Author Topic: Your Eureka Moments... (Read 10986 times)

Karl · « **on:** March 07, 2012, 12:47:43 PM »

Like most of here I am on the search for that elusive film and developer combination that that just does it for you. You can probably explain it (and I think you should) but it's also something you can't quite articulate, beyond just knowing it works. In many (well c 20 actually) of trying various combinations I finally had my moment.

The moment: Ilford HP5 Plus, rated at 250, developed in Tanol Speed for 10.30 minutes at 24 degrees C.
The explanation: it just looks fab

And...great acutance and sharpness accompanied by lovely smooth tones (skin in this case), and an ability to control severe highlights in the finished print. It could be my slowly-improving darkroom skills but I don't think so.

Share yours please, I would love to know what they are.

Francois · « **Reply #1 on:** March 07, 2012, 02:29:34 PM »

Well, I too have one of those times where I went woah!
But strangely, it's not anything this complex.
My eureka moment was when I discovered there actually was such a thing as rapid fixer!
Just imagine: fixing film with standard fixer and having to agitate constantly for 7 minutes... what a pain!
Now, I use rapid fix and soak the film for 1:30 just to be on the safe side. I could do away with as little as 1 minute... incredible.

Karl · « **Reply #2 on:** March 07, 2012, 03:29:49 PM »

Ha. Excellent. I had a similar one when I read the Ilford guides to processing resin coated paper. It shaved a good few minutes off of my print times!

And yes, Eureka moments don't have to be film/developer. They could be lens and film. Anything that just made you smile!

This-is-damion · « **Reply #3 on:** March 07, 2012, 07:03:20 PM »

buying a Mamiya C330 and filling it with Tri-x

Late Developer · « **Reply #4 on:** March 07, 2012, 07:18:49 PM »

Finally twigging that it was possible to get the pressure plate guide to rise on the Hasselblad A12 back to stop shredding the backing paper and, in the process, teaching my wonderfully patient wife / esteemed tripod carrier some new Anglo-Saxon phrases....

astrobeck · « **Reply #5 on:** March 07, 2012, 07:31:09 PM »

realizing that the extra film reel holder for my 120 developing tank is for 127 film!

When my Dad first sent me his darkroom stuff a couple of years ago, I was puzzled as to why I couldn't load the extra holder with 120....then realized, hey, it's for 127.

charles binns · « **Reply #6 on:** March 07, 2012, 07:39:03 PM »

When I realised you can fit two 120 rolls onto a Patterson reel.

Karl · « **Reply #7 on:** March 07, 2012, 08:37:38 PM »

Quote from: charlesbinns on March 07, 2012, 07:39:03 PM

When I realised you can fit two 120 rolls onto a Patterson reel.

can you really?

I assume you keep rolling until the first one stops?

charles binns · « **Reply #8 on:** March 07, 2012, 08:41:36 PM »

Quote from: Karl on March 07, 2012, 08:37:38 PM

Quote from: charlesbinns on March 07, 2012, 07:39:03 PM
When I realised you can fit two 120 rolls onto a Patterson reel.

can you really? I assume you keep rolling until the first one stops?

As Obama says "Yes you can!!" Feed the first film in and once it's past the ball bearings keep on twisting the reel but using the tips of your fingers to feed it along until it will go no further. Then just feed in a second roll and bob is your father's brother as they say!

Jack Johnson · « **Reply #9 on:** March 08, 2012, 05:28:17 AM »

Quote from: charlesbinns on March 07, 2012, 08:41:36 PM

As Obama says "Yes you can!!" Feed the first film in and once it's past the ball bearings keep on twisting the reel but using the tips of your fingers to feed it along until it will go no further. Then just feed in a second roll and bob is your father's brother as they say!

Am I the only one who watches the Filmwasters videos?

Leon has a fantastic demo where he wastes two perfectly good rolls of film for the common good, joining two 120 rolls with the sticky tape and then loading it as if it were one 220 roll.

charles binns · « **Reply #10 on:** March 08, 2012, 12:10:53 PM »

Quote from: Jack Johnson on March 08, 2012, 05:28:17 AM

Quote from: charlesbinns on March 07, 2012, 08:41:36 PM
As Obama says "Yes you can!!" Feed the first film in and once it's past the ball bearings keep on twisting the reel but using the tips of your fingers to feed it along until it will go no further. Then just feed in a second roll and bob is your father's brother as they say!

Am I the only one who watches the Filmwasters videos?

Leon has a fantastic demo where he wastes two perfectly good rolls of film for the common good, joining two 120 rolls with the sticky tape and then loading it as if it were one 220 roll.

You don't need to join the two rolls with sticky tape though. Feed the first by twisting the roll and using your fingertips and it will feed to the centre of the roll. Same technique you use with Jobo reels that don't have the ball bearings.

LT · « **Reply #11 on:** March 08, 2012, 12:29:54 PM »

I've never been able to do it that way without the reels overlapping and getting badly developed negs ... I must give it another try as I don't really like the idea of sticky tape glue swishing around in the developer and sticking to the film here there and everywhere!

charles binns · « **Reply #12 on:** March 08, 2012, 02:01:02 PM »

Quote from: leon taylor on March 08, 2012, 12:29:54 PM

I've never been able to do it that way without the reels overlapping and getting badly developed negs ... I must give it another try as I don't really like the idea of sticky tape glue swishing around in the developer and sticking to the film here there and everywhere!

Trust me it works fine. Once the first reel has gone past the ball bearings apply gentle pressure with your fingertips as you rotate the reel (left fingers when the left hand is rotating the reel etc) and that will push the film to the centre of the reel until it can travel no further. Then just load the second film as normal, and it shouldn't overlap with the first.

Urban Hafner · « **Reply #13 on:** March 08, 2012, 03:56:24 PM »

My Eureka moment was when I realized how easy it is to mix your own developer. Even more fun than using read made stuff. The only problem is when the scales brake, like they did yesterday. Luckily I still had some Rodinal in the cupboard.

Phil Bebbington · « **Reply #14 on:** March 14, 2012, 01:01:41 PM »

Mine was the same as Paul's. The realisation that the pressure plate on the hassy moved and that my film went under it!

moominsean · « **Reply #15 on:** March 14, 2012, 04:37:56 PM »

Quote from: charlesbinns on March 08, 2012, 12:10:53 PM

Quote from: Jack Johnson on March 08, 2012, 05:28:17 AM
Quote from: charlesbinns on March 07, 2012, 08:41:36 PM
As Obama says "Yes you can!!" Feed the first film in and once it's past the ball bearings keep on twisting the reel but using the tips of your fingers to feed it along until it will go no further. Then just feed in a second roll and bob is your father's brother as they say!

Am I the only one who watches the Filmwasters videos?

Leon has a fantastic demo where he wastes two perfectly good rolls of film for the common good, joining two 120 rolls with the sticky tape and then loading it as if it were one 220 roll.
You don't need to join the two rolls with sticky tape though. Feed the first by twisting the roll and using your fingertips and it will feed to the centre of the roll. Same technique you use with Jobo reels that don't have the ball bearings.

I use the Patterson plastic tank and reel and I use a small piece of blue drafting tape to connect the two rolls of film (the second overlaps the first a bit). I have trouble with binding and overlapping if I don't. Done hundreds of rolls of film like this without issue!

Miles · « **Reply #16 on:** March 14, 2012, 05:45:37 PM »

So going to have to try that

Hoping to have loads of moments ... But for now, Going back to film after doing some Digi and Stand Dev in really weak RO9, it just works.

choppert · « **Reply #17 on:** March 14, 2012, 06:34:58 PM »

Clipping the corners of the leading edge of film before trying to load it was a real eureka moment.

Sure everyone else knew about it way before me, but it made loading film soooooo much easier a real "ahhhhhh, I get it now" moment

Chops

DS · « **Reply #18 on:** March 14, 2012, 08:18:07 PM »

Mine was realising there is no such thing as a 'correct' exposure, and that such things are negotiable depending on how you want the finished neg to look. I realise I'm dim, but spending ages reading books / websites by measurebators didn't help.

Quote from: Phil Bebbington on March 14, 2012, 01:01:41 PM

Mine was the same as Paul's. The realisation that the pressure plate on the hassy moved and that my film went under it!

Ditto.

Sandeha Lynch · « **Reply #19 on:** March 14, 2012, 08:52:00 PM »

After so many rolls with sprocket hole streaks I guess reading the instructions on my Jobo tank was enlightening.

Presoak, it said.

Done it ever since.

LT · « **Reply #20 on:** March 14, 2012, 08:59:12 PM »

One of mine was learning what the hyperfocal scale on lenses actually did. I never worried about focussing again after than ...

Until I started using field cameras that is

Ed Wenn · « **Reply #21 on:** March 15, 2012, 12:14:53 AM »

I have a couple.

1. Coming to the conclusion way back in 2000 that the reason I liked the pictures I shot with Jacqui's camera more than the ones I shot with mine was because hers had a wider lens and TOOK FILM and mine was the opposite on both counts. Much as she now deeply regrets the consequences, my lovely wife is very much responsible for my kickstarting what you might call my 'mild' interest in film photography.

2. Realising that "don't think, shoot", while intially empowering and inclusive, ends up being little more than a shallow marketing slogan and that you can think a LOT about photography and produce extremely satisfying work without becoming a geek and/or needing to know more than a few very basic principles.

Jack Johnson · « **Reply #22 on:** March 15, 2012, 05:09:57 AM »

I have to admit, I'm a steel reel kind of guy, but I had only ever done 35mm. When I did my first roll of 120, I struggled with it for at least fifteen minutes. Botched the spooling. Struggled with the next roll, too.

Finally, I realized I didn't have to use the little spring/clip thing. Without it, spooled the film easily, all my 35mm spooling tricks worked, no botched spooling, no sweaty palms, voila. What the hell.

Leon reminded me that I had a second epiphany, regarding the hyperfocal scale as well. I had been shooting with my Rollei 35S almost exclusively for maybe a year and a half and was reading something about hyperfocal distances and thought, wow, I miss that from my Nikon, I wish my Rollei had it. And lo and behold, elves came in the middle of the night and painted wee little hyperfocal marks on it. I swear.

stevesegz · « **Reply #23 on:** March 15, 2012, 07:24:08 AM »

Too many to list them all, most recent was first use of Pyrocat HD as a developer. Never really played with developers prior to a recent foray now committed to Pyrocat HD with Kodak/Ilford products and Rodinal with Fomapan.

The other more embarrassing one was following receipt of my beloved GSW690 for xmas, loaded film but did not think of where the alignment marks were, ( using a holga too much prior to this.) subsequent trip to the lakes 35 rolls later and not giving it much thought processed film to find 1 2/3 frames missing.

. After a little research, EUREKA, thats what that tiny little red dot means!! What a plonker!

Paul Mitchell · « **Reply #24 on:** March 15, 2012, 09:33:21 AM »

When I bought my first MF 6x6 camera and discovered that I really, really, really like the square format!

Miles · « **Reply #25 on:** March 15, 2012, 11:25:29 PM »

Quote from: Paul Mitchell on March 15, 2012, 09:33:21 AM

When I bought my first MF 6x6 camera and discovered that I really, really, really like the square format!

Yup that one !

Jack Johnson · « **Reply #26 on:** March 16, 2012, 06:23:39 PM »

Another eureka moment: photography doesn't have to be expensive.

I read somewhere that cyanotypes came back into popularity during the depression because the chemicals were cheap, you could develop with rainwater, and the front yard was your darkroom. Some people would do wet or dry plate photography because you could (blasphemy) reuse the glass and just keep shooting.

At the end of the day, all you need is a dark box with a hole in it.

charles binns · « **Reply #27 on:** March 16, 2012, 07:17:25 PM »

Actually my biggest Eureka moment (photography wise) was when I developed my first roll of film through a Holga.

Karl · « **Reply #28 on:** March 21, 2012, 04:59:48 PM »

Quote from: Leon® on March 14, 2012, 08:59:12 PM

One of mine was learning what the hyperfocal scale on lenses actually did. I never worried about focussing again after than ...

Until I started using field cameras that is

I still go a bit cross-eyed when trying to work with this $:-\$

Karl · « **Reply #29 on:** March 21, 2012, 05:02:22 PM »

Quote from: Ed Wenn on March 15, 2012, 12:14:53 AM

2. Realising that "don't think, shoot", while intially empowering and inclusive, ends up being little more than a shallow marketing slogan and that you can think a LOT about photography and produce extremely satisfying work without becoming a geek and/or needing to know more than a few very basic principles.

definitely

jochen · « **Reply #30 on:** March 21, 2012, 07:00:26 PM »

Buying a Spotmeter and learning how to use it.

Karl · « **Reply #31 on:** March 28, 2012, 11:06:46 PM »

a mini eureka moment will happen for me soon as I've finally succumbed to getting a RRB 12x16 easel on ebay. Getting a proper sized border on a print just doesn't happen with the 3 others I own. I can't wait!

Thom Stone · « **Reply #32 on:** March 29, 2012, 10:19:46 AM »

my eureka moment recently was when I realised there is nothing wrong with my rb67 or my use of it, just the scans I get are awful. no more dissapointingly soft images for me, its all v700 from here on out.... when I actually get round to scanning/developing things :-P

Alan · « **Reply #33 on:** March 29, 2012, 11:35:44 AM »

. . . you dont need a darkroom to develop film and that B+W film is shcu a doddle to do - why didnt i start earlier

Photo_Utopia · « **Reply #34 on:** March 29, 2012, 01:39:42 PM »

Mine was after using a string of expensive Pro 35mm cameras, chasing rainbows with different lenses and camera bodies, that what I really wanted was a 6x6 camera (a Rollei). After seeing the results a friend got from a portrait shoot from his 1950's Rolleicord, APXin Rodinal and Portriga Rapid paper-the penny really dropped.
That day, more than any other showed me how to see.

ludoo · « **Reply #35 on:** March 29, 2012, 02:05:21 PM »

Mine was when I peeled the back off a test shot from a Polaroid 600se I was checking from a seller. I had never shot packfilm before, and it left me speechless.

Jack Johnson · « **Reply #36 on:** March 29, 2012, 02:49:17 PM »

Quote from: ludoo on March 29, 2012, 02:05:21 PM

Mine was when I peeled the back off a test shot from a Polaroid 600se I was checking from a seller. I had never shot packfilm before, and it left me speechless.

I have yet to shoot pack film, and I fear for my wallet.

Phil Bebbington · « **Reply #37 on:** March 29, 2012, 08:01:51 PM »

The rising price of pack film has me on the verge of getting rid of my 600SE - not quite, but, the thoughts circulate. I'm sure they will pass.

astrobeck · « **Reply #38 on:** March 29, 2012, 08:06:06 PM »

just had another one this morning when I looked at some expired Velvia that came back from the processing lab....wondering why in the world I shoot other film?!?!?!

ludoo · « **Reply #39 on:** March 29, 2012, 08:34:56 PM »

Quote from: Jack Johnson on March 29, 2012, 02:49:17 PM

I have yet to shoot pack film, and I fear for my wallet.

I came back to it after a year, and yes it's a money drain.

Quote from: Phil Bebbington on March 29, 2012, 08:01:51 PM

The rising price of pack film has me on the verge of getting rid of my 600SE - not quite, but, the thoughts circulate. I'm sure they will pass.

Don't do it, I still regret selling mine, one of the most satisfying cameras I've ever used. Worst thing that can happen is it will increase in value even if it sits on a shelf, prices now are almost double what I sold mine for...

Author Topic: Your Eureka Moments... (Read 10986 times)

astrobeck

astrobeck