Hi,
thanks for visiting this blog.
Some of you may be aware of my general purpose photography blog – well that’s still going strong, but I’ve created this one to separate things for a specific project.
The purpose of the project is to explore what pictures I can make using some old fashioned folding cameras as the starting point.
I’ll typically be working with 120 black and white film, which I will develop them ‘over the kitchen sink’, scanning the resulting negatives(6×6 and 6×9) – for further work at a digital level (I don’t have a darkroom at present). I’ll be using Ilford FP4+ film, which I will develop in Rodinal. I may very well change one or both, depending on how things go.
I’ve not set any particular objectives, as I want any direction to come naturally, so I’m not sure at this stage where the work will lead. Maybe it will go the way of so many projects, maybe it will become a passion, maybe technical problems will get the better of me.
Although I have some experience with developing film, I’m no expert, so I fully expect a few disasters and stupid mistakes – but, in part, that’s what the project is about.
As the work is largely experimental I can’t predict the quality that may ensue – but please feel free to comment as you wish.
Let the battle commence!
Regards
Folding Up 
You have some nice photographs look forward to following your film adventures as you continue to create images with your various folding cameras.
Thank you!
I arrived here from your brother blog https://stephenhip.wordpress.com/ but, as I basically use pinhole and film (I don’t blame digital at all, anyway), I found this blog more interesting. So I will be eager to see more of your film stuff made with folding cameras (btw, I own an Agfa Isolette II that I use sporadically).
Thank you.
You have some impressive pinhole work in your blog.
I’ve done a bit myself, but most of mine has tended to be at ‘focus distances’ of more than 50mm – my base camera is a Rollei SL66 for which I’ve made a pinhole. It has a bellows so I have a bit of a zoom lens! You may be amused by this little experiment – https://stephenhip.wordpress.com/2012/07/18/fun-with-a-tube/ .
I found your another wonderful blog by chance 🙂
Folding cameras! I wish to try them someday in the (near) future…
I don’t expect to do a lot of photography with my two folders but I plan to carry one when I go out with my DSLR kit (a lot easier than my SL66).
The old lenses do have certain properties that the newer lenses don’t have.
I look forward to your postings and seeing which direction you take on this blog.
Thanks!
This is an interesting new venture from you. I have a good friend who was also my instructor when I was in art school; we have remained friends and the other day he sent me a shot from his new pinhole camera. Seeing the difference that film has I decided to dig out a couple of Voigtlander cameras that I have. One is a 1938 Bessa that I’m going to clean up and start using again. I haven’t shot film in nearly 30 years but I’m looking forward to trying my hand at it again. Glad I saw this blog too; I was already following your other blog and enjoying your work.
Thank you!
I don’t know what it is about film photography – I never did a great deal in my younger day – but it’s not digital. There’s something more organic about it and when I get a negative that comes out how I saw it in my minds eye there is a pleasing sense of satisfaction. – almost a ”Yes!”, if you know what I mean.
“Yes” = the Eureka moment!
🙂
I’m a big fan of Rodinal and FP4 as well, two of my main go to products. Another couple which i’ve recently found wonderful are fuji acros 100 (available in 35mm and 120 roll) and Kodak Xtol developer. Both excellent products equal to fp4 and rodinal. Just a suggestion. You can never have too many feathers in your cap!
Agreed.
My main problem is budget, I don’t have a lot to spend on film, so any developer has to last a long time and the rodinal I buy comes in flexy pouch containers so I can make sure that I exclude all the air – I don’t have stock solution in bottles, mixing on a per occasion basis.
My favourite combination is PanF and Perceptol.
Funny you should mention Pan F and Perceptol, this is a combo I’ve been itching to try. Would love a link or two to some images you’ve done with these. Budget too, is a problem I face. I dread the day when eventually film becomes so low in production that it will be super expensive to shoot in any great quantity. It would break my heart to only have to shoot digital. All the best.
Now you’ve set an interesting challenge – I’m not sure that I’ve scanned many but I think this one is – https://stephenhip.wordpress.com/2012/06/16/after-the-storm/
I have it as a proper sepia toned print on the wall behind me (slightly better quality than a scanned neg messed about with using photoshop!).
Amazing work! I could spend hours looking at your photos. You have quite an eye.
Thank you!