Steve Maniscalco Photography

11/26/08

Just Bought on Ebay
A Jobo 2551 developing drum.  One of the last things I need to get myself ready to shoot 4x5.  This will sit on that Unicolor base I bought last week.  In the famous last words of many an Ebay buyer..."It looks great in the picture."  Actually, it's listed as NIB (new in box).  The listing doesn't mention the 4x5 reel inserts, but at least one is shown in the picture.  I didn't stop to ask if one was included because the deal was good and I didn't want to miss it.  It'll be a good deal even if I have to buy the reel seperately.  With the reel, it'll be a smokin' deal.

Projects
The 4x5 pinhole projects is stalled because my friend with the skills and tools had the nerve to go on vacation for the holidays.  When he gets back, I'll hit him up for a tripod socket.
I'm playing around with a couple of Brownie Hawkeye cameras.  I took one apart the other night, to clean it up and to flip the lens around (flipped lenses on these things makes for an interesting effect).  As usual, getting it apart was easier than getting it back together.  No problem really that having an extra hand would not have fixed.  Next, I'm going to put "ground glass" (ok, scuffed plastic) at the film plane and figure the focusing distance for these cameras with the lens flipped and with the close-up adapter attached.
Speaking of Hawkeyes...I accidentaly threw out the 620 film roll core I needed to use as a take-up reel on these cameras.  Fortunately, about 10 minutes with a file let me convert a couple of old 120 roll cores.  I think I'll mark them with a dot of red paint to get my attention in the future.

Pomegranate

My putting things on a table and aiming a camera at them is a sure sign that I have little time to give to photography.  Which makes an interesting point about the effects of constraints on the creative process.  Over time, I've grown ever fonder of less versitile tools.  I gave up on zooms, for the most part, years ago.  That decision was driven by a desire for high quality optics I could afford, but also by the fact that zooms made it tough for me to take pictures.  I found myself tweeking the focal length so much that I never adjusted my point of view by moving my feet.  Sometimes I even found myself a bit paralyzed by indecision, resulting in missed shots.

My disdain for zoom lenses soon progressed in to a desire for a light kit of three primes...then two primes...now, often, a single fixed lens camera.  Ends up the weight of the kit isn't the important part so much as the lack of distraction.  Swapping lenses back and forth, "Should I use the 50mm or the 35mm?"  It all just seems to get in the way of thinking about the image I want to make, or finding an image that wants to be made.

Anyway...that's the long way around to showing off this latest product of technological constraint.  Taken with a 6x9 pinhole camera (one I have not yet featured here) at around 38mm focal length.  A .25mm pinhole at that focal length means it's at about f144.  This is a 4 minute exposure on Ilford FP4+ film, developed in my usual Barry's 2-step developer.

Another Pinhole Project, Pt. II

Where did I leave off?  Oh yea.  I'd finished the pinhole/lens board part of the project, and was confident of a happy resolution.  Well, it mostly went that way...mostly.

Here is the thing that is becoming a camera.  I'm confident it was a camera in the past, because of the 4x5 graflok'ish back and the obvious lens mount.  The best speculation I've been able to find, shopping it around the various forums, is that it was used for some sort of copy or scientific work, where a single focus might still be useful.  The lens mount is really stout, as is the whole camera.
That knob on the bottom (shown as top) hides a 1/4 inch socket.  Looks like a great way to mount it to a tripod.

I could have taken the easier way out and just mounted my pinhole to the existing shutter mount hole.  Now that the process of making a crude round lens board is behind me, I kinda wished I had.  I had two reasons for not going that route.  The first was that I didn't have any step rings or filters that would fit and I didn't have the patience to order those parts.  Basically, I had the time to work on it now, so I wanted to get it done.  Secondly, and more importantly, the lens mount added another 20mm or so of flange distance...which of course is equal to focal length here.  I just wanted a wider field of view.

The almost final product looks like this.  You can see that I removed the lens mount and used the screws from that mount to attach the lens board.  What you can't see is that I've covered the back of that lens board with the foamie material, just as I did with the pinhole disk.  The foamie will make it light tight and eliminate unwanted internal reflections.
So, what I've got here is a 90mm focal length with a .35mm pinhole.  That makes for an f257 camera with a 4x5 film field of view equivalent to a 24mm lens on 135 film.  Not bad.  Not as wide as I'd really like, but not bad.

By now, it may be obvious that I've done a couple of odd things here.  I do have reasons...not necessarily good reasons...but reasons never the less.
The first odd thing is, why do I have a roll film adapter mounted, if I built this thing to shoot 4x5?  That one's easy.  I don't yet have any way of developing 4x5 and I want to test the camera.
Second odd thing?  Why did I bother with the whole interchangeable pinhole thing on a fixed focal length camera?  Well, I saw someone else do something like that for use with a Graflex and I wanted to see how it should be done.  It was simply a learning experience.

There are still two things to be done...one vital, one not so.  Remember I said that knob was hiding a 1/4 inch socket that looked like a tripod mount?  Ends up it's a finer thread than tripods use.  So, at the moment, I have no way to mount this thing to a tripod.  I do have a friend with tools and skills, so I'll soon have a new socket tapped in to the bottom of the thing.  A tripod socket is pretty vital.
The other thing I'd like to add is a cold shoe.  I don't really need a cold shoe.  I'm used to setting these things on a tripod and using a viewfinder to visualize the composition...and just sort of point it to aim.  That works better than you might thing.   In any case, if I can scare up an old cold shoe in a hurry, I'll add it too.

So there you go.  An unknown salvaged camera like thingy becomes a pinhole camera.  It also gives me my first excuse to shoot and develop 4x5 film.  Who knows, maybe I'll be satisfied with this one and not even bother with the variable focal length thing I have in mind.  Any bets on that?

Another Pinhole Project

I'm working my way to 4x5 pinhole, and I've decided to make my first camera out of things I have on hand.  Considering the miscellaneous camera crap I have laying around the house, that's not as hard it may sound. Once I decided not to deal with a shutter on this camera, my plans came together, and there was no longer any reason to put this project off.

This one is still in progress, so I thought I'd show steps without showing what the camera will look like, then wrap it up in another post once it's done.

This first picture is of thin disk of aluminum that will hold the actual pinhole.  You'll have to take my word for it, there is an aluminum disk under that paper.  The paper template is just a quick way of finding the center of the disk.
I cut the disk from a piece of thin aluminum sheet stock with a pair of tin snips.  It's not perfectly round and the pinhole will not be perfectly centered...that's one of the things I love about pinhole.  Close enough is good enough.  BTW, the disk is sized to fit in to a 55mm filter...you'll see why in a minute.
The smaller disk in the upper left is the pinhole as it comes from Lennox Laser.  Nice, handy package.

After drilling a hole in something near the center of my not so round disk, I mount the pinhole with aluminum duct tape.  I like the aluminum tape because it is light tight and strong, yet easily removed and repositioned.  Lots of room for mistakes.
This is the side that will eventually be facing the film.  We'll have to take care of that shiny metal and make sure the installation is light tight.  More on that is coming up.

Next, we see the parts that will be assembled into the pinhole lens-board for this project.  We have, a larger aluminum disk, also not looking all that round, with a hole in the middle...you guessed it...not very round. 
In addition to that disk, we have a 49-52mm step-up ring, a 52-55mm step-up ring, a 55mm uv filter, and our mounted pinhole.  Why did I chose these sizes of rings/filters?  Just because I had them laying around.

Here is the first part of the assembly.  The 52-55mm step-up ring is placed in the hole and retained there by the 49-52mm ring. It would be more economical to use an old 52mm filter with the glass broken out...I'll have to check to see if I have an old filter I don't need any more, to save the step up ring for a higher use.

This shot shows you the pieces that make up the whole assembly.  Now you see the foamie material on the film side of the pinhole disk.  I've also applied a little flat black paint to cover the aluminum tape...being careful not to fill in the pinhole.

Finally, the pinhole disk rests in the step up ring and is retained by the UV filter.  Now, I don't really know that the UV filter is a good idea.  Looks like just one more chance to cause flare to me.  I'll have to see if I have a filter I'm willing to sacrifice and maybe break the glass out it.  Ideally, I'd like to find an old metal lens shade to use here.  I might have something like that in a box somewhere.  If not, Ritz Collectable Cameras in Phoenix as a box of stuff that's always fun to pick through.

So there we have it for now.  A round lens plate with an easily interchangeable pinhole system.  I've just got a few more little steps to go and you'll see the very strange camera that this will become part of.

Pinhole Project Posted

I've posted my first project page.  How to convert an old 6x9 folding camera for pinhole use.

Enjoy.

Brownie With Flash

Fun shot of the day...Brownie Hawkeye Flash.

Burned an actual blue flash bulb for this one.  It's a neat experience, shooting with an old flash.  The sound and smell are unique and, if you're old enough, nostalgic.

I've got a few set ups like this.  I like the feeling of making new snaps just the same way people made snaps 50 or 60 years ago.  It could be a flash bulb Christmas.

11/19/08

Projects
Printing and framing a few examples for use in the odd coffee shop display/sale event.  Wasting ink, trying to get things just right.

Thoughts and Ramblings
Going back and forth over the use of an old Graflex press camera for a variable focal length pinhole camera.
On the plus side, it can be done and pretty cheaply. On the minus side, it makes for a pretty big pinhole.  Also, I'd have to be very careful about which model I chose to use to get the widest possible focal length.
Also, should I go with something half broke and cheap, just planning on using it for pinhole, or should I go with something nicer and more expensive, planning on using it for lens photography as well?  I know which I'd like to chose, but money is always an object.

A cool example of variable focal length pinhole on f295.org.

Javalina

Ilford FP4+, 10 minute exposure, f292, 73mm on 6x9cm

11/18/08

The Mailman Brought
Unicolor Uniroller tank agitator and cibachrome 8x10 roller developing tank.  I'm now looking for a 4x5 tank that will fit the Uniroller.  I've heard I can adapt the tank I have, but I'm not yet sure how this is done. Bought this cheap and used from a guy on rangefinderforum.com. Looks brand new.

Ideas and Ramblings
Shot my first pinhole still life yesterday.  Everything went according to plan.  Good but not stellar results which will go up in my next post.  I need to figure out some good subjects to put on the table.
Read a conversation on neopan 1600, the results looked great...perhaps better than my tri-x pushed to 1250 iso thing...certainly different and worth a try.
Still trying to get my domain pointed to this blog.

11/17/2008

Today the Mailman Brought
From ebay...a medium sized Patterson developing tank.  Because my current tank will only do one roll of 120 at a time and that just slows things down too much.

I'm Packing
An old Balda Super Baldina 35mm rangefinder.  It has a working selenium meter and a so-so lens.  Neat camera though, mostly because of some interesting design decisions.  I chose it to test out the new Kodak Ektar 100 film because I haven't used it in some time and I can't abide a shelf queen camera.  I'll get this camera on the camera page eventually.

Ideas and Ramblings
I need to get my cyanotypes in a gallery here.  More importantly, I need to get my cyanotypes ready to sell.
I'm past due on my project to shoot pinhole still life.  It's just taking too long to get it together.
The domain changes should have happened by now.  I've got to get the ISP on the phone.

New Print Up On Etsy

Here is the latest image available in my Etsy store for purchase.  It's a pinhole shot from under the pier at Newport Beach California.  I began planning for this shot as soon as I found out I was headed back out that way for business.  I picked up a cheap and nasty tripod, small enough to fit in my carry-on and cheap enough to not mind when it was ruined by being used knee deep in the surf.  The tripod was indeed ruined and I also got much wetter than I intended.  In any case, I like the image (as well as a near sister to it that I am still working on preparing for sale).

For every four or five rolls that I shoot trying to produce a saleable print, I get one or maybe two images that ultimately will make the cut.  I don't include snapshots gear tests or informal messing around in my count.  No, I'm talking about going out with an idea of what I want, shooting the shot I came for and then shooting whatever else the setting motivates me to shoot.  Shooting on purpose.

Shooting on purpose does not happen near enough to satisfy me.  Life simply constrains....  Considering the conatraints on my time and efforts, each image I make ready for sale is a landmark for me.  Besides getting out for the shot, developing the film, scanning and PhotoShop work, there comes the task of proofing.  After all, I can't offer a print for sale till I've produced a couple of samples of the thing and have the bugs worked out so I know I can produce more good prints at will.  I've got a decent feel for what I'm seeing on the screen and how it will translate to paper with my print set up.  Still, it can take a dozen small prints before I'm satisifed.  Then I produce one final 8x10, make notes on the printer settings on that 8x10 and then file it away for the next time I need a print of that image.

I made the camera used for this shot.  You can see how here....

Not According To Plan

I don't shoot a lot of color film. I just prefer black and white. One of the reasons I prefer black and white is that I can soup that in my kitchen sink faster, better and cheaper than paying someone to do my color film.

So, the other day when I started to work on the rolls of film I shot on a business trip to California, I didn't pay a great deal of attention to what I grabbed, stuffed in the changing bag and loaded in the tank. In fact I didn't pay nearly enough attention.
Pouring the first developer bath out and seeing that bright orange color focused my attention very effectively. "Orange? It's not supposed to be orange? Oh crap!" I realized my mistake. I'd loaded the one roll of color film, out of the six rolls I'd shot, and was developing it in black and white chemicals. "Oh well," I thought, "The deed is done. Might as well keep going and see what we get."

I knew that some folks cross process film on purpose, but I could not remember anyone doing it with color film and black and white chemicals. I'm here to tell you, it works pretty darn well! The color is gone of course, mostly anyway. What I'm left with are some heavily toned negatives that seem to lose a bit in the shadows, but otherwise aren't all that bad.

So you see, not a total loss. In fact, they convert to black and white pretty well, so I can still make prints if I decide one of the images is worthy of that effort.

BTW, these were taken with a Balda Super Baldax, folding 6x6cm camera from the 1950s. You can read about that camera on my Cameras page, where it is currently the only entry.

11/13/2008

First journal entry.
Journal entries will record what is happening on any given day. They'll look something like this:

Today the Mailman Brought
From Freestyle Photo;
1 bottle Kodafix film fixer (for fixing film, of course)
1lb Sodium Sulfite (one component of the developer I mix for my use)
100 120 film negative storage pages (cause I ran out)

Pending
1 roll of Ilford FP4 shot in my Kodak Hawkeye Brownie needs to be developed. Nothing special on it, just testing the new/old camera and burning precious flash bulbs.

Ideas and Ramblings
I saw a pinhole image done on watercolor paper coated with Liquid Light! Very cool. The possibilities and challenges for that one are bouncing around in my head. Imagine 11x14 paper pinholes!
Looking for practical ways of developing 4x5 film in daylight. I think I'm about settled on a solution.
Lots of ideas related to this new blog. I need to route this blog to my main domain. I need to make a list of add-on pages to support the blog. Links to my etsy....lots of stuff to do.
How far should I get this thing built before I share it with anyone? I think maybe right after I get the URL settled. No need sending out a launch announcement then having to give out a new url.

Let's Try This Again

This is not my first photo blog.  I abandoned my last blog some time ago, I just didn't think it had a reason for living, so I let it die.  Perhaps things will be different this time around.  I will try to make that so.

This blog will not be limited to my showing off whatever recent image I'm proud of...though I certainly will do that.  Instead, I'll blog on all things photographic that happen to catch my interest.  You'll see old cameras and processes as I discover them.  You'll see pointers to other photographers whom I admire.  Mostly, you'll see whatever strikes my fancy.

Why would this be of interest to you?  I can't swear that it will be, but if you share my enthusiasm for all the varied ways an image can be captured and shared, there's a good chance you will find something to like here.

Yes, there will be some commercial content here (I hope).  Some of my images are for sale via my Etsy site and I have a vague and remote hope that blogging here will help attract interest in those images.

So, let's try this again.