Film and Alt-Process Photography

[signalese]

The artists in this book might not utilize alternative processes (though I think some may) but it’s a great source for experimental photography in general:

Photography Is Magic

[antiphon]

Expired Polaroid Type 64.

[guillaume]

The 202 (and panoramic cameras in general) is tons of fun. I’m surprised you’re having trouble getting the negs scanned; it’s just a matter of doing it with a flatbed. They might charge you a bit more for it, but it’s not a crazy thing in itself.

[coreyr]

I miss that film deeply, the Polaroid 4x5 pack films had such a beautiful tonal curve.

[antiphon]

Indeed. I have a dwindling stash of old Polaroid 4x5 films, but they are drying out with each passing day. Shooting with it feels like a sacred act.

[GrantB]

Arista 400

[simondemeule]

First roll of Porta 400. Nikkormat FT2, Nikkor-S Auto 50mm 1.4, and Nikkor-N Auto 24mm 2.8.

[squim]

Hello all, I’m so glad this thread is here. While I’m interested in modular synthesizers I have never been able to commit to investing in a euro-rack system… On the other hand I have invested a lot of time and money on film photography. I have a somewhat functional b&w darkroom setup in my bathroom. I have 30 plus film cameras for various film sizes. Most of them work. (I used to do camera pricing for a somewhat upscale thrift store.) I have a bunch of film in my fridge and freezer. I used to have a flickr account which I deleted for some weird reason. It had hundreds of pictures divided by camera with tags for film and process. I took pictures quite a bit and I filled several binders with negatives between 2012 and 2016. Something happened and I slowed down and then pretty much stopped taking pictures other than with my cell phone. I have an idea why this happened but I’m not entirely sure. I guess I won’t go in to that right now but a quick summary is that with film I had a cycle and it sort of drove itself. It kept me productive because I was in to the workflow. Digital interrupted my workflow and then I got in to the convenience of it.

Anyway, I look at all this equipment that I’ve accumulated and I feel bad. I want to try to get the cycle going again! That’s why this October I’m going to double down. I’m going to develop all the rolls I have backlogged. I’m going to try to print every week. I’m going to start carrying my camera(s) out and take pictures regularly. I guess I just wanted to share this as a declaration of my re-commitment to film shooting. Thanks for reading… lots of amazing photos in this thread.

[brasslens]

This could be my story too! Just in the process of looking for a long term project to get stuck into. Using colour film and Mamiya C330s. I did some of my best work at Uni with that setup. Hope your ‘comeback’ goes well.

[Hovercraft]

That’s a great resolution, because everything you start doing feeds into the other activities. Photography has been a strong interest for me, as long as I can remember. It’s always been cyclical for me, though. I had a brief period where I went completely digital and lost all my steam, but that helped me understand what I love about analog/alt process–and I returned to the fold.

[antiphon]

Shot some 8x10 sheet film that expired in the 1950s. The results were…unpredictable.

[GrantB]

Zoiks! Weren’t you scared shooting in such close proximity to that flying shadow dragon head?

[antiphon]

Ha! The beauty of using pre-damaged materials. I think I want a t-shirt with just that logo on it:

[Hovercraft]

That’s not bad for 1950’s era film. I have some Vietnam war-era 5" aerial film rolls, I’ve been meaning to shoot. Did you develop in HC-110?

[antiphon]

HC-110, yep. I used dilution A at a relatively low temperature (60F/15C) for about five minutes. Seemed to work out pretty well. This was old DuPont film, and, as you can see, the emulsion was starting to lift off in places. I’ve got some Kodak aerial duplicating film from the 50s and 60s that I have had great luck with. Some fog, sure, but the emulsion has been rock solid. I have to say, the quality assurance and manufacturing tolerances of Kodak at its peak were off the charts.

[Hovercraft]

Thanks–that’s helpful information. I’ve tried HC-110 cold once for old film once before with good results. Completely agree on the astounding level of QA at Kodak–unequaled by many companies in any area!

[GrantB]

These family antiques were passed down to me yesterday. I’d settled on the M2 + 35 C Biogon as my perfect manual/minimal endgame setup, and now this. The Lancaster looks like it would take a lot of additional items just to test, so that’s probably out. The Kodak seems to work but even so, why bother?

[Hovercraft]

Cool–the Lancaster looks likes a 1/4 plate camera with a barrel lens, but no shutter. Did it come with any holders? If so, you could shoot some paper negatives. Otherwise, finding the correct holders would be a project in itself.

[GrantB]

Yes there is a holder which looks to be designed for glass plates and is reversible with a dark slide on either face. There is a hinged open frame behind that which I assume was for focusing on ground glass? There’s no glass in it though.

[Hovercraft]

Excellent–you have a matching plate holder. Yes, the camera is from the glass plate era. That hinged frame probably held the ground glass. That’s an easy fix–you can cut a sheet of window glass, and grind it yourself–or buy a new ground glass. You can get one on eBay, and the seller would probably custom make one or cut down a 4" x 5" ground glass for you. The ground side of the glass faces the lens. With a sheet of paper, you can use the lens cap for a shutter.