Topic: Ta Da

[Karl]

having been inspired by Damion's Cambo pics and also laying down the gauntlet to Ed to see who could shoot their first LF pictures and get them posted, I set to the task. A still life was created with the first suitable thing I could lay my hands on and I took 4 images on HP400. Everything about this has been rushed just to beat Ed  but that's been good as it has stopped me fannying around and made me just have a go.

The first pic is highly polished in PS to get rid of a couple of scratches and many dust marks. All pics are from a scan of contact prints on Ilford RC paper, the other 3 are not maniplated.

I would love some feedback from other LF users, especially as to why such strange marks on the film - scratches? Why has Casper the Friendly Ghost appeared behind the vase and poppies?

I developed all 4 negs in trays in a gallery darkroom facility and it was really hard going but I guess that's down to inexperience. I think I did a lot of damage to the negs even though I was trying to be careful. There is a real sweetness in making a 5 by 4 contact print straight from a negative.

[Sorry, image deleted during forum software upgrade. Please re-upload if so inclined.]

[Nigel]

That is a really weird image behind that second print. 

Congratulations on your first LF prints though and beating Ed.   

[rdbkorn]

Well done, Karl!

Let me start with a disclaimer - I've never developed sheet film in trays, only in drums. So I may be off base here, but I suspect Casper might have resulted if the edges of that sheet of film were not completely submerged in the developer. If the film had a bow in it, the middle would get more development and hence be denser, giving the lighter tone. Just a theory...

I also had quite a few problems at the start with scratches etc, but practice with loading and unloading the sheet film holders, and loading the film into my developing tank helped tremendously.

Now we wait to see what Ed comes up with...

[Skorj]

That first one is special.

[BishopB]

Nicely done!  I agree with Skorj, the first image is especially nice.

Bishop

[Karl]

Thanks chaps. Lots to learn, like take things slow, and I'm sure you're right rdbkorn with practice things will improve. I'll either have to get the knack of tray development or try tanks. The local darkroom facility has one but it was in use yesterday so I had to go with trays.

[LT]

Really nice karl.

[Ed Wenn]

Congrats Karl...was there any doubt in anyone's mind that you'd beat me to the punch on this one? My Tachihara has been stuck on a shelf since my last post on the subject (out of the way of inquisitive 4 year old fingers). I have determined that my Pola backs will fit, but I still don't have a lens or a lens board.

Top work though for a first try. The gear obviously works and that first photo is wonderful.

I'll TRY and get my shoot together tomorrow and sort some sort of lens/lens board combo out to at least produce an 'interim' photo. On the plus side though I did waste a roll of film today in the the playground with the kids and have high hopes for some ice cream van-related photos that I took.

 

[Karl]

thanks Ed, it was a bit of a rush job but that was probably good for me. I've got 6 and 5 year old boys who are fascinated by the thing, expecially the upside down image under a cloth. I found one swinging on the tripod earlier (with the camera still attached to it).

Good luck, I look foward to seeing your first images.

[tijeras]

First image is great.

When I first went to LF, I practiced loading/unloading with a sheet of film in the daylight to get the hang of it.
You will of course ruin that practice sheet, unless the lab can give you one, but the experience watching how to handle the sheet through the loading process was invaluable to me.

I have not had any problems loading or scratching sheets.

 

Ed, you are on next it appears!   

[Ed Wenn]

Proving that there's nothing like the cut and thrust of good-natured competition to make a person leap into action I'm here to report that a mere 24 weeks and 2 days after Karl beat me to the "who'll be the first to post an image from their new 5x4 camera?" challenge I have finally risen to the occasion and taken a snap with mine. Hurrah!!

While the judges confer over which of us crossed the finish line first I'm at the start of a nationwide victory tour and will be dishing out high-fives in 212 UK town centres between now and 12.15AM on Thursday.

In other news the actual photo I took with the 5x4 was so good that a certain Mr Dusty Bin begged to buy it from me to add it to his personal collection where it now resides.

But hey, there'll be absolutely no stopping me from now on.
 

[chricela]

Lovely, Karl.

[original_ann]

great subject - I love that first one!

[Karl]

thanks, to be honest I am finding it a bit of a millstone - too big, too hard to develop negs, and the enlarger in the city darkroom is in pieces, so I've just splashed out and got a combi plan developing tank on Ebay which I hope will push things along a bit.