Moment of Zen or Moment of Despair

Richard Man · Feb 3, 2016

I guess this is a test to see whether I am a zen buddhist or not. I spent 4 times at the Santa Monica pier, including literally in the dark and dragged myself at Oh-Dark hours to catch the sunrise. 6 rolls of medium format B&W film, many with long exposures.

And then I did a thing that I have never done since developing B&W film since 1978 - I poured in the fixer in by accident: this is due to that I have been developing mainly color film and the order of the chemical bottles is different.

So SIX ROLLS OF PERFECTLY CLEAR FILM. I should cry, or go full Kylo Ren now.

markbarendt · Feb 3, 2016

ooohhmmmmmmmmmmmmm
ooohhmmmmmmmmmmmmm
ooohhmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Don't imagine you'll make that mistake again.

Sirius Glass · Feb 3, 2016

Get in the car. Drive east on Santa Monica Boulevard. Turn left at Normandy. Turn left at Sunset Boulevard and left again into FreeStyle's parking lot. Buy more film. Take two rolls tonight and call me in the morning.

Theo Sulphate · Feb 3, 2016

Sorry to hear that; it's gotta hurt.

If you were an exceptionally famous artist, you could tack the clear frames onto an easel, tell the story, call it "Santa Monica Sunrise", and sell them for $20G apiece.

mesantacruz · Feb 3, 2016

it happens, sadly... nonetheless, it won't happen again for a long while (hopefully never again).

here's a song to cheer you up!

[video=youtube;tQSU5nn76hM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQSU5nn76hM[/video]

HiHoSilver · Feb 4, 2016

Ohhh. Probably most of us have a similar hard-learned lesson. I wish I didn't. 'Hope I don't need more of them. 'Can't pour you one through a keyboard, but it would be appropriate.

frank · Feb 4, 2016

Does anyone really know what time it is?

mooseontheloose · Feb 4, 2016

A few zen koans for you (not that eloquently done, I'll admit):

If nobody saw you shoot the film, did it really happen?
Do the images that appear on film or paper reflect the reality of the moment?
Was pouring fixer first really an accident?
Are lost images better than the ones we have?

I feel your pain, although I can't imagine developing 6 rolls at once for important images...hopefully your future efforts will be even better (but how will we ever know? )

chromacomaphoto · Feb 4, 2016

I remember in my early days of film, I had a MF roll that I thought had some great stuff on it and excitedly and hurriedly put it in the Patterson tank MINUS the main black tube/spindle that goes in the middle and that the top funnel locks into. I didn't realise until I was already devving it and wondered why I could see the white plastic inside

Of course, you will now be convinced (like me) that your best ever work was lost on this roll forever! Try again and don't be too hard on yourself.

Theo Sulphate · Feb 4, 2016

mooseontheloose said:
...
Are lost images better than the ones we have?

That is a really good question.

Daire Quinlan · Feb 4, 2016

chromacomaphoto said:
I remember in my early days of film, I had a MF roll that I thought had some great stuff on it and excitedly and hurriedly put it in the Patterson tank MINUS the main black tube/spindle that goes in the middle and that the top funnel locks into. I didn't realise until I was already devving it and wondered why I could see the white plastic inside

Hah. I did that once too. It actually took a couple of minutes to click. That horrible sense of dawning realisation has never left me :-D

chromacomaphoto · Feb 4, 2016

Daire Quinlan said:
Hah. I did that once too. It actually took a couple of minutes to click. That horrible sense of dawning realisation has never left me :-D

Ha, tell me about it. To be fair, I bet neither of us will do it again though!

Richard Man · Feb 4, 2016

Sadly, I am 400 miles north of Santa Monica normally!

I did these before the trip to Santa Monica, as a test run:

Acros 100

Doremus Scudder · Feb 4, 2016

I once hiked half a day down a steep canyon to get to my destination only to realize that I had forgot to pack my filmholders. That image is permanently etched on my mind; never made it to paper though. The fates just didn't want us to capture those moments, Richard. Sacrifice a glass of red wine or two to appease the gods and go forth and make more photographs.

Best,

Doremus

Hilo · Feb 4, 2016

when that happened to me:

For a day I was frustrated to the top

For a day I tried to forget

Then I sat down with a pen and a piece of paper. I described each image as best as I could remember. After that I used a pencil and some water colors, and I made drawings of the scenes . . .

scheimfluger_77 · Feb 4, 2016

Ouch, I am so sorry. Like everyone says... Go forth and continue.

In the '70's not long after I was married we were at the start of a three week vacation, I was shooting 4x5 B&W and ektachrome. I placed the exposed sheets in boxes and put them in the ice chest to cool them. I forgot, ice melted, you know the rest. I lost 20-30 sheets, including a panorama from the top of Sacajawea peak at Bozeman, MT. Ugh! Don't know how much fresh film I lost either.

Moment of Zen or Moment of Despair

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