I want to Make my own photographic filme

[jvo]

i will make the film

yeaaah Ralph i will make the film and i will photograph your face and i will develop it and i will laughhhhh

go for it!!!

welcome to apug!

 

[MattKing]

The 120 roll film that Denise Ross has made is quite impressive to see.

 

[Marina]

The 120 roll film that Denise Ross has made is quite impressive to see.

great! Where can i see it?
I think i love this website...

 

[MattKing]

great! Where can i see it?
I think i love this website...

See the link posted earlier - to her website - The Light Farm.
I saw it a couple of years ago when we both attended a Symposium on Alternative and Traditional photography put on by CPHT in Astoria, Oregon.
This one: Dead Link Removed

 

[removed account4]

I would be very careful what you say since you know absolutely nothing about emulsion making. We are all friends here and others know the difficulties you face.

why so discouraging ?!
making emulsion can be as easy or difficult as one wants to make it.

certainly emulsion scientists from kodak and other film / paper companies
make super sophisticated emulsions, high speed, like a maserati, super technical
super complicated that one needs all sorts of stuff ...
but it is extremely ez to make the yugo of emulsions, without much
effort, strain or issue...

regarding knowing nothing about emulsion making .. my guess will be the OP will do just fine
often times when one has barely any knowledge they do a better job than someone whose head
is full of do's and don'ts and protocol &c

good luck OP
don't forget to have fun !
john

 

[pentaxuser]

I think a lot of us believe that the OP has the will to try and make her own film but as this is her first post she has set the bar high. I cannot recall any newcomer in the past opening with such an ambitious target. It might help if she were to describe what knowledge, facilities, and money she can draw on and how long she is prepared to spend to achieve this ambition. That way we know how difficult or easy the journey will be and can help her to navigate to her goal.

If this was a forum for runners and the opening post was from someone of whom we have no knowledge who said that the target was 100yds in 10 secs I think we'd at least want to know age, previous experience etc so we could tailor-make advice.

We can either wish her well and be carried along the current wave of enthusiasm which per se largely ends our involvement and which is a bit like wishing everyone on Times Square "Happy New Year" after midnight on Jan 1 or we can take her seriously and start by checking how difficult her road to her goal will be. Her input beyond stating what appears to be boundless enthusiasm is called for and is vital if she, with our help, is to achieve her end.

I am assuming that our lack of information about her knowledge, what her plan is etc is just a temporary oversight on her part and that her post was not an experiment to see what APUG's reaction would be to such a post. We have so little to go on which matters little when the question is simple such as what is a good film for a newcomer to buy or what books will provide a newcomer with a grounding in analogue photography but the opening question in this case is in another league altogether

Just some thoughts


pentaxuser

 

[Marina]

I think a lot of us believe that the OP has the will to try and make her own film but as this is her first post she has set the bar high. I cannot recall any newcomer in the past opening with such an ambitious target. It might help if she were to describe what knowledge, facilities, and money she can draw on and how long she is prepared to spend to achieve this ambition. That way we know how difficult or easy the journey will be and can help her to navigate to her goal.

If this was a forum for runners and the opening post was from someone of whom we have no knowledge who said that the target was 100yds in 10 secs I think we'd at least want to know age, previous experience etc so we could tailor-make advice.

We can either wish her well and be carried along the current wave of enthusiasm which per se largely ends our involvement and which is a bit like wishing everyone on Times Square "Happy New Year" after midnight on Jan 1 or we can take her seriously and start by checking how difficult her road to her goal will be. Her input beyond stating what appears to be boundless enthusiasm is called for and is vital if she, with our help, is to achieve her end.

I am assuming that our lack of information about her knowledge, what her plan is etc is just a temporary oversight on her part and that her post was not an experiment to see what APUG's reaction would be to such a post. We have so little to go on which matters little when the question is simple such as what is a good film for a newcomer to buy or what books will provide a newcomer with a grounding in analogue photography but the opening question in this case is in another league altogether

Just some thoughts


pentaxuser

Hi... Well, first i want to say that the idiom thing límits me a few for explain what i want to do (i m from argentina) but i ll try my best. My profile is empty, because i créate the account yesterday. but it doesn't t Mean i know nothing. I m not a profesional, ok, but i have experience in the dark room. I m curious, ambicious and skilled. I m from the "third world" so as far as money is concerned, i don t have a ton wow! but i m Also stubborn and im willing to spend everithing i have in experiment. I want básically to Make a 35 mm film (because in my country is the most popular format) but Also can be 120. A film that i can use in a regular camera...i don t expect a perfect image or súper fast iso. Im aware that it is an experimental method, But since i know about WASHI FILMS, by example, a film that is Make with japanese paper -nice- i started to dream about Make my own film. i would like an emulsion that lasts some considerable time without exposing (some other methods must be exposed or developed inmediatly) But if it is still impossible, i want to hear all your suggestions people, and so maybe got new ideas and my Main idea changes.I want to obtain a negative image, in film, or maybe crazy rare paper or something that works as film. I know about several antique processes but i think they doesn't meet this requeriments. in argentina there is almost no varíety of films, there is very little industry but there is a lot of analog lovers. So in lack of varíety i start to interest about homemade.

 

[Marina]

Here there is Also general industrial chemistry, so if i can get the raw materials i can try it

 

[mshchem]

The emulsion is fairly straight forward as long as it's slow and not panchromatic. It's making the cellulose acetate (nitrate if you are bold) base, backing paper, spools etc.

 

[pentaxuser]

The OP wants to make 35mm film. Now we know this, can anyone here give a broad indication of what equipment and costs might be involved and how long the skills to do this will take to learn? It would appear that she will be on her own. Once the OP knows what is involved in terms of skills, cost etc then she can assess what to do next

pentaxuser

 

[Gerald C Koch]

Assuming the OP can get that far how will the film be perforated?

 

[AgX]

There are several options, from readymade tool to selfmade tool. All doable. Keep in mind, perforating a short strip into type 135 (or something of its kind...) is something different than perforating kilometer of cine film.

Also pre-perforated base has been handcoated.

 

[AgX]

Even I think, there is quite some negativism here.

But it would be interesting to know what Marina's abilities are so far.

 

[pentaxuser]

If I were Marina, I'd want to find out how much skill and experience Denise Ross had before she was able to do what she did. That's aside from the question of facilities and costs thereof.

pentaxuser

 

[Craig75]

I forgot how expensive 35mm washi was... its £12 here for 16 shots.

As for perforations you get can get movie leader film for next to nothing as a base

 

[Gerald C Koch]

I forgot how expensive 35mm washi was... its £12 here for 16 shots.

As for perforations you get can get movie leader film for next to nothing as a base

If you attempt to coat perforated leader the emulsion will get into the perforations. If it gets loose it can damage any camera it is used in. You must coat THEN perforate. Not wanting to be negative but this project appears to be poorly thought out by all.

BTW what is the price of silver nitrate in the Argenttina?

 

[Craig75]

Then you just run it through a beat up/broken camera to clear the sprockets of emulsion or some other heath robinson contraption. Or just clean each sprocket by hand for a first attempt.

Or you coat it in rapid cyanotype which most likely wont clog sprockets

Or you use a camera not dependent on sprockets.

Its hardly an insolvable problem.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

Making your own film as opposed to paper negatives IS NOT an easy task even when you know what you are doing. You would have to design and make some sort of coating machine. Just buy the stuff!

+1

 

[Nodda Duma]

Go for it!

Your ultimate goal is difficult combination of technique and perfectly executed steps. My recommendation to learning the techniques and steps without being overwhelmed is to learn the necessary techniques in stages:

Buy photographic gelatin and Liquid Light and successfully coat glass plates with a subbing layer and emulsion. Glass plates allow you to hand-coat without the added complications of flexible film.

Acquire a suitable camera. Test sensitivity and take pictures to get an understanding of the emulsion's characteristics. It is different than shooting modern film.

Acquire the film base and coat with subbing layer and Liquid Light.

Find a basic emulsion recipe and mix your own. Coat the film base (or practice on glass plates first).

Enjoy the satisfaction of completing a long and difficult journey.

The emulsion-making sub forum here on APUG is a great resource.

Have fun!

Jason

 

[Harry Stevens]

Making film is so easy..........You just turn money into film just by giving it to Ilford,Foma or Kodak and the fresh film appears.

 

[removed account4]

If you attempt to coat perforated leader the emulsion will get into the perforations. If it gets loose it can damage any camera it is used in. You must coat THEN perforate. Not wanting to be negative but this project appears to be poorly thought out by all.

BTW what is the price of silver nitrate in the Argenttina?

or you can use one of those cameras like a 35mm that doesn't use sprocket holes...

 

[pentaxuser]

I may be wrong but it seems Marina from her reply to my earlier post has a specific objective of making 35mm film ecause in her country that is the most popular film but she does go on to say "possibly 120". It doesn't look as if glass plates and using cameras that will accept such are in her remit.

If we are saying that if you are a beginner as she appears to be, that the only way way to begin the film making apprenticeship is via glass plate and that attempting to make 35mm or even 120 as a starting point is really beyond a beginner we should at least say so.

I am all for giving encouragement but it has to be "grounded in reality encouragement" surely. I want to run 100yds in under 10 secs but I'd hope you'd for some details about me such as previous experience, age, what time and effort I can devote to it etc rather than just telling me to go for it and wishing me well.

It could all end in tears or worse and in my case it would be worse. I am 71 That the comedy out of the way but you get my point.

pentaxuser

 

[pdeeh]

The message is clear: never try anything.

 

[dwross]

The message is clear: never try anything.

I think you nailed it.

 

[dwross]

re 35mm: Actually, I find film coating easier than coating glass plates. To work with a 35mm camera (the common kind, with sprockets) use commercial film for backing, exactly as you would use paper with 120. For more info, go here (fifth entry down, February 6, 2016):http://thelightfarm.com/cgi-bin/htmlgennew.py?content=Journal2