra burning the sky, then 11 second #5), but at least I've got the times down for one pic...

Dr, the exchange is working. A new skill, more decisions for you. ;-)

 

[hoffy]

OK Peeps! How are we all going with our printing?

Cheers

 

[Nige]

reprinted, just need to package up and send!

 

[Michael W]

I've made some test prints. left to dry and will check on the weekend to make a decision. Thinking about paper, contrast etc.

 

[Andrew K]

I'm aiming to have them done in the next 2 weekends (I hope!)

The problem is to find the time between working 6 days a week and family commitments to get the prints done....

 

[Dr Croubie]

The problem is to find the time between working 6 days a week and family commitments to get the prints done....

You think you've got it bad?
I've been unemployed for 3 weeks and I've still only been in the darkroom once or twice.
I've just spent the last 3-4 days reinstalling windows, scanner drivers, and silverfast about 25 times, I reckon I know the activation codes off by heart.
So now I can finally scan all those chromes I took in March last year.

But I'm sick of computers, I'm going to print mine this afternoon if I can get them done, otherwise tomorrow morning, I'll scan crap later...

 

[Andrew K]

I remember when I was unemployed 3 years ago - it took a month to find a new job, and I recon I worked harder in that month looking for work/catching up on work around the place/doing stuff....

Still, the 6th day working is spent sorting through old photo gear, cameras etc so it isn't all that bad...just wish it wasn't a 150km round trip form home...

 

[Dr Croubie]

I remember when I was unemployed 3 years ago - it took a month to find a new job.

Wow, that's quick, lucky Victorians where jobs actually are.
I got back from europe in July 2010, and sat on centrelink until Jan 2011 when the best I could get was totally not in my field and the top of their salary-range was $5k below the bottom of the ranges of all the other jobs I'd almost got. But still 10x more than centrelink so I took it.
I've been looking for a new job for nearly 18 months, half the time I was working at that place. In the end I applied to go back to uni, and was 2 weeks from putting in my notice to finish the end of the year when I was made redundant. So nice 10-week payout, I get as much cash as if I'd worked until Feb, but none of the headaches.
And by the end of next year I'll (hopefully) have a Master's in Unemployment, to complement my missus having a PhD in Unemployment.

Meanwhile, I just made 13 prints, and probably about 6 are usable. I had a production-line going from enlarger->stop->fix->bathtub full of water, as soon as I'd exposed another sheet they all got bumped along.
But because I was concentrating on burning I didn't realise that some had floated to the top of the developer, so they've got nice half-developed bubbles on them.
So I'll have to do the rest to make up for them tomorrow...

 

[hoffy]

Wow, that's quick, lucky Victorians where jobs actually are.
I got back from europe in July 2010, and sat on centrelink until Jan 2011 when the best I could get was totally not in my field and the top of their salary-range was $5k below the bottom of the ranges of all the other jobs I'd almost got. But still 10x more than centrelink so I took it.
I've been looking for a new job for nearly 18 months, half the time I was working at that place. In the end I applied to go back to uni, and was 2 weeks from putting in my notice to finish the end of the year when I was made redundant. So nice 10-week payout, I get as much cash as if I'd worked until Feb, but none of the headaches.
And by the end of next year I'll (hopefully) have a Master's in Unemployment, to complement my missus having a PhD in Unemployment.

Meanwhile, I just made 13 prints, and probably about 6 are usable. I had a production-line going from enlarger->stop->fix->bathtub full of water, as soon as I'd exposed another sheet they all got bumped along.
But because I was concentrating on burning I didn't realise that some had floated to the top of the developer, so they've got nice half-developed bubbles on them.
So I'll have to do the rest to make up for them tomorrow...

Jobs in Adelaide are hard to come by for certain professions, that is for sure. My wife took a package in April from the government (16 years as an accountant...). It took until August until she found a job that was of a close level. And then she got fired because the business owners wife didn't like her (be very wary of family run business where everyone except yourself is a family member). This time, it was only 1 month without work, as she starts her new job on Monday....but this time, its quite a few pay brackets lower then what she was used to. Anyhow, we even started investigating relocating (probably Queensland)......

As for the production line - slower is better. I am not ashamed to admit it took me just over 3 hours to produce my 13 prints. I find if I try and squeeze in too much at once, something gets spoilt and I end up getting really annoyed. So unless the prints can fit in the tray next to each other, its one at a time.

 

[Oxleyroad]

Looks like many of us are looking at changes. As soon as the house inspection is over at 11am tomorrow I am hiding in the darkroom for as long as it takes, plus a bit more on Sunday. Just gotta hope for sun shine here over the weekend.

This will be the last use of my darkroom as it will be torn down for the international relocation. It'll be a sad day taking down the darkroom after 8 or so years. Only taking with me the film, paper, powder chems, Jobo and drums, 2x Dursts, Ilford RCP, trays, beakers, flasks, jugs, scales, granite surfaces, bulk film loaders, cameras, Lomo cine film tanks... Will not take the old sink or benches I built from old pallets.

 

[munz6869]

Be sure to make some nice photos of your darkroom before you deconstruct it Andy!!!

Marc!

 

[Nige]

I just made 13 prints

13? I'm sending 11... is that right?

 

[Dr Croubie]

13? I'm sending 11... is that right?

Yeah, I already made 2 before I started, one I knew was out of focus (contact print, neg wasn't toally flat). Then I sort of lost count halfway, I just threw them into the bathtub to soak/wash and didn't want to get my hands wet to count them, so just kept going until I got bored...

 

[walbergb]

All this talk about being in the darkroom is making me jealous. I've been laid up with a sinus infection for the past two weeks. Hopefully, I'll be in the darkroom on Tuesday. I use the local art gallery darkroom. It's an amazing facility, but hours of operation are limited.