Film / Development Calibration

Today I decided to shoot some test negs to find the correct development times for my old APX 100 and new Tmax 100.  My wife calls them sweater pictures because I used black & white sweaters and an 18% gray card.  The sweaters are long gone so it is now a black vest & a white t-shirt.  My light meter gave a reading of 8 2/3 for a Zone V value of the gc, 5 2/3 for the blk vest causing it to fall as a solid Zone II which should bring out very little detail.  The t-shit was only 10 1/3 so it fell at a low Zone VII so it will not be pure white.  I took 4 shots, exposing the gc for zones V, VI, VII & VIII, all the while telling myself that I was forgetting something.  With egg all over my face, I then took the lens cap off and proceeded to take 8 shots 4 each of APX & Tmax.  I hate getting old.  You get CRS so easy...  I plan to develop them in Rodinal 1:100 for 16 min. with 5 inversions every 60 seconds.  I expect that the Tmax will need more time to develop the t-shirt.  If the APX is not fogged after 8yrs then the t-shirt will be washed out because the time used to be 14m 30s.  We will see.

Fountain

 Ok this is first scan of a 5x4 contact print from an Agfa neg.  Smudges on both sides are probably dirty scanner glass.  The 2nd image is what I visualised when I took it.  It is possible that the film has fogged.  I need to test it with some new TMAX.  It may be hard to see but the table top is darker than the background.  I can understand some shadow under and behind the fountain but the rest is not right.  The fountain should have the same white all around it.

This is closer to what I visualised.

Negatives & Scanner

Well last week I finally got it together and developed my 1st 5x4 negs in quite a while.  Mixed up chems and made contact prints.  Found that uncovered paper in the paper-safe was badly fogged but if it was inside the light proof bags, it was ok.  Lucky me not much to trash.  Most of the process came back to me quite easily.

About a year ago I download a scanner driver for my Brother printer.  The printer driver has worked from day 1 but the scanner was a nightmare.  I finally gave up.  Started looking into it again and after 2 1/2 days of mucking around I went back to Brother to update any drivers.  The printer hadn't changed BUT the scanner driver name was 1 character different.  Needles to say it was download, install, test and whoopee it works.  I will upload a couple and post a link.

Wow!

     What a difference these new glasses make.  I can see!  No double vision, no blurry vision.  The world is brand new now.  I was still worried about focusing on the ground glass.  I chose to practice on a stag-horn fern in our living room.  Even though the image was quite dark the thin stalks separated easily.  Not only that, I could actually see the minute cracks in the leaves.  Excited I am, even if I still have to clean the darkroom and then recalibrate film and development times.

     I have been thinking of starting with still life's and use the kitchen table for my studio.  There is fairly good winter light there.  Oh Happy Days!

Trying not to get excited

This blog was supposed to be about my photography but since I haven't done anything for 7 years, there is nada to say.  I have had blurry vision for some time now which is the main reason.  New glasses only made minor enhancements.  Last week was different, so different in fact that I can't wait for the new scrip to get here.  I'm trying not to get excited but I can here my Zone VI 4x5 calling to me from the closet!!  Next week I will spend 2 days cleaning my darkroom.  Damn, I just got excited again!!!!!!!!

a thank you to my father!

i am lucas The Fresch Klesch and i owe everything i have in my life to the hard work my father Thom Klesch taught me!

from a young age he taught me the photography that is so much a part of me now and much of my spirit has come from the ethic he taught me. he is one of the best black and white nature photographers of the post ansel adams era and though he does not push his art, he taught me mine and i will always carry his flag!

this is the road to eternity, it is well traveled but not well understood by most of it's travelers. enjoy the beautiful vision only Thom can bring!

luv ya papi!

lucas
www.freschklesch.com