I'm strictly a hobbyist, technically minded but try and keep my artistic side well fed.
My first darkroom was at 15 and it was my father's. I didn't do much there but watch what he did on occasion and the knowledge sunk in. My first camera was my grandfather's Leica that I borrowed.
Later at 18 I built a darkroom of my own using parts scavenged from my father's old one that he had stopped using. Still with the Leica I did a bunch of 35mm pics of my friends, the occasional trip and a bunch of abstract stuff on a combination of Tri-X, Plus-X and Tech Pan in a combination of D76, HC110 and Microdol with one failed foray into Rodinal.
Now at 50 I'm building a new, small bathroom darkroom and find myself here
I still have my grandfather's Leica and have kept it dry and in shape all this time. We can talk about my idiosyncratic darkroom later. I'm just at the point of calibrating for Xtol and various Foma/HP5/Tri-x setups.
I've since added some toys to my film collection:
1944 Graflex Combat Graphic (aka "Graphic 45") in olive drab that I'm slowly restoring.
1953 Graflex Pacemaker Crown Graphic 4x5 that I picked up to restore. Easy work and I liked it so much now that I'm nearly done cleaning/lubing that I gave it a tele-optar for an early Christmas present this year.
Finally a 1962 Century Graphic and a 6x9 back that needs a little cosmetic work but otherwise is in great mechanical shape.
So... HI
- Patrick
My first darkroom was at 15 and it was my father's. I didn't do much there but watch what he did on occasion and the knowledge sunk in. My first camera was my grandfather's Leica that I borrowed.
Later at 18 I built a darkroom of my own using parts scavenged from my father's old one that he had stopped using. Still with the Leica I did a bunch of 35mm pics of my friends, the occasional trip and a bunch of abstract stuff on a combination of Tri-X, Plus-X and Tech Pan in a combination of D76, HC110 and Microdol with one failed foray into Rodinal.
Now at 50 I'm building a new, small bathroom darkroom and find myself here
I still have my grandfather's Leica and have kept it dry and in shape all this time. We can talk about my idiosyncratic darkroom later. I'm just at the point of calibrating for Xtol and various Foma/HP5/Tri-x setups.I've since added some toys to my film collection:
1944 Graflex Combat Graphic (aka "Graphic 45") in olive drab that I'm slowly restoring.
1953 Graflex Pacemaker Crown Graphic 4x5 that I picked up to restore. Easy work and I liked it so much now that I'm nearly done cleaning/lubing that I gave it a tele-optar for an early Christmas present this year.
Finally a 1962 Century Graphic and a 6x9 back that needs a little cosmetic work but otherwise is in great mechanical shape.
So... HI
- Patrick
