# Fat Man and Little Boy Ride Again



## christopher walrath (Jan 16, 2015)

It is done. Rewind two weeks. I really need to get upstairs and clean out that closet. Rewind three years and two months. I need to make a break from photography for a while. Just sell everything. I am getting depressed because it is in the house and not being used.

It is done. Wednesday night I got home from work and decided it was finally time. I started about 5:30. I rearranged my bedroom so that I would have an empty wall. I then, piece by piece, bit by bit, began to cart everything out of that walk-in closet and stow it there. I have a huge pile of mostly stuff that I could sell. But it is a lot of stuff that I could keep. Golf clubs, guitar, telescope, fly fishing rods and stuff, clothes, family pictures. The pile is about three feet high and covers about 30-35 square feet of floor space. Regardless, it will not stay there for long.

Then I get down to brass tacks. First I set up Fat Man (Beseler 57MB) on the old desk that is now retasked as an enlarger table. There is enough headroom underneath for Little Boy (Fujimoto Lucky 60M) when not in use, safely out of the way. I placed the bookshelves on the right so that I could have my dry side stuff handy at a moment's notice. I have a small roll around cart. It now holds all of my developing tanks on its top surface and chemistry and graduates and other things beneath. The bookshelves by the door are chock full of some of my best reads (Garrett, Adams, Lambrecht, Vestal, McLean, Davis, White, Kingslake, etc.)

Tonight I made a stop by ACE Hardware on the way home. I picked up a few things. I now have hung a Christmas gift from my mother last year, a reprint of Adams' Grand Tetons from Snake River Overlook (a tad of inspiration) and my dry erase board for quick notes regarding time and dilutions and the like. I have my Gralab 300 plugged into a power strip and the safelight and Fat Man into that. I rewired Fat Man with a new power cord, the old and, sadly, original cord had become frayed and is a casuality of time and use. It works like a clock, or an enlarger, rather.

It only needs one more thing. And this weekend it just might get it. Some negatives, some paper, some chemistry and some magic. Long overdue. I sold all of the camera gear I had in 2011 after I came to the realiziation that I was stagnant in my photography and its mere presence in the house, laying unused, was a source of angst. Fortunately the darkroom gear never sold and I knew I would use it again one day so I stowed it. Well, that time has come, I am glad to say.

I was reading some old magazine issues today that I had kept. This one a mid 2007 issue of UK Black and White Photography. Mike Johnston had written his piece about being out of touch with his photography, much like I had been the last few years. He spoke about a, I think he called it, "Strategic Break" where you seperated yourself from your photography to gain perspective. To which he personally responded a resounding 'Hell No!' He then went on to write something that, in the wake of my own photographic resurrection, rang so true with me. "Photography is not something you think about. It is something you do." Another quote that I favor is from Stephen King's The Shawshank Redemption. "Get busy livin' or get busy dyin'."

Time to do. Time to live. Time to create. Time to see. It is finally time. Now is the time. Now.


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## limr (Jan 17, 2015)

Welcome back!


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## Gary A. (Jan 17, 2015)

Good for You!


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## Torus34 (Jan 17, 2015)

Paul Gauguin's eternal triad of questions, "Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?", may be a bit much, but a re-assessment from time to time's a good thing for many of us.

And, come to think of it, one could try to use photographs to either answer or at least flesh out Gauguin's queries.


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## Rick58 (Jan 17, 2015)

Dam- you Walrath...Dam- you! "No room" was the last excuse I had 

Actually that's a lie. My wife has already granted me permission to convert the downstairs 1/2 bath into a darkkroom as long as I make a folding countertop over the throne.
My Lazyboy recliner asked my not to disclose that here


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## christopher walrath (Jan 17, 2015)

Sorry, Rick.  But there it is.  And a very fortuitous side effect of one of those choices.

That cloth over the window on the left, a trifolded old bed sheet, dark red.  I went in today to make sure that the room was light tight and that paper would not fog.  BOY, did that room look bright with and direct afternoon sunlight coming into that window.  So I ran a strip for 1-2-3-5-10 minutes in the dimmed light in front of that window on Fat Man's base.  Souped in Ilf Multi 1:9 for a minute at 20 and then a vigorous water rinse for 5 minutes.

NO FOG!  AWESOME!  It is an all day darkroom with very little in the way of setup initially and it is good to go as she lies.

Either printing tonight or in the morning.  Will post a scan or two when I am done.


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## Rick58 (Jan 17, 2015)

Good deal Chris! I'll tell ya what... A permanent DR makes all the difference


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## christopher walrath (Jan 17, 2015)

Prevents all the setup/breakdown time.  And that was a primary demotivator for me.


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## Rick58 (Jan 17, 2015)

christopher walrath said:


> Prevents all the setup/breakdown time.  And that was a primary demotivator for me.


You certain aren't alone. Too many times it's just easier to watch TV. Now you go in there, throw on the radio (no lit dials of course) and get busy,


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## terri (Jan 17, 2015)

Go, Chris!   Go!!


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## christopher walrath (Jan 18, 2015)

Just got done after a five hour session with a relatively easy negative to print, it turns out.  Details later when the prints are dry and I have a scan to share.


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## christopher walrath (Jan 18, 2015)

Well, here is the print and the low down.

Stones - Mispillion River - Milford, Delaware - 2008



Neopan 400
HC110b for 6'00" at 20C

Nikon N75 w/ 35-80 zoom
No exposure recorded

Printed on Orient Seagull RC-VC II 8x10 glossy
Enlarger used: Fujimoto Lucky 60M (Little Boy)
Enlarger Height 20"
Aperture f/11
Exposure time 22 seconds
Controls: Dodging for the last six seconds of exposure
- Used a 4x5 film holder and slid in from the right
- to reach the left side at exposure stop time.


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## Rick58 (Jan 18, 2015)

Really flat Chris. What happened?


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## KenC (Jan 19, 2015)

christopher walrath said:


> Prevents all the setup/breakdown time.  And that was a primary demotivator for me.



Yeah, I had a semi-permanent DR for a long time, meaning I had to clean up, but I could put off some of it to the next day, as it was in the basement.  I was still happy when PS and printers came along, though ...


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## Rick58 (Jan 19, 2015)

KenC said:


> I was still happy when PS and printers came along, though ...


I have to agree. While I miss film and the DR, I don't know if I would ever go back to wet printing. I think negs and scanning are the way to go. A hybrid of both worlds. Once a neg or print is scanned, it's now digital anyway. My hats off to the full blown darkroom people. Many years of a lot of fun, but if I can have my man cave with the smell of hypo and play with my film gear, I'd be a happy guy.


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## terri (Jan 19, 2015)

Chris, it does look flat.   I looked at your processing and noticed you mentioned 60M.   What grade was that supposed to give with this paper?   I think additional contrast would brighten up this image considerably, and maybe shave off some exposure time or tighten that aperture to lighten up the whole print.   

I'm quite ignorant of enlargers outside of the Besler 23C and my own ancient Super Chromega D.   I can fumblingly use the filter holder in the former but really love the ease of dialing in filtration in the latter.   Does your Fujimoto use filter holders?    Would love to see another print at about Grade 3, especially with that lovely Oriental Seagull you have!   That paper still enjoys a great reputation.     

That image could really snap - unless, of course, this low-key quality_ is_ exactly what you were after.    Also, we viewers have to account for scanning; it could be the print looks quite different than what is onscreen.   

My two cents.


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## christopher walrath (Jan 19, 2015)

Flat subject.  But I love the low tones.  I was thinking of halting development in 10% increments to see if the highlights (dry surface of stones) improves.  This is only a working print.  This was following test strips and an intuitive leap employing some dodging from right to left over the last 6 seconds of exposure.  Definitely want to bring up the highlights a bit.  Might even see if filters can do anything.

Going to fiddle with it another time.  But the shadows are where I want them for certain.  And this is a project to be tackled another day.  My old fixer settled and leaves sediment everywhere so I dumped that out.  Didn't even try it for the prints.  Just doubled time in the stop and added an increased water rinse with constant replenishing of the water with clean water.

God, I really missed this.  Good to be back.


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## christopher walrath (Jan 19, 2015)

Terri, an increase of aperture size could help with the contrast.  But that might make my dodging tough with such a short exposure time.  Will have to try that as well.  The 60M was the enlarger model, Fujimoto Lucky 60M.  Cheap old enlarger that has served me very well over the last few years.


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## christopher walrath (Jan 19, 2015)

Oh, and that is not my setup now.  That was five or six years ago when I was stuck doing my magic in the downstairs, under-the-stairway, half bath.


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## terri (Jan 20, 2015)

christopher walrath said:


> Flat subject.  But I love the low tones.  I was thinking of halting development in 10% increments to see if the highlights (dry surface of stones) improves.  This is only a working print.  This was following test strips and an intuitive leap employing some dodging from right to left over the last 6 seconds of exposure.  Definitely want to bring up the highlights a bit.  Might even see if filters can do anything.
> 
> Going to fiddle with it another time.  But the shadows are where I want them for certain.  And this is a project to be tackled another day.  My old fixer settled and leaves sediment everywhere so I dumped that out.  Didn't even try it for the prints.  Just doubled time in the stop and added an increased water rinse with constant replenishing of the water with clean water.
> 
> God, I really missed this.  Good to be back.



eek, well I totally misread 60M, didn't I?   I'd a' done swore that meant magenta!      At least I was smart enough to add the disclaimer of general enlarger ignorance outside what I learned on, and my own.   I'm also a bit of a high-contrast brat, so I have to study long and hard when viewing low tone images.   I've no doubt the things that you're already considering will help the highlights, and that might be all she needs. 

I bet you _did _miss it.   After long absences, when I'm back under the lights I'm mentally kicking myself for not making time sooner.   It does suck when life gets in the way.


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## christopher walrath (Jan 25, 2015)

Stones v2.0

Just got out of the darkroom.  Letting the prints dry so I can scan.  Nailed it.

I tried a #3 Ilford Contrast filter which placed the highlights where I wanted them and the burned in the right side and the bulk of the bottom left corner.  Will add the scan shortly.


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## christopher walrath (Jan 25, 2015)

Waited until I was done.  Wow, rum and coke kinda gets you quick.


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## christopher walrath (Jan 25, 2015)

Now, this is the final print to date.  Mind you, it still looks kind of flat but the highlights are higher.  I used a water rinse as I am out of fixer.  The print is not archival until I can get some Kodafix and make some good prints.  But the water rinse was enough for me to see my progress.

Technical gobbledygook:
Shot with a Nikon N65 in 2008 on Fuji Neopan Acros, processed in HC110 Dil 'B'.
Printed on Little Boy. Height - 18.5".  F/11 for 22 seconds with 6 seconds each burning in of right edge and left lower corner.
Orient Seagull VC/RC-II 8x10 glossy paper and I used a #3 Ilford Contrast filter.
Souped in Ilford Multi Paper Dev at 1:9 for 1 minute.


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## terri (Jan 25, 2015)

christopher walrath said:


> Wow, rum and coke kinda gets you quick.


   We all learn the hard way that being drunk in the darkroom doesn't work - such a drag, when it always seems like such a good idea at the time!

Wow, I like this one much better.   Agreed the highlights are lifted, and to the betterment of the image.   A lot more texture coming through from those rocks!


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## gsgary (Jan 26, 2015)

Rick58 said:


> KenC said:
> 
> 
> > I was still happy when PS and printers came along, though ...
> ...


Wet prints all the way, I made 4 5x7 prints last night for the pub in go in got a bit of a display going on


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## christopher walrath (Jan 26, 2015)

And don't worry.  Imbibing occurred post-hanging.


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## timor (Jan 27, 2015)

christopher walrath said:


> Now, this is the final print to date.  Mind you, it still looks kind of flat but the highlights are higher.  I used a water rinse as I am out of fixer.  The print is not archival until I can get some Kodafix and make some good prints.  But the water rinse was enough for me to see my progress.
> 
> Technical gobbledygook:
> Shot with a Nikon N65 in 2008 on Fuji Neopan Acros, processed in HC110 Dil 'B'.
> ...


Him, my problem is, this is a scan from the print and might not fully show the properties of the print. To me the print is still very muted in tonality. Oriental Seagull vc is more on the cold side of neutral papers, the print should be crispier with deeper blacks.  The real question is (as I do not remember) how cotrollable this paper is, but judging from the developing time it contain a lot of developing agents in emulsion. Nevertheless, if this is the best you can get right now try this: get some TSP from painters shop. Yes, it is a degreaser, very alkaline, make a concentrate and start to add it in 20 ml increments to your developer tray. At some point you will start to notice substantial difference. You may, for the kicks, even develop your print in pure tsp, that will show, how much metol is embedded in Seagull emulsion.


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## christopher walrath (Jan 27, 2015)

That I might just give a try.

But first things first.  I want to get some fix and process this the way it should be done.  The water rinse allowed me to see progress from change to change but there is no perminence in the prints.  Could even have increased exposure in the short time from the darkroom to the scanner.


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## timor (Jan 27, 2015)

christopher walrath said:


> That I might just give a try.
> 
> But first things first.  I want to get some fix and process this the way it should be done.  The water rinse allowed me to see progress from change to change but there is no perminence in the prints.  Could even have increased exposure in the short time from the darkroom to the scanner.


That might be very well the problem with muted values.


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