• Welcome to Photrio!
    Registration is fast and free. Join today to unlock search, see fewer ads, and access all forum features.
    Click here to sign up

Argentic B&W in mind

Recent Classifieds

Forum statistics

Threads
202,672
Messages
2,843,892
Members
101,454
Latest member
skixx
Recent bookmarks
0

NBW

Member
Allowing Ads
Joined
Jun 27, 2025
Messages
5
Location
France, Toulouse
Format
Medium Format
Hello everyone from near Toulouse, where lived Robert Doisneau and survives its museum ("Le Château d'eau"). I joined the forum recently and due to a mistake (PC issue) i missed my profile intro since long days. I will try to fix in this post.

I define myself as a fairly enlightened amateur and I started black and white photography and the lab in 1976 at my college's photo club...and since then I have never stopped.
I led a few photo clubs on the practice of medium format (the joys of the Lubitel 2, the Rolleicord and the Yashica mat, the Durst M605, etc.) in the great period before the winter of film photography in the early 2000s.Some beautiful exhibitions whose scope must not have exceeded three districts in Toulouse. So, the life of an amateur who exhibits from time to time some all too rare beautiful 30x40 baryta prints lovingly retouched with a silk brush.

I commonly use a Mamiya 645 and an RB67 Pro SD and an Arca swiss 23B 6x9 (Horseman).
More rarely a Hasselblad 503 cxi, a Nikon FE2 and a Leica CL.

I use mainly HP5+ and Pan F and I simply develop it in D-76/ID-11 1+1.
Not being professional I barely reached my thousandth film developed last year by hand.

I use 2 enlargers; a Meopta Magnifax condenser (6x9) and an Ahel 12 P Color (6x9 diffuse head) and I don't enlarge beyond 50x70 (space and tray problems).

I mainly do landscapes (walking with the RB or the Arca, an old velbon tripod and my backpack) and some portraits in 645.

So I practice "slow photography" like the younger members of my family says. I'm very found of this expression that is a reality (1/2 h to capture a picture is a good timing with 6x7 or 6x9).
And the most annoying ones add "antique" or "vintage". Funny. But argentic survives as i start transfering my little knowledge to the new generations...


Beyond the technique, and imho, I do not forget that photography is first and foremost a visual art, a means of updating what will no longer be and a practice of sharing emotions.

Considering myself an eternal apprentice, I joined this forum
  • to share some of my little experiences on the equipment and film processes that I know;
  • but also to ask some questions to the many professionals on this forum (who I see respond kindly to profiles like mine) on various subjects from art, shooting to printing on techniques that I know/understand poorly or that I plan to try.

So the promise of a doubly enriching experience...
 
What a shame, putting Doisneau in the shoes of Dieuzaide, the greatest defender of baryta paper. Down with proofreaders. So sorry.
 
Welcome aboard!

where lived Robert Doisneau and survives its museum ("Le Château d'eau")

What a shame, putting Doisneau in the shoes of Dieuzaide, the greatest defender of baryta paper. Down with proofreaders. So sorry.
It took me some puzzling to decipher that you meant to mention Jean Dieuzaide in the first sentence of your introductory post instead of Robert Doisneau.

beautiful 30x40 baryta prints

I don't enlarge beyond 50x70

To clarify, I understand this to be dimensions in centimeters - not inches. Well, at least I feel in good company now - I also rarely print as large as 30x40cm in the darkroom.

Looking forward to see your work!
 
Thank you.

Yes, I think I had a problem with the corrector under Linux OpenOffice because I had memorized some photographers' names and it brought up Doisneau first...

Indeed, I generally speak in centimeters (except curiously for the 8x10 inches). 20X24 inches for 50x70 cm. I will put the unit to avoid ambiguities.

I will try to scan some achievements after the summer holidays. I am not very fond of scanning negatives (and perhaps an area for improvement on my part because I have a lot of trouble producing good digital results) and because of this, I personally find automated processing does not have as good a rendering as a paper print.

But constructive criticism and especially reasoned on what should be improved is always an appreciable source to continue to progress even for an old amateur.
 
Bienvenue !

"Slow photography"...only those who practice it know its value 🙂 We need to keep spreading the word and practice of it.

PS: in English, people refer to la photographie argentique as analog photography (at east as far as I've seen).
 
Welcome, NBW. How is « la ville rose » these days? Not too warm?
 
Welcome to Photrio.
 
Photrio.com contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.
To read our full affiliate disclosure statement please click Here.

PHOTRIO PARTNERS EQUALLY FUNDING OUR COMMUNITY:



Ilford ADOX Freestyle Photographic Stearman Press Weldon Color Lab Blue Moon Camera & Machine
Top Bottom