Wednesday, May 11, 2011

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy

That's what happened to me last Sunday.
I was like Jack, restless and with, not cabin but, camera fever.

Leonor, my wife, was not feeling well, afterwards on Tuesday she had her gallbladder removed.

So I was at home and wanting to take some shots and decided to use my Graflex Speed Graphic but, I decided to use photo paper instead of film , inspired in a work of my friend unexposed. 

So I dug up my grandfather's, recently repaired, portable typewriter:

DSC_9213

DSC_9211

As you can see in its back it's an Hermes Baby, made in Switzerland by Paillard S. A.

My mother was about ten years old, in 1950, when my grandfather bought it, she distinctly remembers that day, when her father arrived home very proud of his acquisition.

My grandmother gave it to me when I was a kid. Time and I had not been very good to it and a few months ago I had it repaired.

So I prepared the set:

DSC_9193

... the camera:
DSC_9203

Picked up the "light meter":

Nikon F90X

I'm not kidding, when I want a spot on reading, this is one of my best light meters.

After some testing I realized that the ISO of the Agfa multicontrast premium photo paper is 25, processed for 1'@20ºC, with Paterson Acugrade, 1:9.

I used my Simma Roller, to develop the paper:

Simma-Roller

This is a sinusoidal rotating 8 x 10" photo paper processor, that I adapted to process 4 x 5" and 9 x 12cm films. 

Simma-RollerSimma-Roller
The adaptation is nothing more than those white rails, salvaged from a coat hanger, that fit perfectly on the grooves of the tank and keep the film in place during the process.

This system is great to be used in an one shot basis, that increases repeatability, as the amounts of chemistry are ridiculously low, 100-120ml to process four 4 x 5" films.



DSC_9217

Here is a batch hanging to dry...

... and the final work after being scanned and inverted:

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy


20110508 Graflex PapelAgfa ISO 12 - 005

On the above pictures I tilted the front standard to draw attention to the text.

The next pictures where taken without any movements of the front standard:

20110508 Graflex PapelAgfa - 009


20110508 Graflex PapelAgfa - 007

By the way, Leonor is already at home and feeling a lot better.

Stay tuned (o;





5 comments:

  1. very nice work Raúl, and hope all is going well for both of you!!!

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  2. @ausphoto:
    Thanks, Dirk.
    Now everything is fine.

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  3. Simma Roller... interessante... onde é que tu arranjas estas coisas?...
    ;)
    Tenho usado aqui o meu Paterson Orbital para revelar os negativos 8x10, mas não tenho ficado nada satisfeito...

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  4. @Raul PC:
    Tem piada, quando comprei isto andava precisamente à procura de um Paterson Orbital.

    O problema com os negativos PB, quanto maiores pior, é poder haver um padrão na revelação, que cause manchas. O Orbital devia evitar isso. Experimenta dar-lhe uma abanadela extra de vez em quando, para romper um qualquer padrão que se esteja a formar.

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  5. O problema principal são as duas barras por baixo da tampa que pelos vistos tocam na emulsão durante os movimentos e quase sempre deixam marca no negativo... um desgosto...

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