Road Trip: 4x5" film and supplies along I-40

[kintatsu]

It's a beautiful stretch of highway. There are places everywhere to stop and shoot. Don't miss the Painted Desrt/Petrified Forest. Worth the trip.

Check out some the local sites on the way for really interesting photo subjects. Little touristy things dot the route if you're willing to get off the beaten path once in a while.

 

[mgb74]

Best of luck on your next phase and your trip. You did tell the wife that you needed a 50's Corvette, right?

Don't forget that you can send usps mail as "Hold for pickup" to any PO. They will hold for up to 15 days. I believe you can also have the PO forward the box in case travel plans change. It can, however, tie you down in terms of schedule.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Motel darkroom setup, for those who might want to try this. For my timer, I'm using the "Massive Dev Chart" app on my iPhone, but it doesn't show in the photos, which are made with the very same iPhone.

The chems got really cold in the car, of course, so I'm warming them up to temperature in a sink full of hot water. I decided to go for 65F, instead of 68F, so I could pour the developer through the daylight cap, otherwise Acufine can have really short dev times. The negs look perfect.

 

[Marc Akemann]

Wow, what an awesome trip to be able to take! Glad you're having a great time and I hope that continues for the rest of the journey. The hotel darkroom pics are wonderful to see…especially the 4x5 negs drying in the closet. : )

 

[Ken Nadvornick]

Motel darkroom setup, for those who might want to try this...

Do you use inversion agitation with your Nikor 4x5 tank? If so, do you have any problem with uneven development along the film edges closest to the center of the cage spirals? And along the top edges of the film sheets?

I ask this because when that tank is inverted the bubble of air under the lid must pass through that center hole in the cage top plate in order to rise. It then rises through the center of the tank, nearest to the center of those spirals holding the sheets. I have had problems with overdeveloped edges because of this internal cage geometry.

And turning the tank back upright then causes the air bubble to rise back to the top of the tank. Often not all of the air passes back up through that center top plate hole. Some of it remains trapped beneath the top plate, causing uneven bubble-driven underdevelopment along the film top edges.

Because there are no plates in a standard roll film spiral tank, these problems do not occur.

Also, I do use blank sheets of film in all empty spiral slots to assure even and repeatable solution flow during agitation. Additionally, I have also experimented with Edwal LFN to reduced developer solution bubbling for the second problem, with only partial success.

Any possible agitation tips for another Nikor 4x5 tank owner?

Thanks,
Ken

 

[Kevin Caulfield]

Have a wonderful trip and enjoy your new phase in life. Thanks for posting the hotel darkroom snaps, they are great to see.

 

[jcc]

Sounds freaky. But I'm doing almost the same trip from OKC to San Diego, because I'm shipping my wife's car to O'ahu (where I grew up), and I'm also shooting a 4x5 on this trip!

I did my undergrad in Flagstaff. Let me know if you have questions about the place.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

See, out of 65000 APUG users, probably lots of us are shipping cars to O'ahu, and we'll all be tripping over each other's tripods.

I haven't had particular agitation problems with the Nikor tank, but maybe it has to do with choice of developer or the amount of solution. I use 1200 ml, and usually Acufine or PMK, sometimes ABC pyro, with the Nikor tank. The tank can hold more, so you could also try filling it up to reduce the volume of air. Since the cage still moves in the tank, I don't think the air is necessary for agitation. I rap the cage on the counter at the end of each agitation cycle to shake out airbells.

 

[Rafal Lukawiecki]

If you have the time to take a slight detour from Albuquerque towards Santa Fe, NM (about 1 hour) there's plenty to photograph there, and beyond, towards the pueblos. Then why not go north-west, by 64, through the pass into northern AZ, perhaps visiting Canyon de Chelly or the Monument Valley, before heading back towards I-40 by the way of Grand Canyon using its eastern entrance, or via Painted Desert, Vermillion Cliffs, and the spectacular GC northern rim route by 89 (may be closed due to snow, consider going towards the slot canyon land in that case near Page), then through the twists and tunnels in Zion on red-asphalt 9, and in just 3 more hours to Vegas by I-15. Or even head further north towards Bryce, if you have a spare extra day. Of course, those are the well-known spots, but there is twice as much to photograph en-route, in-between, where not many people stop. That land is so beautiful that you could avoid all the landmarks which I have mentioned and still see wonderful places just driving by.

On the other hand, if you decided to stay on I-40 from Albuquerque, consider popping in to Petrified Forest NP, not crowded at all, and a very photogenic spot, more for the camera than the eye, where I fell in love with the Soutwest back in 1995.

If you need film or other supplies, while in Santa Fe, you could contact Alan Ross (http://www.alanrossphotography.com/contact/), who should be able to sell all that you may need given some notice—and what a superb opportunity to see his work, and to meet the amazing man himself. Plus several good photography galleries in Santa Fe, too, including Andy Smith for the classics, Photo Eye for newer or daring, Verve for contemporary, or Monroe for people. Or you could just have espresso and a chocolate truffle at C. G. Higgins at 130 Lincoln, by the Plaza, and see some of my work on their wall.

Have a wonderful journey, I am happily jealous of your adventure—having been to that area some 43 times already, I can't wait to go back...

PS. Serdecznie dziękuję za promowanie kultury polskiej, życzę powodzenia w dalszych pracach naukowych.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Dziękuję za pomoc i życzenie!

 

[dburian]

David,

I'm in Oklahoma City and have a home B&W darkroom for up to 4x5. I-40 comes right through and you'd be welcome.

Stop and fix won't be problem locally, 4x5 film and the Acufine won't be found but you can drop ship to me if you're running low.

Dennis Burian

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Thanks for the offer! I'm probably OK through OK City, but if I need anything, I'll be in touch. My gallon of Acufine is reusable, so it should last for as much film as I have with me and then some.

Had some nice light in the Smokey Mountains this morning, but no convenient place to pull off, and with snow coming, I wanted to make some progress westward. Greetings from Little Rock, Ark.

 

[Photo Engineer]

David, you are going the wrong way! Go north and go through Rochester and then out 90 to the west coast. You can visit us here and out in Montana drop by the Formulary.

Best wishes. I still owe you dinner!

Snovom Godom moe drugh. (nearest to Polish I can come!)

Ron

 

[Tony-S]

maybe with a diversion to Kansas City

Overland Photo has darkroom and Kodak/Ilford films, some in 4x5. I'd give them a call ahead of time, though.

http://www.overlandphoto.com/

 

[jp80874]

I-40 goes through Columbus, OH. Old LF friend Jim Andracki and Midwest Photo Exchange (MPEX.com) are there. Their web site says they have a lot of Ilford sizes and some Fuji 4x5 outdated. Give them a call either to order ahead or to see what is in stock at the time.

I live in Bath, OH, about 125 miles north on 1-71 N the I-271 NE. This is just south of Cleveland and the OH Turnpike. Give me a call or email if you need a darkroom, help or a place to visit. I will PM phone # and address.

Jim Andracki
Midwest Photo Exchange Ph: 866-940-3686
3313 North High Street
Columbus, Ohio 43202

Hours of operation

Mon - Friday : 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Saturday: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

Sunday Closed

John Powers

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

The meetup with my colleague in Kansas City didn't work out, but thanks for the suggestion. John, I wrote you a PM. Ron, I'm trying to get away from the snow, but I'll likely be in New York in the summer, so Rochester may happen yet!

Currently in Little Rock, headed toward Oklahoma City later today. A good day for errands and catching up on a little work until checkout time at my hotel, until it starts to warm up a bit!

Today in OK City: 9F/-13C
Tomorrow in OK: 48F/9C

(I know, you guys in Saskatoon and such places would be going for a swim...)

 

[dburian]

You're making pretty good time if you're in OKC tonight. Enjoy your trip, it's a beautiful drive that my wife and I make regularly in both directions.
Dennis

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Indeed it was a beautiful drive once I got out of Little Rock. I was making tracks to meet up with a colleague for dinner and stay out ahead of the snowstorm, but Arkansas is definitely worth another visit.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Tucumcari for the evening and another batch of 4x5" to process.

Shot of myself with Tech V in Sayre, Oklahoma--

 

[mgb74]

Here in Minnesota, we see and hear stories of how - in the 1800s - the Swedes, Norwegians, Poles and others left their homes and their homeland in order to travel to a strange land. A new culture, strange foods, a different language. They left all that was familiar behind as they traveled to this new world. Precisely what David is doing.

All to answer the fundamental question of life - can you find a good bagel west of the Hudson?

Good thing he's not using this map.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

All to answer the fundamental question of life - can you find a good bagel west of the Hudson?

I am prepared to make my own bagels, rye bread, corned beef, pastrami, as well as some air dried sausages and cured meats of various national origins. Pickles I have yet to learn, but they're not out of the question.

Meanwhile, we are gaining lots of excellent fish.

 

[Klainmeister]

I am prepared to make my own bagels, rye bread, corned beef, pastrami, as well as some air dried sausages and cured meats of various national origins. Pickles I have yet to learn, but they're not out of the question.

Meanwhile, we are gaining lots of excellent fish.

Hey, if you're coming through Santa Fe, the local photoshops have all but closed regarding chemistry, but I have probably 30 packs of Kodak Fix in bags in my closet...if you're out of any that is.

I literally live on Old Route 66...in fact I can see the sign from my window. There's plenty to see in Northern NM although the cold is pretty rough right now...

 

[#1 Son]

Do not worry David, I lived in HNL for 15 years, and you will find everything you want there. Every food that you loved in New York , is on the Island. You will just have to pay more for it.

I lived in Salt lake area, Ewa Beach, Moanalua, and the North Shore. I still own a home in North Shore.

In a year, you may get Island Fever, and be yelling for a change of scenery. If you love Asian food, go to the corner market at N. King St. and Kekaulike St., open Friday to Sunday.

Good Luck. I only visit HNL now for two weeks or less. You will discover the feeling.

Before you turn in your car, go to Freestyle and purchase as much stuff as you can. I am serious about it. Get all of the chemicals and other things that you need, because once you get to HNL, you will not find anything that you need or want. There are no photo shops there that still cater to film. digital is king there. Shipping items in to HNL is a long process. So take the stuff with you. Pack as some items in your car if you can. This is no joke. I lived there a long time and still go there for rest and fun.


#1 Son

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I really like the more laid back atmosphere on the North Shore, but we're going to be living in Kaimuki, which also has its attractions and is more convenient for us.

I should be well enough supplied to get started once our things arrive and I figure out darkroom space. There used to be a place in Kaimuki on the main drag that carried film and chemicals, mainly to cater to students taking photo classes. I'm not sure if that is still happening. I stopped at Lightroom on S. King St. in August, and though they have some used film cameras on display, they said no one was carrying film supplies locally, with the possible exception of one place that catered to the Lomography crowd.

One thing I want to find out is if someone carries sodium thiosulfate as a swimming pool chemical. There are lots of pools, after all, in Hawai'i, and a 50 lb. bag would go a really long way.

 

[#1 Son]

There are hundreds of pool and spa supply shops on the island. So the basic photo chemicals should not be a problem. If you do have any problems in obtaining your favorite brew. Coffee and Tylenol is still an option.

I feel that the only problem that you will have there, is that you will grow tried of filming the same old terrain. No deserts or plains to be had there, unless you go to Kaho'Olawe, or the windward side of Hawaii.

The area that you live in, is much like the Salt Lake area, over near Peal Harbor. It gets pretty hot there. You are not far from Diamond Head, the Zoo, and Waikiki.

In any case, enjoy yourself, as best you can. Good luck.

#1 Son