A walk in Chaley

Last sunday, we decide to go for a walk along the Albarine River, in the Bugey valley. We took together some pictures of our balade. Those pictures are the ones from our second roll through the rolleiflex. Pan-F Plus in Diafine for 3'15 in bath A & 3'15 in bath B. Shot at ISO50.

Along the walk, we perceived a building at the end of the path.

Is there any life here ?

Stop !

 

The "Petit Restaurant" is closed now...

High flight over the Alps

The Mountains of the Alps

Shot through the windows. I was flying back home to Amsterdam, at 5.00 am over the Alps. An impressive view.

Tri-X in Diafine, Rollei 35 SE

Couples

From my holydays in my hometown, Albi, Tarn, in the south west of France.

Mtei Express

Mtei Express

On the way from Kilosa to Bongo City (Dar El Salam). This is the bus which do the trip Arusha to Dodoma and then Dodoma to Arusha everyday. A small stop on the side of the road to buy water, vegetables etc..

Tanzania 2012
Tri-X & Rollei 35 - Guessed exposure

Nomadic Massive

Music without border

Nomadic Massive is a group of premier performers and skilled musicians from Ottawa, Argentina, Algeria, Haïti, France, Chili, Grenada, Barabados...

They are doing some massive international cooperation with always in the mind of fine hip-hop and educational goal.

You can follow them within their current site at Nomadic Massive (old site) The new site is under construction at Nomadicmassive.com

In my opinion, this is what Hip-Hop should be now. In fact one of the best group will mark the history of music.

Happiness

Happiness

An happiness moment frozen through the lens :)

T-Max400 within Diafine - Olympus OM10 Zuiko 28mm

May Day Manifest

One of my first manifest, covered personally with my beloved R3a and 1 roll of tri-x.

International Workers' Day (also known as May Day) is a celebration of the international labour movement. May 1 is a national holiday in more than 80 countries and celebrated unofficially in many other countries.

More information on wikipedia about May Day

     

     

     

     

     

     

Henri Cartier-Bresson, Just Plain Love (Otar Ioselani)

Arte France - Les Films à Lou

Henri Cartier-Bresson, Just Plain Love (Otar Ioselani)

On est dans un monde de privilegie, faut pas gratter beaucoup et voir tres loin pour faire la difference. On est bien fringe, bon...  Il faut mettre cela au service de quelquechose auquel on croit.

We lived in a priviliged world. You don't have to go far to notice a difference. We are nicely dressed, well... We should use it for something we believe in.

Henri Cartier  Bresson

Dark room practices eco friendly: test your fixer

From the beginning, i was wondering about the impact of the environment of my dark rooms practices.
Between, i am working with water systems and especially in modern ways to conserve  clean & distribute water to all with the most efficiency.Flushing my chemicals to the toilets was simply not acceptable ! So i begin to search over the web and start to think about how to organize & optimize my uses of chemicals. I found my way, for now, it fits to me and will be perfected if i can in the future.


At the beginning, when i (re) discover the analog world, i was looking for the best practice. the ones which will gives the best tonal range, the best development, the best fixating for my negs. Between, i was looking for the best when i entered in the analog world. But that's not my practice, i understood  that i will never make perfect photographs and i don't have to look for the best, i have to look for my photography. Why should i work with fresh baths each time ? Loosing so much chemicals for nothing..

So how to test your fixer ? It's quite easy ! Just before to develop your roll, cut a piece of the priming of the film, take your watch, drop a small amount of fixer on the film (on the side which is supposed to be exposed) and launch your chronometer. Stop it when the film get clear.

So now you have your time, let's called it T and let's say it's for example 1 minute. To be sure your film will be fixed, you just need to multiply by 2 this time. This will be the immersed time of the film into the fixer bath.

Usually, rolls after rolls, the time will extend. It's advise that you should not exceed 3 times the duration which the manufacturer advises. For example, i use superfix from Tetenal, with a 1+ 3 dilution, fresh bath, 2 minutes is enough. That means i should not exceed 6 minutes.

Hope this helps.

So from now, my best environmental practice is:

• Developper: Diafine which you can use at infinity (in the future i plan to test caffenol)
• Stop bath: water
• Fixer: will use it to the end
• Washing: the Ilford procedure is still the best i found from now. 

And from a friend mail'signature:

Every environmental step taken counts. So, be the change. 

Forbidden area

I took the opportunity few weeks ago to explore a forbidden zone. It was the biggest labyrinth that i went inside. You can get lost for days.

I tried to get a consistant workflow with those snapshots. First time that i look at the negs i realize that it was a place which could be the perfect environement for recording a new star wars

Kodak Tri-x - Diafine
Bessa R3a, nokton 40mm

 

Rafikis

My Rafikis from Zambia & Tanzania Met when installing irrigation systems in East Africa. Wish to see them again soon.

Playing with Semflex

I found two remaining rolls of pan F+ at home... So, i decide to test again the Semflex with it and some Diafine.

This is the slowest film i have ever used and it was the fastest dev that i have ever made (shot this morning at 7:00, dev during lunch time)!

I still dream of a rolleiflex, but, what, for 1/40 of the price of the rolleiflex, it's ok. I love it.

For who doesn't know, Semflex was made by a french company called SEM. The one that i have is a T950 with a SOM Berthiot 75mm f:4.5. More information on this web page (fr)

Shot at 80 isos, 1/25 @ f:5.6
Scan from negs with epson 4490

Meuuuhhhh !

Au marché

First attempt with diafine. here it is the results. Not excellent but not so bad. I have to note that Diafine works very well with an hybrid workflow, between, it's ok for scanning.

Grain is here but what ? It's at 1250 isos. I admit, i love grain, perfection is not for me.

Scan with epson scan, little adjustment of contrast & levels in photoshop.

Bessa R3a
Nokton 40mm
Tri-X@1250 isos, Diafine 3'A & 3'B

Mixing & labelling Diafine

Following my first post about Diafine Presentation & introduction here is the next step: mixing & labelling.

The Diafine that i found last time was for one quart which is litteraly 0.946353 Liter (let's say 0.95 L).

Water T°: 29°C

Next step: first dev with a Tri-x ! Plan to do it this week-end.

[fr] Ilford - Le tirage Noir et Blanc

Dear all,
Following my previous post (Ilford - developper un film N&B) here is a new document on how to print in your wet darkroom a B&W enlargement.
Sorry, it is still in french.

Chèrs visiteurs,
Voici la suite de mon post précédent (développer un film N&B). Un document signé Ilford, présentant une métodologie sur le tirage N&B.

[fr] Document Ilford - Comment traiter un film Noir & Blanc

Dear friends,
Yesterday, i just rediscover 2 documents from my father. They were made by ILFORD on how to develop a b&w negative.

I am sorry but everything's is in French. But, with the drawing, for sure you can understand it easily.

You can download the file here: Comment traiter un film N&B par Ilford

Chers amis,
Voici pour une fois un message en francais sur mon blog. Hier, j'ai pu retrouver par chance deux vieux documents de Ilford sur la photo N&B. Je me suis dis que ce serait intéressant de partager, tout au moins pour le plaisir de la conservation, la curiosité ou bien pour apprendre pour tous ceux qui veulent plonger dans le monde de la photographie argentique.


Vous pouvez télécharger le document en suivant ce lien: Comment traiter un film N&B par Ilford

Diafine Two-bath developer

Dear friends,

A month ago, i just discover diafine products. As a curious, i decided to give a try. On the paper (o let's say on the web), diafine seems the ideal solution for me. Why ? Just because:

• I don't shoot so often
• Nowadays, i essentially do street
• A roll can stay for two weeks in my camera before to get burned completely
• Usually during a roll:
• I will start it in daylight
• I will want to finish on the streets by night.
• I have one camera always with me. 

And, so, why diafine ? Diafine is a two bath developer. Bath A and bath B, that's it. From what i have understood, diafine seems very tolerant, and very easy to use. 

So i bought a box, luckily found in one of the last photographic shop of my region which supply darkroom equipment). 

Then, i just give a look on the internet and found some very useful information:

• Diafine a b&w developer from Tim Layton. Thanks to him !
• The technical file of Diafine & Acufine (which come from the same manufacturer)

I will be back very soon with my first test. Let's see what will come out of it.

Note: After looking at the box, i realize that i have two containers to make one quart each. So, for people like me, who are not use with quart and others measurements, here it is the conversion :

1 quart = 0.946 Liter

See you soon for the test !

If you know about diafine, you are warmly welcome to get it touch with me.

All the best

Romain

Release of our new website !

Dear friends,

I am very proud to release the opening of our new website. We built it by ourself, it was time for me to dive again in the html ocean. so here it is :)

Come and visit us at www.aqua-tec.fr

All the best

Romain

Street Portrait

First test of the Rollei 35SE, with Tri-X & D76@1+1

Amsterdam

Amsterdam 2011

Shot on Tri-X with my R3a and his Nokton 40mm. Dev into D76@1+1. Scan from negs.

99% Occupy Amsterdam - #002

Following of the initial post.
99% occupy Amsterdam. Featured on OccupyDA, a deviantart Group:





PROTEST !

REVOLT !

OCCUPY !

99% Occupy Amsterdam - #001

I met this manifestation during my trip to Dar El Salam. Delayed by the mist, KLM payed me a day in Amsterdam.

Was a cold sunday but a good day :) Alone with my camera in one of my favorite city.

Bessa R3a & Nokton 40mm

Tri-x@400 + D76

Scan from negs