DISASTER + why im the biggest idiot here

Andrew O'Neill · May 18, 2009

have never: put fixer in first, forgot a part of a three part developer, dropped a tank with film in it and had it break open, forgot to fix, shoot with a camera with no film in it for about 40 frames... shot an empty film holder, load a film holder backwards, open the (exposed) film holder facing the ground glass, started to break down a camera with the film holder still open in the back or set up and realise I have no/wrong film holders or roll film back, shoot with strobes on an old shutter with different sync settings, on the wrong synch setting or any other stupid stupid things

Neither have I....Can I have a prize, too?

Shan Ren · May 18, 2009

2F/2F said:
Do you want a prize?

No, why would I?

I was just demonstrating that everyone, me especially, can make a range of mistakes. Perfection is only allowed to the gods. Sorry if my sense of humour offends, but heck, is this an irony free area?

Vaughn · May 18, 2009

That's what I figured, Shan -- no one knows about so many possible blunders unless one has personally experienced them! you left out a couple of the classics, but I am sure that you'll have the time to experience them! (such as forgetting to close the shutter before removing the dark slide, or forgetting to reduce the aperature).

Vaughn

Shan Ren · May 18, 2009

Vaughn, in the 30 something years I have been photographing and making art I think I have made every mistake (including all those in my post, and more) there is at least once, or twice, or more. Interestingly, often these mistakes can lead you down interesting paths .... but that thought doesn't help you at the time when you make the mistake ......

2F/2F · May 18, 2009

Shan,

Please relax. We were both just joking.

Alex Bishop-Thorpe · May 18, 2009

Developed the film, forgot to check the temperature. 8 degrees doesn't work as well as 20, apparently.

Shan Ren · May 18, 2009

2F/2F said:
Shan,

Please relax. We were both just joking.

OK, over-sensitive, and in my own personal irony free zone apparently.

mumble, grumble, stop being a curmudgeon ..... mumble

2F/2F · May 18, 2009

Shan Ren said:
mumble, grumble, stop being a curmudgeon ..... mumble

nah.....impossible!!!! Why fight it?

Removed Account · May 18, 2009

I had one the other week; in a changing bag loaded some a reel of 120 film in to my patterson daylight tank, then took the tank out and started getting my chems ready. I turned around to get the tank and saw that the lid wasn't on straight! I pressed down on it and it kind of clicked over the threads and then I tightened it again, this time properly. The top part of my film was fogged, but it didn't matter since it turned out there was a problem with the camera having uneven exposure anyways.

I've had numerous instances of forgetting to stop down my lens after focussing, forgetting to include bellows factor on LF still-life shots, forgetting to flip the darkslide over before putting it back in, and forgetting to figure reciprocity failure in my exposure times. Then there was the time I opened a box of paper in normal room light, and the time I didn't close my enlarger's filter door and wondered why my enlarger was so bright!

Vaughn · May 18, 2009

Shan Ren said:
Vaughn, in the 30 something years I have been photographing and making art I think I have made every mistake (including all those in my post, and more) there is at least once, or twice, or more. Interestingly, often these mistakes can lead you down interesting paths .... but that thought doesn't help you at the time when you make the mistake ......

Sounds like we have been making mistakes for about the same length of time

About 30 years ago I developed two sheets of 4x5 from the same holder -- one blank and the other double exposed. Ended up using the image(s) as part of my final portfolio for the class I was taking! Fortunately both images were hort. shots looking upstream and blended together nicely!

Just a couple weeks ago, on my way home from Yosemite, I exposed the same 4x10 image twice on a piece of 8x10 -- but I blew it and ended up getting the wrong half of the original 8x10 image on the film twice. What a surprise to pull that negative out of the Jobo drum!

And a couple years ago, I photographed my boys in the redwoods -- really looking forward to the negs...and the boys worked hard and did a good job of holding still for the 30 and 60 second exposures. Loaded all the negs into the Jobo 3005 drum, turned on the lights and wondered why the drum looked so strange -- then realized I forgot to put the lid on.

Vaughn

Willie Jan · May 18, 2009

a friend of my loaded his film into the cassette reversed. So he shot at the back paper....

Jim_in_Kyiv · May 18, 2009

sperera said:
no frame numbers or anything!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i think you're right!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it was a mistake with the fix and developer....i used one instead of the other!!!!!!!!!!!!! IM AN IDIOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THAT wont happen again.....i will learn from this mistake!!!!!!!!!!!!

And I hope you've learned to always presoak the digital back!

ntenny · May 18, 2009

Willie Jan said:
a friend of my loaded his film into the cassette reversed. So he shot at the back paper....

I did that the first time I tried to use a rollfilm back on a LF camera. The topology of the film path was a little too much for my poor brain.

Here's another nice one: reading the wrong set of frame numbers. http://www.flickr.com/photos/ntenny/2601658786/

-NT

Pete H · May 18, 2009

Willie Jan said:
a friend of my loaded his film into the cassette reversed. So he shot at the back paper....

I once loaded the backing paper onto the developing reel (it was quite difficult!), put the reel into the tank, then opened the changing bag - thus ruining the exposed film which was loose in the bag. At least I didn't develop the backing paper though.

sperera · May 18, 2009

LOVING THIS THREAD BIG TIME!!!!!!!! thanks so much for all your stories.....I have a feeling more will come....this thread has a "if you build it they will come" feel about it eh??? hahahahaha

one thing though.....IM DEFINATELY THE WORLDS WORST LOADER OF 6X6 FILM ONTO THE SPOOL!!!!! my technique now is f**k it....i load the first part into the spool and then feed the rest of it round with my fingers......ie i turn the film round into the spool with my fingers.....no fingerprints on final negs so i'll keep on doing it!!!!!! no matter how hard I try I never get it right without breaking into a DARK SWEAT.....the body temp starts going up and up and up.....hahahahahhahahahahaha.......oh, here's the shot i said i was gonna post from the shoot i KNOW WERE BETTER ON THE HASSELBLAD + 50mm WITH T-MAX 100:

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sperera · May 18, 2009

oh and here's my fave shots of the first roll i shot (and developed myself of course) in my comeback to film (after 8 years) on my 1960s Rollei T (bought from Ffordes in Scotland) when i joined this forum....these were walk around shots taken during a week or two.....the beach one was taken when down on the beach with the family...it was a particularly 'nice cloud' day........exposure was guessed according to experience and the chart on the back of the camera....

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sperera · May 18, 2009

a film shoot too.....this was on Agfa APX 25 left and TMax 100 the next two.....compare the shots I did this weekend to the film shots thereafter.....film looks way better to me.....IM STILL KICKING MYSELF FOR PUTTING IN THAT DAMN FIXER BEFORE THE DEVE,OPER ON THE ROLL OF FILM I TOOK AT THE SHOOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Doremus Scudder · May 18, 2009

Haven't seen this one mentioned, so I'll add another disaster to the list. BPF200 film (and others) came with a thin paper interleaf between each sheet. I managed to load a couple into the filmholders on top of the film, even though I was being very careful counting and removing them... Anyway, I discovered that they are very effective at blocking light and keeping it off the surface of the film, and that they have a tendency to turn into mush in PMK...

But, of course, I've never done any of the other things mentioned in this thread...

Best,

Doremus Scudder
www.DoremusScudder.com

2F/2F · May 18, 2009

What is with all the pictures in this post??

sperera · May 18, 2009

2F/2F said:
What is with all the pictures in this post??

em...just wanted to show what the roll I messed up contained cos i am convinced the shots would have looked better on film....and I wanted to show you the first roll of film i took since I joined the forum after an 8 years in the wilderness......I bought an old Rollei T recently......so I thought you'd all enjoy seeing a few pics of my work too.....Im relatively new here? I shouldnt post images???? let me know and I take em off if so.....

Pete H · May 18, 2009

This is a photography website. Nothing wrong with posting pictures!

You'd get more viewing if you posted them in a gallery, but that's up to you.

cheers
Pete

sperera · May 18, 2009

Pete H said:
This is a photography website. Nothing wrong with posting pictures!

You'd get more viewing if you posted them in a gallery, but that's up to you.

cheers
Pete

ah great...nice one Pete....i dont want to get up anyone's back.....I've had nothing but great help and feedback since i've been here.....I esp like AnscoJohn's comments ahahhaa

Shaggysk8 · May 18, 2009

Great pictures, I have not even developed any of my film yet, but I am learning what not to do although I will still do them just to make sure in my own mind they are what I should not do.

Paul

paul_c5x4 · May 18, 2009

Shaggysk8 said:
but I am learning what not to do although I will still do them just to make sure in my own mind they are what I should not do.

Same here - I've only had a 5x4 for a couple of months but have already done a double exposure, used two sheets of invisible film, and processed one unexposed sheet. Judging by the gaffs posted so far, there are plenty more mistakes to make.

sperera · May 18, 2009

I also have a 5x4 purchased recently (2nd hand).....I havent done a proper shoot with it yet but im just about too.....I have the film, I have the developing tank for it, I have the developer etc......

hey, all you old-timers here surely have to applaud us new people doing whats right and getting into film again no????? hahahaha

DISASTER + why im the biggest idiot here

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