Let's all print one negative

[Jon King]

The idea of a negative exchange was brought up in a thread a week or so ago. I thought it sounded like a great idea - I've enjoyed several rounds of the Postcard exchange and I have a photo on one of the 'Shoot one camera' cameras. I also read old threads where this idea was proposed and saw some of the difficulties in getting it started.

I'm too impatient to be at the end of a list of people sharing one negative, so I thought I'd kick start things by providing some negatives. I went out last weekend and shot a 35mm roll each of two scenes - I developed them last night. I tried to compose both so that there are possibilities (for me at least) to make some variety in a print by dodging, burning, and cropping. If people want, I'll post negative scans and other details to give you an idea of what is on the negatives - I haven't printed them yet.

The rules? How about this? I'll make a list of interested people - respond here or PM me. I'll send a negative of each scene to each list member. Print one, print both, once or in many different ways. Silver prints, alternative processes, "distress" the negative, whatever.

Post it in the Gallery. Once we get a list of people, perhaps Sean could make a separate gallery for this, as there is for the Postcard Exchange and the Monthly shooting assignment.

I think it would be great to get all the prints together and be able to pass them around and/or display them somewhere, but I'm sure we can figure something out later.

Thoughts??

 

[brian steinberger]

Jon,

Post the two scenes so we can see. I'm in....

Brian

 

[Pete H]

Jon,

Great stuff. I'll join.

Cheers
Pete H

 

[keithwms]

I'll join too! Sounds like fun.

 

[Jerry Basierbe]

Jon,

Post the the two scenes see we can see. I'm in....

Brian

Probably better to not post them. I did this with one of John Sextons workshops. Before the workshop he each student the same scene to print for the workshop. The ideas was to see how everybody interpereted the scene. We had no idea what scene he was sending us. The different interperetations were incredible.
If you get a preview now you'll get a preconceived idea of how the scene looks.
Just my opinion though.

Jerry

 

[brian steinberger]

Probably better to not post them. I did this with one of John Sextons workshops. Before the workshop he each student the same scene to print for the workshop. The ideas was to see how everybody interpereted the scene. We had no idea what scene he was sending us. The different interperetations were incredible.
If you get a preview now you'll get a preconceived idea of how the scene looks.
Just my opinion though.

Jerry

Good Point Jerry... Never thought of it this way.

 

[Jon King]

We had no idea what scene he was sending us. The different interperetations were incredible.
If you get a preview now you'll get a preconceived idea of how the scene looks.
Just my opinion though.

Jerry

Jerry, that is a very good point. You sold me on the idea. At the same time, I did offer it, so if anyone wants a low res neg scan, PM me. That way only people who don't want to be surprised will see them.

 

[keithwms]

No! No peeking! The neg must be interpreted freely!

 

[bdial]

Sounds interesting!
I'll go for it

Barry

 

[Síle]

I've been following this in another thread and loved the idea from the outset ... So count me in!

Síle

 

[SuzanneR]

This looks intriguing... count me in!

 

[jgjbowen]

me too!!!

 

[jeroldharter]

I would be interested in 4x5 format.

My suggestion would be to have groupings of about 5-10 people and have one person volunteer to generate 5-10 identical negative to send to each participant. Each participant would be responsible for sending one 8x10 - 11x14 print of the negative to each of the other 4-9 participants along with notes about the printing process and techniques so that it is a learning experience.

Although a bit onerous, it would perhaps weed out the casual volunteers who take forever to do anything. Some of the blind print exchanges are exercises in patience. People seem to volunteer and then take months to generate a single print so the experience is more exasperating than anything.

Just my take.

 

[Jon King]

I would be interested in 4x5 format.

My suggestion would be to have groupings of about 5-10 people and have one person volunteer to generate 5-10 identical negative to send to each participant. Each participant would be responsible for sending one 8x10 - 11x14 print of the negative to each of the other 4-9 participants along with notes about the printing process and techniques so that it is a learning experience.

Although a bit onerous, it would perhaps weed out the casual volunteers who take forever to do anything. Some of the blind print exchanges are exercises in patience. People seem to volunteer and then take months to generate a single print so the experience is more exasperating than anything.

Just my take.

That seems like another good way to organize it. I am thinking more along the lines of the Postcard Exchange, where even if there is not 100% participation, the participation rate is high. I think it would be wonderful if negative exchanges became a more common thing here, and there is no reason they should be organized all the same way, and probably good reasons not to.

 

[Ole]

14 posts so far?

That means that it should still be possible for me to get in on this.

I want in - and please don't post any neg scans!

BTW I have enlargers that take anything from 35mm to 5x7".

 

[Jon King]

So far I have 10 people, myself included who have said 'yes':

Jon King
Brian Steinberger
Pete H
Keithwms
MartinB
bdial
Síle
SuzanneR
jgjbowen
Ole

I figure I will let send out negatives next Monday, March 10, to give people a chance to see this thread and join if they wish.

In keeping with the surprise aspect of it, perhaps we say no posting for two weeks or so, to let people have a chance to print them without the temptation of peeking on APUG to see what others may have done? I'm open to better suggestions or changing the dates

With regards to negative size, I thought that 35mm would exclude the fewest possible APUGgers. So there may be some grain . The negatives are FP4+ developed in D76.

 

[Rlibersky]

I interested. Count me in

 

[naknak]

My proposal to this excellent idea is to make identical dublicates,using a standard technique method to keep the original negative, and send them simultaneously to all participants (me,too,of course). Otherwise it will take time in the changing hands,if we are talking for one negative.
N

 

[Mark Fisher]

Sounds like fun...I'm up for it. I'd suggest, though, that the prints then get posted to a gallery area (is this possible?) on a specific date so we can all see them.

 

[jgcull]

Now *this* is interesting. I love the idea and will be following it. I don't know that my skills are good enough to join. What say you? Sounds like a good way to grow, though. Yes?

 

[MattKing]

Please add me to this list.

Matt

 

[Jon King]

There are 15 now (I'm counting jgcull as a yes )

Naknak, I made in-camera duplicates of two scenes - one roll per scene, so there are plenty of negatives to go around, no waiting!

 

[keeds]

Very interesting idea. I'll bite if there is still room. Thanks.

 

[rst]

Hi Jon,

that sound interesting, so if there is still a free negative please count me in.

Thanks and ciao
-- Ruediger

 

[Mick Fagan]

This sounds quite interesting!

Please count me in, if possible.

Mick.