Curious about 777

ParkerSmithPhoto said:

I called them about ten days ago and the lady who answered said they were waiting for some of the chemicals to come in and that they would probably be making some in January. Someone had previously posted that Bluegrass had stopped making 777, but apparently that isn't true.

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I've been through this Kabuki dance with them before. Apparently they wait for demand to reach critical mass (i.e., more than 1 or 2 inquiries seeking to buy) and then they go out and get what they need to mix up a batch and they mix it and package it. I've had to wait as long as 3 months while they waited for the "last ingredient" to arrive. But they are as good as their word even though it may take a while. I'm in for a fresh case on this one. I'll call them just so they get a better idea of how much to mix.

BTW, I love the baby portraits on your website. Were any of those developed in Harvey's? The glowing skin tones on that one of the Mom kissing her baby leads me to believe that one might have been.

c6h6o3 said:

I've been through this Kabuki dance with them before. Apparently they wait for demand to reach critical mass (i.e., more than 1 or 2 inquiries seeking to buy) and then they go out and get what they need to mix up a batch and they mix it and package it. I've had to wait as long as 3 months while they waited for the "last ingredient" to arrive. But they are as good as their word even though it may take a while. I'm in for a fresh case on this one. I'll call them just so they get a better idea of how much to mix.

BTW, I love the baby portraits on your website. Were any of those developed in Harvey's? The glowing skin tones on that one of the Mom kissing her baby leads me to believe that one might have been.

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Interesting, because the last I spoke to Laurie, she said that they had gotten the missing ingredient and were starting production. I gave them a standing order but again, haven't heard back. If that was indeed the case, I'm inclined to think that they should have a batch ready to sell by now or very soon.

Agree with Jim. I have oredered from them a few times and it may take a little while before the order ship but if they say it will ship, it will ship.
Just be patient, the Panthermic 777 is not what they make a living from but from my experience they are a good company to deal with.

Thanks very much all, Look's like I have a chemistry project coming up at work regarding 777. I think I will start with the salts and alkali while I order the developer standards.

c6h6o3 said:

BTW, I love the baby portraits on your website. Were any of those developed in Harvey's? The glowing skin tones on that one of the Mom kissing her baby leads me to believe that one might have been.

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Those are <gasp> digital! Canon 5D.

ParkerSmithPhoto said:

Those are <gasp> digital! Canon 5D.

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Wow. Do the prints look like that? Maybe I should just sell my 8x10 now.

The prints are all on a heavy watercolor paper by Hannemuhle, and yes, they look lovely. I think digital is amazing under controlled lighting (studio), and outside there, I almost never carry my digital cameras with me - always my Bronica or RZ.

These prints can go up to 30" with a good RIP and a top end Canon or Epson printer. Digital is not hindered technically in any way, I think it's more about the thought process of digital vs film; or, more specifically, 35mm vs. MF or LF. So don't sell the 8x10.

Inkjet printing can be astonishingly good, or it can be a giant PITA. You really need someone dedicated just to that art. We previously owned a large format Canon printer, and it ate up a tremendous amount of time at the studio to manage it. My most recent series have all been film and Diafine, and after scanning about 50 negs, spotting them and printing them, it occurred to me that I could have popped the neg into an enlarger and reached the same point in half the time!

Either film or digital, photography takes a lot of commitment and a lot of time. Film, processing, contact sheets, printing vs importing, editing, tweaking, spotting, retouching and printing.

I've seen your stuff with 777 and I think it's gorgeous. But I guess it would be lovely no matter how you had created it. As photographers, we tend to obsess over technical details that may or may not actually make a difference.

John,

How about posting the formula for GAF Universal? Always interested to learn...

Trask said:

John,

How about posting the formula for GAF Universal? Always interested to learn...

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hi trask

i'll put it in the formulas / articles area too !


Water (125 degrees F) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 750 ml
Metol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.2 g
Sodium Sulfite (Anhydrous) . . . . . . . . . 35 g
Sodium Carbonate (Monohydrate) . . . . . 78 g
Potassium Bromide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 g
Glycin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 g
Cold Water to make . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 liter


paper -- 1:1, 1:2 and films -- 1:6 - 1:10

enjoy !
john