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I've Missed the Smell of an Open Tray of Fixer

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A coal wagon

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hgernhardt

Member
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Joined
Dec 24, 2012
Messages
79
Location
Brockton, MA
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Folks—

Recently I posted a hello on the “Introduce Yourself” forum. I was lamenting my lack of a fully functioning darkroom.

Well, I finally brought the Beseler 23c over and set up some trays. I had no negative carrier, so I cut a couple out of card stock. Not pretty, but they worked. I didn't have a VC head, but I had some 3½" square Beseler color filters which I could hold just under the enlarger lens. My lens is too short, but it's what I have: 75mm. The right hand elevation gear is about a third stripped. The enlarger timer is probably from the 50's—it's an analog job that I had to check against the ticking of a wall clock in order to get accurate exposure timing.

The whole setup is clunky.

But…

I have prints!

These were printed on Fomaspeed Variant, all developed in 1:14 Ilford Multigrade. All were taken with a 50's vintage (I think) Zeiss Ikon Nettar:


Self Portrait No 1: Taken in my office, using an old, cheap, underpowered Britek umbrella set triggered by a Vivitar 283 on the shoe bouncing off the ceiling. Film is Holga 400, processed in Ilfosol 1:14.


Power Line: Taken in Lexington, KY. If I recall correctly, this was during the winter of 2006-2007.
Film is Fuji Neopan 400, processed in D-76.


Address Post: Taken on the same walkabout on the same roll as the prior image.

It was definitely fun—I think I spent about three hours or so making prints. I look forward to more. :D
 
Welcome!

I wouldn't be surprised to hear in 30 years that you still use that cardstock negative carrier.

I still do.
 
Thanks, folks! Oh, and Bill: I wouldn't be surprised at all. :smile:
 
Good job Henry! I was in Japan for nearly two years before I finally got a functioning darkroom again -- not that you can't find enlargers and such here, it's just they are still so very expensive, even used. I was lucky in that someone was trying to make room in their house and basically gave me a nearly mint LPL VC7700 enlarger. The hard part was finding a way to create a darkroom without overly damaging my rental property! (which is the case everywhere I live, everytime I move).
 
Just did my first prints after a 20 year absence. Made quite a few stuff ups but on the whole an enjoyable experience. Biggest surprise - 8 x 10's from 35mm negatives far superior to the film scan and print process available from the labs here. Now all I need to do is see if I can justify a Stopclock Pro from RH Designs.
Greg
 
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