from bad comes good

[srobb]

No pics with this; just a little story.

I went to pick up my first roll of the Ilford Delta 100 b/w that I had put in a week ago to be developed. Well, that was all I got, too. Development; no pictures just negatives. Needless to say I was a little upset. The guy behind the counter is trying to come up with some kind of solution.

He thought of one place and was trying to tell me how to get there when he looked up and smiled. In had walked the owner of that very same place he had told me about. To make a long story short, I took my negs over to the lab and will pick them up today with the pics.

I knew I needed to get serious about my photography and knew a part of that was using better film for the shots I wanted to sell. With using better film comes the need for better processing capability. I knew WalMart would not cut it anymore; at least not for me. So now, I have a found my local lab to use, a new friend in photography and maybe even a mentor.

This gentleman is a retired music professor and has been doing wedding photography for the last 15 years. He still uses mostly film and uses all Canon stuff for his 35mm. Can't wait to see what the pics look like. Will try to post some for critique tomorrow.

[another view]

That's cool - b&w processing is a whole different world than any other type of film, IMO. With color neg, there's C41 process. With slides, there's E6 process. It either is that process or it isn't (obviously some are better than others and other variables too, but not as many as b&w).

With b&w, there are a million variables. Tons of different developers are out there, and the results will be different depending on the chemestry and dilution used, your own technique, the temperature, time - the list goes on and on... They may tell you what developer that they use, and it's likely something like Kodak T-Max developer. Whatever they use, I'm sure they're consistent if they're a real lab that does it in house. But if you really want to see what can be done with b&w, you really need to try it yourself.

Do you have any interest in trying to develop yourself? Might be able to set you up...

[srobb]

That's cool - b&w processing is a whole different world than any other type of film, IMO. With color neg, there's C41 process. With slides, there's E6 process. It either is that process or it isn't (obviously some are better than others and other variables too, but not as many as b&w).

With b&w, there are a million variables. Tons of different developers are out there, and the results will be different depending on the chemestry and dilution used, your own technique, the temperature, time - the list goes on and on... They may tell you what developer that they use, and it's likely something like Kodak T-Max developer. Whatever they use, I'm sure they're consistent if they're a real lab that does it in house. But if you really want to see what can be done with b&w, you really need to try it yourself.

Do you have any interest in trying to develop yourself? Might be able to set you up...

At some point I would like to do my own developing. I did it once long ago and thought it was a blast. He was very honest in letting me know that it would be printed on color paper since he does not get enough b/w business to go into the $875 for the container of b/w paper he would have to get.

But he also said that if I wanted to go dedicated b/w paper, they would send it out to a lab the use for that. I think he said it was QPC. I checked around and found out that almost all of the pro photogs that shoot film at Keeneland will bring their stuff to him to develop.

[shutterman]

now that is what I call good timing! I have had B&W film developed and printed at some not so good labs and what should be B&W comes back all sorts of strange tints! Good for you for finding someone who can help and knows what you are looking for!

[Cowgirl]

Did I see that your at Keeneland? WoW! Major $$ there!

I'd love to see some Keeneland horse photos!

Kathy

[dbutler]

Now, that's what one calls Fate!! It's simply meant to be! Very cool.

[srobb]

Did I see that your at Keeneland? WoW! Major $$ there!

I'd love to see some Keeneland horse photos!

Kathy

Oh, girlfriend, do I wish that I was at Keeneland. I do want to go there this year and try to get some pics. Being here in this area, I would not mind being able to try and break into that market. I do have some contacts at a couple of farms here and there.

[Lava Lamp]

You probably found this out, but my experience has been that few labs print b&w and that the specialized labs that do seem to print contact sheets from which you would then have prints made. Each step seems to be agonizingly long when you come from a mini-lab experience base (like me.) The b&w guys don't do one hour.

Might be different now though. I've been all digital for more than two years.

[Old Timer]

Did I see that your at Keeneland? WoW! Major $$ there!

I'd love to see some Keeneland horse photos!

Kathy

Hey Kathy, don't want to hijack this thread, but here are a couple from the Keeneland spring meet that I have posted before but you may not have seen. We are thinking about a spring get together here in the Bluegrass. Be nice to work it around a trip to Keeneland.

[another view]

Might be different now though. I've been all digital for more than two years.

Yeah, it's different - it's tough to find a place that even does it! It's been just about a year since the local pro lab switched over to all digital, and they don't do contact sheets anymore. It is a much longer process, but I didn't really mind because I figured that not many people were doing it that way anymore and I was glad to have someone who could do that.

[srobb]

Hey Kathy, don't want to hijack this thread, but here are a couple from the Keeneland spring meet that I have posted before but you may not have seen. We are thinking about a spring get together here in the Bluegrass. Be nice to work it around a trip to Keeneland.

Hijacker, hijacker!! ;) ;)

Have I told you lately just how jealous I am?

Nice pics, though. That sounds like a great idea, OT. I would love to get in on that. We need to work on that sometime.

[Old Timer]

Hijacker, hijacker!! ;)
That sounds like a great idea, OT. I would love to get in on that. We need to work on that sometime.

I wish we had a few more from here in central KY to get involved. But if we can get JS from Indy and Andy from Knoxville to join us we might be able to put together something pretty special. If we have the right timing Chunk might fire up that hog and head our way. I know he loves driving through KY.

[srobb]

I wish we had a few more from here in central KY to get involved. But if we can get JS from Indy and Andy from Knoxville to join us we might be able to put together something pretty special. If we have the right timing Chunk might fire up that hog and head our way. I know he loves driving through KY.

What do you think of posting for it like they did the one for Wisconsin? If nothing else, we could get together for nothing else just some coffee to talk it over. If the weather would clear up, I want to get up there so I can get the bridges on b/w.

[Old Timer]

What do you think of posting for it like they did the one for Wisconsin? If nothing else, we could get together for nothing else just some coffee to talk it over. If the weather would clear up, I want to get up there so I can get the bridges on b/w.

Sound good let me know a date and time that is good for you and we'll do that. Maybe we can come up with a couple dates for this spring. Once we get that ironed out we can contact a few others about that date and if we get them signed on then post it for everyone .

[srobb]

Sound good let me know a date and time that is good for you and we'll do that. Maybe we can come up with a couple dates for this spring. Once we get that ironed out we can contact a few others about that date and if we get them signed on then post it for everyone .

Like I said, just about any Saturday is good for me from morning till about 1 or 2 in the afternoon. Every other Sunday works out the same. This Sunday I would not be able to. Not sure how early you get up, or would want to get up. This Saturday is supposed to be rainy, I think. That would not matter unless we wanted to take pictures I guess.