Creative Image Maker

Large Format... The Options (pt 4)

noreply@blogger.com (D. Vickers) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 07:27:00 +0000

As you can see from the image above, there appeared to be a nasty crack in the lower frame, right where the mortice and tenon joint had been made. That will need further inspection, and so it was that I started to disassemble the camera even further...

I had finally completed cleaning the bellows, which to be honest was tedious and beginning to lose its appeal(!); oddly the underside of the bellows was the worst, and not unsurprisingly, the most awkward of the four sides. Still, finishing that task meant that I could move on with taking the camera apart, and I wanted to get that lower frame out.

This lower frame has the front standard 'fixed' to it, and can normally be moved forwards by the chain drive; then the front standard can move backwards and forwards along the runners cut into the frame.

Removing the front piece from the frame (it's just screwed on) allowed me to slide the front standard off the frame, at which point the remaining frame kind of just fell apart! Fortunately it wasn't as bad as it sounds, as it was just because the glue in one of the mortice and tenon joints had failed. That will need reglueing before it goes back together again...

As you can see from the image above, the first job on this frame however, is to clean it up, as the grooves are filled up with dirt and the frame itself is just filthy. After that, I can take a better look at that crack in the frame.

Large Format... The Options (pt3)

noreply@blogger.com (D. Vickers) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 23:24:00 +0000

I've started to disassemble the enlarging camera so that I can give it a really good clean, and properly assess its condition and also to give me a better idea about how I'm going to convert this in a sympathetic style. You can see from the image above that its pretty grimy, and with the images in the rest of this post I've tried to show how I've set about cleaning the bellows in particular.

To be honest I was a little bit concerned about the state of the bellows as there appeared to be the start of some mouldy growth, which I'm hoping you can see in the image below...

I wondered about the best way to clean the bellows as I couldn't use anything abrasive and I obviously don't want to damage them either. In the end, I opted for clean water with a tiny amount of Dettol in it, along with cotton wool pads and cotton buds, to clean the bellows...

As I write, I've cleaned just over half of the entire bellows, which has taken about 2 hours so far, and it has had the advantage that I can see exactly what state they are in... pretty good actually! This gentle cleaning, with damp cotton pads / buds them has made a huge difference to how they look, and you can get an idea of just how dirty they were with this picture...

Large Format... The Options (pt 2)

noreply@blogger.com (D. Vickers) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 10:58:00 +0000

In the last post, I mentioned that I wanted to get back into using glass plates for my photography, and that sort of meant that I would require a 'new' camera to do this. I thought about buying one, but then decided that I would build another large format camera instead.

But as we'll see in this post, it all went in a different direction...

In a local antique shop, about two months ago, I found a magic lantern... labelled as Victorian, it was missing a few bits but in generally good condition, price: £58. I figured it might be worth that just for the bellows, and at that point thought it might make a worthwhile project to convert it to a camera. I left empty-handed though.

Fast forward to this weekend and I was off to a local photography shop and went past the antique centre. This time I went in empty-handed and came out with a magic lantern for £45. The image at the top of this page is of this unit, and it's a big item!

When fully extended it is around 44" / 112cm in overall length, the bellows appear to be in pretty good condition although they need a good clean first. The adjustments are chain driven and also need a thorough clean as there's 100 years of grime in it!

The magic lantern is actually "The Abbeydale Enlarging Camera" and a little badge on the front of it mentions a patent date of 1913 (which puts it well outside the Victorian era).

The other great thing about this item is that it still has the nested carriers for the various sizes of slide...

I've made a decision to use this "enlarging camera" as the basis for my large format camera, but to do so in a way that means I can return back to its original purpose.

Large Format... The Options

noreply@blogger.com (D. Vickers) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 22:01:00 +0000

I've been thinking about how to get back into large format; obviously I have my home-made 9x12 camera that I use to create paper negatives, but I want to get back to glass negatives.

I want to start the whole process of subbing the glass, pouring the emulsion, then using the camera to take landscape images. That's going to mean transporting the glass negatives safely, carrying the camera into remote locations and so on.

The first problem was the camera. I've had an 8"x5" brass, rapid rectilinear lens sitting in the cupboard for about a year or more; originally it was for my 9x12 but as that doesn't slide back far enough to get the image into focus with this lens, it was never going to work.

The options were to purchase a secondhand large format camera, or build one. I liked the option of building, but I just knew it would take a long time to get it all done. Buying seemed like a nice idea, but I don't have several hundred pounds to lay out on a camera.

Now, there's more to this story than meets the eye, as at some point over the next 1-2 years I'd like to move to the Alps in France, and want to photograph the landscape there... but I don't want to do it digitally. My wife thinks that I should shoot digitally as it's a lot easier, but in that case what would make my images any different to all the tourist with their mobile phones? No, I was adamant that my images were going to be different, and glass plates could be the answer, my unique selling point if you will...

Then I started to think that if I bought a 'professionally built' camera, then that's not such a great back story to the images as having a hand-made, home-made camera. Decision made... I was going to build one and got as far as cutting some Iroko that I had laying around in the workshop, to make the frames.

Then I had another idea, which I'll detail in the next post on this journey...

Oh Wow!

noreply@blogger.com (D. Vickers) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 20:07:00 +0000

Just a very quick post today... I just checked the Analytics statistics for the new site, just to find out how 'interested' people were with the new Creative Image Maker project (especially as I said I wasn't going to put myself under a whole load of pressure after the last attempt!).

And in the last month, we had visitors from 36 different countries! So, it looks like Chris and I might just have our work cut out again trying to get it all going! Actually, what is really neat is not so much that we've already had that much interest, but that it's kind of affirming to note that there is still so much belief and interest in analogue photography. For a while digital totally took over and analogue appeared to be relegated to the back seat, but not now.

About four years ago or so, I moved back from digital to analogue in order that I could explore some of the traditional processes after I'd been using digital for around 3 - 4 years (and analogue for many years prior to that). I don't regret it at all. I still use digital techniques for my video work, and the camera on my phone takes a cracking picture, but when I want to get back 'in touch' with photography it's always analogue.

And I'm thinking that I might not be the only one to think this way...

All the best to all of you, and thank you for stopping by... we'll be posting some articles here very shortly :0)

David.

Fine Art Forum: Report

noreply@blogger.com (D. Vickers) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 09:17:00 +0000

The Fine Art Forum in Paderborn, Germany would appear to have gone very well; with just one minor hiccup involving a fire alarm, but I'll let Robert Vonk take up the story with his short report of this event...

A small report of the FAF in Paderborn, Germany.

After a trip of 2 1/2 hours to Paderborn on a sunny Sunday in October I arrived at the Bahnhofstrasse 64 in Paderborn. The Kulturwerkstatt is a multi functional building and very suitable for these type of fairs.

A wide exposition on the walls and several interchangeble tables for prints were a welcome to each visitor. Very nice work, mainly in Black & White photography. Workshops for free and some real nice equipment in B&W photography was presented, such as a new small case Split Grade unit from Heiland, Wetzlar, Germany and a re-designed TAS (inverse) film processor suitable for 1-5 films (35mm, 120/220/127 or sheet film) in semi-automatic development. Also new, a smart fiber print washer from Kienzle, Germany. From 2 compartments, low cost to a full wash system build on request for each client and suitable for very large format prints. And what a nice sturdy easels too.

After a small interuption and clearing of the building because the fire alarm system went off, we could enjoy all these news in detail. Also on the terrace it was nice to enjoy the German beer! The Sunday was closed by a dinner at the local Mongolian restaurant.

A schedule has been made to re-do this every two years in Paderborn.

Robert

New Book by John Lambrichts

noreply@blogger.com (D. Vickers) — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 08:36:00 +0000

It's always great to see that analogue photography is alive and well in this heavily digitised age, and it's interesting that there has been something of a resurgence in pinhole photography, alternative processes and the use of film (none of which is meant to diminish the role that digital plays these days) - it's just great to know that analogue is alive and well... and this new book, to be launched on 15th October, just proves the point.

John Lambricht's new hard-cover, 156 page book entitled 'Oeverlangen by the Meuse' came about as a result of the many musing trips that he made over the last three years along the Border Meuse, which John described as 'rapidly changing'. John takes up the story, '...the pictures (all analog) are a tribute to the river and the native soil of the local people. They preserve an atmosphere that is disappearing or [as] they recall it'.

Full of great images, the book is available now via http://www.oeverlangen.nl or http://www.johnlambrichts.nl, but you'll have to be quick! The print run is 950 copies, of which 650 are already sold via pre-registering during the Oeverlangen by the Meuse exhibition this year. Schaden.com will offer 20 signed copies during Paris Photo 2011 too.

Book details:
Hard cover, 156 pages, format 22,5 x 28 cm, 72 photographs B&W (analog).
Texts are in Dutch, English, and French.
Price: €39,50 including VAT, excluding shipping costs.
Publisher: Ipso Facto

The Church Project

noreply@blogger.com (D. Vickers) — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 18:09:00 +0000

To mark the reurn of my getting back into the photographic groove, as it were, I decided I needed a project. Nothing too demanding, something that wouldn't take a lot of my time (one is still rather busy after all!), and something that allowed me to experiment a little. It couldn't be expensive, and I wasn't to go buying any more equipment... but more on that later!

So, having given myself this somewhat restrictive set of parameters, I started to think about what I could do Now, I am very fortunate that my 35 mile journey to and from work can take me through some of Hampshire's [Hampshire, UK] finest villages and rolling countryside.

That got me thinking that there might be something worth photographing on this journey, as I could 'reccie' the areas on my way to work, then photograph them on the way home. But what?

For more years than I care to think about, I've wanted to photograph churches. These wonderful buildings with their unique architectural styles have always drawn me to them, but I've never done anything about it... now was the time, as these villages have some wonderful examples with fabulous bell-towers and gothic or romanesque windows and doorways.

To take the images I could use my old '37 Leica II, or the Bronica ETRS, but that meant buying film. Nope, it had to be paper negatives as I had some sheets of Ilford Multigrade knocking around that I could use, and my 9x12cm sliding box camera that I'd made a year or so ago. The paper could be cut down easily enough to fit, and being 10x8" sheets, I could get 4 sheets for the camera from each sheet of paper.

I'd also run out of developer and didn't want the hassle of buying anymore; actually, I did find some developer but when I poured it out it was the colour of very strong, very dark coffee. Of course! Coffee. I would develop all the images in this project using cafenol.

I'm part way through this project and so far it's cost me about £3.00 for a couple of jars of cheap instant coffee, and about an hour taking pictures of the churches (see image at the top of this post). Frugal photography? Absolutely! And, what's more, I feel like I'm getting back to the roots of why I enjoy photography so much.

David.

Event: Fine Art Forum, Germany.

noreply@blogger.com (D. Vickers) — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 09:04:00 +0000

A friend of CiM from the 'early' days(!) has been in touch to let you know that there is to be a Fine Art Forum, in Paderborn, Germany at the start of October.

Robert Vonk takes up the story... as well as a photo exhibition, talks on analogue photography, food and drink, there will also be some manufacturers and distributors at this event. Robert (Fotohuis) himself will also be there on the Sunday too.

You can find out more information, along with the programme of events at http://www.fineartforum.info/programm-faf-2011

Enjoy what I'm sure will be a great event - if you go, write us a short article!

Coming Up...

noreply@blogger.com (D. Vickers) — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 09:23:00 +0000

In order to get the ball rolling again, now that I'm back to square one, I thought I'd put up some articles about what I've been doing recently with my photography. However, I'd love to hear about what you've been up to as well, so please contact me via the comments, or the email address at the top of the page.

So, what have I been up to, and why might you be interested? Well, despite having several months away from photography for a whole variety of resaons, I did make my own camera - a 9x12 sliding box camera - and so I'll talking about how I went about that.

I'll also talk about how I've been getting on with using coffee as a developer, and using Ilford Multigrade printing paper for my negatives.

I also bought an old brass, rapid rectilinear lens that I now need to build a camera for, so I'll be reporting on that in the future; and I've also started to make a portable darkroom.

My photography is actually turning ever more frugal, and ever less exact, but it still seems to work just fine and I'm liking the results. So maybe there's a article about frugal photography?

Best wishes,
David.

Older magazines still available...

noreply@blogger.com (D. Vickers) — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 08:06:00 +0000

Between Chris and myself, we created a number of magazines over the couple of years that we ran Creative Image Maker, most of them are freely downloadable.

Now that CiM is back in action, it seems only fair that I tell you about these past magazines that feature various images, along with the story behind them, written by the photographer that took them; equipment information; platinum / palladium printing; photography with glass negative, including a great piece by Quinn Jacobson. There really is plenty to while away the hours reading these brilliant articles!

You can find them at Creative Image Maker Back Issues, and as mentioned before, most of them are for free.

It's Back!

noreply@blogger.com (D. Vickers) — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 09:28:00 +0000

After a long, long hiatus, I figured it was about time that Creative Image Maker should come back to life. I started this online magazine back in 2007 and after building it up, and due to several other pressures had to hand it over to Chris Walrath, who did a sterling job until it became untenable for him to continue it, but...

...I've since built my own camera, got into large format, messed about with cafenol development and just played around with photography. And been able to just enjoy it.

I'd like to try and bring some of this enjoyment of the hobby back through C.I.M. once more, only this time we'll be keeping it small and right here!

I'd like to present the work of others if I can too, it's not just about me after all! So, if you've done something creative, something you'd like to tell others about then send me a comment and let's take it from there - it could be a great image, some equipment that you've restored or found, or a historically interesting fact, let me know.

Personally, I've just embarked on a fairly short project documenting some local churches using paper negatives, cafenol development and my home-made 9x12 camera; as well as a longer term project to create a portable darkroom, so I'll be posting about these as time goes by.

Cheers,
David.