Guy processes 164 rolls a year later - learns "stuff"

[gr82bart]

I found this article fascinating. As I often don't get my film processed months after I snap the last pic. Once I even found 37 rolls I forgot about. 4 years later. I think I have over 20 rolls now ready for processing next time I have enough time in Los Angeles to get to Freestyle.

http://erickimphotography.com/blog/...ssing-164-rolls-of-film-after-waiting-a-year/

Regards, Art

 

[Down Under]

Huh. I have nine rolls of now long outdated C41 chilling in my fridge, and I thought I was a master procrastinator...

Eric Kim is to me, always amusing if not exactly informative. Obviously he can afford to hoard 100+ rolls and then pay upfront to get them processed and also to order film in 150 roll lots at a time, good for him! His blog confirms, among other things, that he is making money. In clicks from all the advertising add-ons in his blog?

Snideness (or envy) aside, I enjoyed the article. It confirmed, among other things, that I'm not the antisocial hoarder I have long thought I am. I do disagree, however, with his comment that Portra 400 looks like Kodachrome, no earthly way,like old Ektachrome, maybe, if one takes into consideration the obvious shifts to blue and magesta, though that could be due to Costco scanning.

Interesting (to me) that he didn't address the possibility of image degradation in hanging on to C41 or E6 for long periods. I hope refrigerated. Mine date to 2009-2012 and were shot on the old Fuji Proplus I film, so I've no great hopes as to the final color. Much much post processing to be done at home when the negatives are returned.

I plan to have my lot processed next week in Singapore, so the cost will be lower than in Australia, but not as cheap as Costco in the USA.

As for his images, well. I will be charitable, and say only that posterity will be the judge as to their merit. Many are good. One or two excellent. To me, Eric's choices of subject matter have always surpassed his technical skills. For the former, I am again, envious.

Overall, amusing and interesting. My comments are "Without Prejudice" from one who enjoys both Eric Kim and Ken Rockwell!

 

[Cholentpot]

Costco no longer has anything to do with film. It was nice when they were around...

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

I could never let my film go that long without processing it. But this is why I have a Jobo in my darkroom. I might go a few weeks without processing some color film, but my b/w gets done ASAP.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

I try to process my film the same day or as soon as possible. I sleeve them and don't usually get around to proofing them for a few months. I think this works best for me as I find I'm more critical when proofing.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I am usually disciplined in getting film developed but recently I have been spinning my wheels.

 

[twelvetone12]

He should repeat is, with 200 rolls of PanF+ 50.

 

[removed account4]

i have rolls of film in 2 cameras ( maybe 3?)
no clue when i will finish them and
i have some film to process as i type this,
don't know when i will process it or if i will just
leave it unprocessed for a while longer.
now that i think about it, maybe the cameras i have
been using are empty and i just use them?
i thought there was film in there, i like taking the pictures

 

[blockend]

Garry Winogrand cut the tie between film shot, film processed and images printed. In the end pressing the shutter became the act.

"At the time of his death Winogrand's late work remained undeveloped, with about 2,500 rolls of undeveloped film, 6,500 rolls of developed but not proofed exposures, and about 3,000 rolls only realized as far as contact sheets being made".

Twelve thousand rolls, and not a single print.

 

[piffey]

Garry Winogrand cut the tie between film shot, film processed and images printed. In the end pressing the shutter became the act.

"At the time of his death Winogrand's late work remained undeveloped, with about 2,500 rolls of undeveloped film, 6,500 rolls of developed but not proofed exposures, and about 3,000 rolls only realized as far as contact sheets being made".

Twelve thousand rolls, and not a single print.

This is why I'm most excited to see the "Everything Is Photographable" documentary. They're developing all of those rolls and then curating them. How close will they be to Winogrand's vision?

 

[Ko.Fe.]

EK is good guy and helpful. Except, EK has nothing new to add most of the time. This time no exclusion either. Because GW already told his students about waiting time between exposure and developing, printing. The reason is to end emotional connection and have more cold objectivity.

I'm suggesting something new here due to this. Develop ASAP, to have no issues with film. But don't look at them right away.

 

[faberryman]

Seems a little silly to me. Objectivity is objectivity. If an image is no good today, it won't be good tomorrow, and vice versa. And, imagine shooting 2500 rolls of film and finding out your shutter speeds are buggered.

 

[Cholentpot]

Seems a little silly to me. Objectivity is objectivity. If an image is no good today, it won't be good tomorrow, and vice versa.

That photo of your car that you shot because you hit frame 37 and the advance still cranked, and you just want to load a new roll might be stupid now but down the road it can have lots of meaning. I'll bet more than not shot 35, 36, and 37 for most people here have turned out to be the most interesting.

 

[twelvetone12]

But sometimes the images are "tainted" by the idea you had of them. Looking at them after some time sometimes is a bit more objective. I find sometimes interesting subjects in my rejectes after a couple years.

 

[Arbitrarium]

Hmm. I've started developing my own film so I don't even have to leave the house to see my finished photos. So it'd probably be too hard to resist the urge to develop.

However I've only got C41 kit, and a couple of black and white rolls from a while back are sat waiting for the cash to get them developed by Ilford. I like the idea of leaving rolls for a long time. Maybe not a year, but I might let these B+Ws sit for a while longer. Already forgotten what's on them.

Interesting stuff, but he should definitely be shooting that Portra at 200ASA. Underexposure galore.

 

[Wallendo]

There is a thrill associated with receiving back images you made months or more ago. I tend to bunch my C-41 rolls into a group for development to save on shipping costs (my B&W is usually developed at home within a week), and there is a certain joy to rediscovered images. On the other hand, sorting through 164 rolls with its thousands of images seems like a mess. Who really has time to sort through that many images looking for keepers. That is one of the reasons I have mostly moved back from digital to film.

 

[railwayman3]

I shot a number of films quickly about 6 years ago, purely as test films with a view to trying out variations in film speeds and processing. I never got around to doing this (like too many other ideas!), but decided a few weeks ago to run them though my usual B&W dev, not expecting much. I was very pleased that, despite the time and ordinary room-temperature storage, the results were technically fine, and there were several interesting and quite nice shots, which I'd forgotten, but which will certainly be worth printing !

 

[blockend]

Whatever Eric Kim says, he'll say the exact opposite if you wait long enough. Shoot film. No, shoot digital. The camera you use matters. The camera you use doesn't matter. Commerce is the enemy of good photography. Buy my camera strap. Teach yourself by reading books. Learn by taking my photography course. Be a stoic. Let me list some brands. Control your desire. Leica, Apple, BMW. Money doesn't matter. Hey, I'm rich!

Eric is the internet personified, there are shallows to his depths.

 

[faberryman]

I'll bet more than not shot 35, 36, and 37 for most people here have turned out to be the most interesting.

Why do you say that?

 

[Cholentpot]

Why do you say that?

One may tend to shoot things they would otherwise not shoot. Your house, car, cat, dog, tree, etc. or try a double exposure or something that you wouldn't try with a fresh roll. It's the last shot and I need a fresh roll in here because I don't want to swap rolls midshoot after one or two frames.

 

[Theo Sulphate]

He has interesting observations on using film vs digital. Overall, a good article.

Oh, one more thing: no GAS with film cameras. Good to know that.

 

[Wallendo]

One may tend to shoot things they would otherwise not shoot. Your house, car, cat, dog, tree, etc. or try a double exposure or something that you wouldn't try with a fresh roll. It's the last shot and I need a fresh roll in here because I don't want to swap rolls midshoot after one or two frames.

That is my experience also. My more "artistic" photos often fall flat, but the quick snapshots of pets, cars, furniture and so forth frequently bring back memories.

 

[faberryman]

One may tend to shoot things they would otherwise not shoot. Your house, car, cat, dog, tree, etc. or try a double exposure or something that you wouldn't try with a fresh roll. It's the last shot and I need a fresh roll in here because I don't want to swap rolls midshoot after one or two frames.

I have never done that and I've been shooting for decades. I guess it just depends on your work habits.

 

[Cholentpot]

I have never done that and I've been shooting for decades. I guess it just depends on your work habits.

Work.

This ain't work. I'm talking fun and enjoyment. If shooting for work this would never come up.

 

[nimajneb]

I tend to develop in binges, I've been better lately though. For like five years until summer of 2016 I was way behind. I had film undeveloped for five years. Some of it was film I meant try out to see if I looked it. Including Kodak Plus-X, I had purchased a roll before it was discontinued. I then shot it at some point around 2012 I think. Then In 2016 i developed it and realized I love the film