I am a student photographer in Lowell, Mass

[get_me_a_gun]

Hi everyone,

I am self-taught in photography up 'till now. I am taking my first photo class. I can barely sit still, yet I pay attention to every word the professor says. I get anxious because I want to take more photos!

Our first assignment is called "Four Corners". It's pretty self explanatory, but the idea is to put 4 different elements/subjects in each corner of a photo. I am required to take 2 rolls of B&W 36 exposures. Out of those photos I need to choose 2 of the best photos to hand in.

I'd like to hear any words of advice that you may have for me in this project or in photography in general. I just switched from RC to Fiber paper tonight, and the fiber paper took a really long time to develop! What's up with that?

Thanks in advance,
Lisa

 

[Dave Parker]

Wow,

Welcome to the crew.....but I don't know if to really say hi, or yell DUCK!

LOL

What is the meaning behind get me a gun? Just curious.

Anyway, again Welcome, I am sure you will find much here to help you along with your photography passion.

Dave

 

[Curt]

Hi Lisa,

What level of school are you in? I went to Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara and your assignment reminds me of the kind we would get. It's rather open so the creativity can really get going. We had one assignment called "city block". We were given one block of down town and a week to produce a short story of a half dozen photographs. Keep in mind that there may be more to the four corners assignment.

It sounds like a lot of fun, I remember waiting for the assigments and the urge to run out the door and get started. In the darkroom experiment and talk to the others in the class. It may seem like a high learning curve but in no time you will take off.

regards, Curt

 

[roteague]

Welcome Lisa, I'm sure you will have a lot of fun here. Feel free to ask questions.

 

[SuzanneR]

Welcome, Lisa. I'm just about a half hour away from you, and we have a pretty active group of APUGger's in New England. Check out the regional area section. We are planning a portrait workshop out in Springfield at the end of March.

Where are you taking classes? There are a lot of helpful and knowledgeable people here, so you'll learn a lot by reading the forums! Looking forward to seeing your solution to the assignment!

 

[Andy K]

Welcome to APUG Lisa, sorry no guns over here in England, plenty of film though!

 

[Ed Sukach]

Hei, Lisa.

I'm a trifle southeast; Ipswich, MA.

My best advice? Tough one. Probably, stay loose - as loose as possible. There are very few "Saints" in photography, and lots of those who would love to have you dancing on their strings.

There are a few APUGgers in Mass. - one or two in NE Mass. Coffee/ or .. sometime?

 

[Whiteymorange]

Hey Lisa!

Acton and Belmont here. Lowell's a great town for lots of things, photography among them. As Suzanne said, we are pretty active around New England. Check out the regional forum and join some of us for a shoot sometime - and definitely check out the March get together in Springfield. Transportation can be arranged.

 

[Changeling1]

Hi everyone,


I'd like to hear any words of advice that you may have for me in this project or in photography in general. I just switched from RC to Fiber paper tonight, and the fiber paper took a really long time to develop! What's up with that?

Thanks in advance,
Lisa

The RC papers have the "developer incorporated" in the paper's emulsion to lessen the time it takes to make a print. There are special RC papers made for machine processing which reduce the developing times to 5-10 seconds! The fiber based papers allow you to control the development better. What takes even more time and is actually more important is the proper washing of FB papers. Fiber based papers take much longer to dry also but the look and feel of "rag" paper is significantly more pleasing than RC paper when done correctly.

BTW- Your forum "online name" get_me_a_gun probably won't go over too well at APUG as we are a peace-loving-people. :- )

 

[PhotoPete]

Welcome to APUG. Is your class at UMASS- Lowell? There is at least one amazing photographer there...Arno Minkkinen. You should check him out if you get the chance.

 

[bobfowler]

Hi Lisa,

Welcome aboard! I was transplanted from Billerica to NJ over 20 years ago, but still get up there from time to time.

You'll like it here...

 

[sionnac]

Hi Lisa -
I'm in Boston but know Lowell well, have cousins there. Great that you're working with different papers. The class I took at Simmons, being an Introductory one, only dealt with RC; looking forward to trying fiber now that I have my own darkroom!
Welcome.

 

[papagene]

Hello and a great big Welcome from the other end of the state... Springfield. I hope that you will enjoy your many visits to APUG. It's a great site. And if possible, stop on in at the workshop March 25 here in Springfield.

gene

 

[Ed Sukach]

The RC papers have the "developer incorporated" in the paper's emulsion to lessen the time it takes to make a print. There are special RC papers made for machine processing which reduce the developing times to 5-10 seconds!

Rather misleading. *SOME* RC papers have part of the developer included in their construction. The images are (can be) produced by using an "activator",.. which really completes the "developing agent". They are usually called "Rapid" papers ... e.g., Ilford Multigrade Rapid.

Supposedly, they are fine for conventional development as well ... but I have tried the "rapids" conventionally, and I would rather not use them. Seems to me, that there is a compromise inherit in the chemistry, that way.

 

[removed account4]

hi lisa

glad you found us
i'm in central rhode island near providence ..
lowell is great, lots of wonderful industrial archtecture and history,
i was there alot when studying in meffid/sumavul.

advice ?
keep an open mind, and use your imagination.
a camera, film and paper is truly a gateway to the unknown.


good luck + don't forget your (firearm)permit
-john

 

[Stoo Batchelor]

Hi and welcome, from South East England.

And good luck with your assignment.

Stoo

 

[winger]

Welcome from Franklin, MA. I've spent a bunch of time in Lowell - all working, unfortunately. Are you originally from MA?
Fiber does take longer in developer (2 minutes, usually, as opposed to 1), but it's worth it. The fixing and washing steps need to be done right, too, as they affect the longevity of the print.