SLOSS FURNACES GET TOGETHER JUNE 2020

[Slvrgltn]

Throwing out some feelers for an all format photography gathering at Sloss Furnaces in Birmingham, Alabama for June 2020!!!

Still thinking of the dates but would love some input from the group...possibly June 12-14 or 15-17??? It depends on the weather because it’s Hurricane Season at this time...

This would be the first one but if it’s a hit and a lot of people are interested in photographing this beautiful place and then maybe it will become a yearly thing....

All photography formats are welcome to come... whether you use 35mm or ultra large format and yes digital capture is welcome to come...

Please bring some of your work to share with the group...

Sloss Furnaces has a photography policy and here’s a link to it: https://www.slossfurnaces.com/photography-at-sloss/

I’m going to contact the proper people at Sloss to find out how much it’s going to cost to have this gathering and find out about getting in early morning before they open up.

Before I do that I would love to have some feedback from everyone that is interested in coming to this gathering!!!
Please respond here or send me a PM and I will get back to you...

Thanks

 

[glbeas]

Might want an earlier date as the furnaces build up a lot of heat during the day and June is getting pretty warm by then.

 

[cramej]

Might want an earlier date as the furnaces build up a lot of heat during the day and June is getting pretty warm by then.

They're not operational. It's a nat'l historic landmark now.

 

[cramej]

I'd be interested.

 

[glbeas]

They're not operational. It's a nat'l historic landmark now.

Operational is irrelevant, thats a lot of steel and concrete and if the daytime temps get above 80 the heat built up from solar radiation can get a bit intimidating. Theres no ac there except in the museum building.

 

[Besk]

I would be interested.

 

[Slvrgltn]

I’m not worried about the heat created by the surroundings!!! We can adapt when necessary and this is only a trial to see if I should continue doing this or not....

I’m going to be bringing a few cameras with me... My Kodak 2D 5x7 with numerous lenses and my Pentax 67II Setup with a few lenses....possibly an 8x10 as well....

If it’s only going to be a few people that are going to come at least we all could take care of our own fees to photograph there and it would make it easier for everyone....that way there is no confusion about who has to pay what....

It would be nice if everyone stayed at the same hotel but it’s not necessary....I think it would make it easier for us to car pool if anybody wants to do that from the hotel???

I will be coming a few days early if possible for me....

I was involved in a five car pile up in August and I’m going to have surgery on my left shoulder and I will be out of commission for a little while....I will check my messages when I can so please be patient....

I hope everyone is doing well and looking forward to the holidays and the new year....


For the two of you that are interested in going please check your PM in an hour...

Thanks

 

[glbeas]

If its just hobby photography they dont charge fees, thats only for commercial work. Be sure and bring some water and stay hydrated if the heat is high. It will get to you quicker than you think. The lighting there is contrasty, you will want to use films that can be manipulated to cover the lighting. Weekends tend to have a lot of people wandering through your shots, might want to try for a weekday shoot. Have fun, this is a neat place to shoot, theres a lot of heavily rusted equipment on the grounds besides the furnace structures.

 

[Kodachromeguy]

I can attest to the Sloss Furnaces being a fascinating place to photograph. Here are a few Hasselblad Tri-X 400 frames from 2017. The month was May and very comfortable. I did not pay a fee for personal photographs.

 

[CMoore]

I can attest to the Sloss Furnaces being a fascinating place to photograph. Here are a few Hasselblad Tri-X 400 frames from 2017. The month was May and very comfortable. I did not pay a fee for personal photographs.

View attachment 234037 View attachment 234038 View attachment 234039

Nice.!
I see photos like this, and i cannot help but think of Charles Sheeler at Ford Motors.
I really dig these Industrial pictures.
He must have been in Seventh Heaven wandering around that Rouge Plant.....with free reign.

But anyway, back to you.
Did you enlarge any of those.?
As much as it is possible to sell photographs these days, i can see those on 11x14 showing well at a gallery or art show.
Then again, i find that genre totally captivating. So i might be, unduly, biased.
Well Done.......

 

[Kodachromeguy]

Nice.!
But anyway, back to you.
Did you enlarge any of those.?
As much as it is possible to sell photographs these days, i can see those on 11x14 showing well at a gallery or art show.
Then again, i find that genre totally captivating. So i might be, unduly, biased.
Well Done.......

Thank you, you are too kind. I have not enlarged any of them, yet. I am trying to downsize the house and already have too many prints. What to do with all the stuff???

A hint for Sloss Furnaces: if using 6×6, a 40mm lens or Hasselblad SWC would be very useful. My widest was the 50mm Distagon.

 

[daleeman]

Interested

 

[Slvrgltn]

Hey Everyone,

This gathering is still going to happen... I’m looking forward to exploring this place... Just to confirm that everyone will need to make their own arrangements for a hotel room and food.... I will send a list of places that are near the place or you can look on your own... It would be nice to have everyone at the same place but it’s not necessary....

I have been doing some platinum prints and I will be working on some salt prints as well to bring....

I do have a few carbon prints that I will bring as well.... If you have never tried it it’s a very laborious process but I think it’s well worth the effort....

Here are just a few examples of my platinum prints.... I hope you enjoy them....

Any feedback is always welcome....

I hope everyone is doing well.... if there are any concerns or questions please ask in a PM....

 

[Kodachromeguy]

Any update to the Sloss Furnaces trip? I assume the gathering will need to be postponed until autumn.

 

[Slvrgltn]

Hey Everyone,

Yes it’s unfortunate that I will have to reschedule it for autumn....

I will look at the dates and make a list for everyone to chime in on....

Hurricane Season Starts June 1st as well and goes until Nov 30.....we have to keep this in mind as well...

I hope everyone is staying safe and practicing social distancing... it’s a very difficult time for everyone all over the world...keeping your hands washed and the new type of normal things we all have come accustomed to....

Just because we have to stay inside and not travel around as much doesn’t mean we can not do some type of photography.....

I for one has been getting everything ready to do some still life...

I am setting up a makeshift studio with a few lights and a strobe....

I’m making a diffusion screen from pvc and a rip stop diffuser material... made by Delta 1...

I have my wildebeest skull to try different things with and I have some slate along with shells, seahorses, going to do some floral still life photography and found objects photography....

I even have a dried up flattened fish that I found years ago on a fishing pier... it looked very interesting and so I kept it....

I hope some of you can post pictures that you make while you’re staying at home....

I finally got my order from Bostick & Sullivan so I can do some platinum prints... I will be doing carbon transfer prints in the coming weeks... I haven’t done any since a workshop at Yosemite National Park at the Ansel Adams Gallery/Darkroom....

I hope everyone is doing well...

Stay safe and don’t forget just because you’re inside doesn’t mean you have to stop doing your photography....

Use your minds eye and create....

Be safe out there and I look forward to seeing everyone as soon as possible....

 

[Slvrgltn]

Just an update and some interesting things I have been working on....

I have heard that Sloss Furnaces is open once again but everyone has to be signed up to get inside of the place... I would like to have a get together but to be honest I think it’s best we waited until next year!!! Some states are getting better but some are getting worse again....

If you all would like to do it this year I would like to hear your feedback...

So here’s a picture of my Century Studio Camera before it was restored....

Here’s the final results of the restoration of my Century Studio Camera...

https://photolaz.smugmug.com/Teds-Master-Studio-Camera-and-Stand/

My newest project is a Folmer & Schwing 12x20 Banquet Camera... I will post pictures of the before and the after... at a later date....

Hopefully everyone is doing well and are back to work and are healthy....

Take care

 

[Kodachromeguy]

Awesome. Spectacular craftsmanship on your restoration. And I love the new red bellows. Have you used it now that it is renovated and restored?

 

[Slvrgltn]

Awesome. Spectacular craftsmanship on your restoration. And I love the new red bellows. Have you used it now that it is renovated and restored?

It is an amazing piece of art!!! I love how it came out.... the red bellows definitely make it more interesting and more pleasing to the eye... they originally came out with bellows that were red and it’s about 95% original.... I went with the black felt for the bed and the film holder boxes to keep them from getting ruined over the years that I will be using it.... I think the black felt makes the red bellows stand out more than they did when it was red/maroon color....

I haven’t actually got to use it just yet... been busy with other things.... but I will be doing some portraits and still life in the next few weeks and months to come.... I have a lot of fun ahead of me lol

Thanks

 

[Slvrgltn]

I would like to hear from everyone about making the gathering happen this year if it’s at all possible?

I know that a lot of us have gone through a lot last year and we are all still going through tough times!

I for one would like to get out and do some photography and I’m sure most of you if not all of you are itching to create something new and different?

After the restoration of my Century 8x10 Studio Camera which I have been using quite a bit I had picked up another project and it’s nearly complete!

I’m going to include a before picture of my Folmer & Schwing Ultra Large Format 12x20

Hopefully you will be inspired to get out there and do some photography no matter what size of camera you use regularly!

I have to make the after images smaller before I can add them to the post! Please bare with me while I get them done!

Please leave me your comments or send me a pm!

Thanks

 

[glbeas]

You definitly want to do it during the cooler months. My wife and I went for a North Georgia LF group event in August, nearly passed out from the heat. All the metal around you intensifies the heat, an 80 degree day will make for 100+ degrees at the furnace.

 

[CMoore]

View attachment 267814 I would like to hear from everyone about making the gathering happen this year if it’s at all possible?

I’m going to include a before picture of my Folmer & Schwing Ultra Large Format 12x20


Thanks

Wow..... 12x20.!
25 sheets of black and white is 500-600 dollars......is that about right.?
I have a whole new respect for you LF Gals/Guys.

I do not spend that much on 35mm in 3 years.

 

[Slvrgltn]

Wow..... 12x20.!
25 sheets of black and white is 500-600 dollars......is that about right.?
I have a whole new respect for you LF Gals/Guys.

I do not spend that much on 35mm in 3 years.

Yeah pretty much about film cost which doesn’t include any extra items necessary for such a format!

Here’s the finished 12x20! I have more pictures but I’m only going to leave one up for drooling purposes! LOL

Any comments good or bad is always welcomed!

A few things that I had done to it was a bail back for easier loading of film holder, a T/I for time or instant exposure! New bellows of course! Everything was cleaned up and brought back to looking new but I didn’t do a full restore because I didn’t want it to look like a brand new camera even though it is only 95% original!

Yes I am thinking of a October or early November Sloss Furnaces Workshop possibly in September! It really depends on everyone else’s schedule and what the current situation is going to be at that time!

Heading to The Everglades next weekend to use the camera but I will have to find a dark bathroom to reload the film!
Only have one film holder for the moment! Going to get a few more made for the camera!

I will post pictures of me using it when I get the chance!

Be Safe
Hope your families are healthy and happy as well