Ansel changed his film in his sleeping bag. Have you?

Vaughn · 2026-01-16T04:23:05-0500

I changed film, 4 x 5 in this case, in my sleeping bag out in the wilderness. But due to the results, just the once. It would’ve been at the tail end of the 1970s in the Trinity Alps of northern California.

Traveling on the road in my pick up with a shell on the back, I would bring a clean sheet to layout and load my film in there.

Right now I’m traveling in Japan (I’m on a bicycle this week), but have a stinky Harrison pup tent to change my 4 x 5 holders.

One does what one needs to do.

Vieri Bottazzini · 2026-01-16T04:51:46-0500

Franklee said:
Somewhere in my reading Ansel Adams claimed to have changed film inside his sleeping bag during his early (1920s) days in the Sierras. Thinking about it, I can't imagine a better way to get dust and hairs onto the film holders, especially with the cotton sleeping bags of the time. The movie industry must have created portable darkrooms for loading movie cameras by then and I bet some people had changing bags if not crude versions of Harrison Tents but what do you think? Was Ansel bloviating or was he a really superb negative retoucher?

I am past the days I was sleeping in a tent, so a portable darkroom (eTone) in a hotel room is my solution, these days; that said, I don't doubt Ansel - back in the day they probably had to make do with whatever they had.

Best regards,

Vieri

Ansel changed his film in his sleeping bag. Have you?

Vaughn

Vieri Bottazzini

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