Last one for August

 Last Lumen print, taken at 6 p.m. I need to work on composition, and also, I definitely need a Fresnel screen so that I can see the compositions. The acrylic composing screen that came with the Travelwide camera is just not cutting it.

More Lumen

I've been napping most of the day. I didn't sleep in the emergency room last night, so I felt extremely tired when I arrived home. Luckily there was very little traffic on the 91 freeway heading west. Ordinarily, at 5:30 a.m., it would be a crush, but the pandemic has left many people working at home or out of work. Traffic was light, although the cars that were out there were driving crazily. 

After a morning nap I ate, then went and took an afternoon nap. My pain is still not gone, but now, I feel it must be a muscle strain. I especially feel it when I climb out of bed. 

Well, this afternoon, I decided I wanted to play with Lumen prints again. I had a loaded film holder and framed a composition outside in the afternoon light. I thought it was photo paper but then, to my chagrin, found it was film. Initially I was a little irritate, but then I thought, I wanted to run that experiment too, to see if Lumen prints work with film. It didn't look promising, the film did not look as if it had an imprinted image. For something as sensitive as film, one would think it would. Here is how the original came out:

But, you can start to see some details. I should have scanned it again, but I didn't, I put it away and worked with this image. It took some processing, and on my Mac, I have only a rudimentary image processing software program. But I worked on it and obtained this:

So something is obtain, it does work, but is is not as successful as with photo paper. Why would that be? I thought it would be more sensitive, but once again, this is not chemical development, this is just blasting an emulsion with light for 30 minutes or more, with an aperture of f5.6. So at least something was obtained.

Once I had scanned it, I knew I had to repeat the same procedure with photo paper, so I did. I looked for my other holder that had the paper loaded, then went outside and didn't move the camera at all, just exposed another 30 minutes, same settings. I obtained these two, the original (milk of magnesia) and the inverted image.

These were better, but also, so, so grainy. I suspect the exposure was too low. The afternoon sunlight was declining, this is no longer blast-furnace sunny 16 light, this light is about one and a half to two stops lower in intensity than during the apex of the afternoon. But, I got this image. It is more even, which helps. The composition is not good, I know, but I am experimenting, and I had to work with the light that was fading. 

I still want to try an 8x10 Lumen Print some day. I doubt I will be able to afford a proper 8x10 camera anytime soon, although the Intrepid Mark II is my best bet. That would be about $600-$700 new, shipped from England. I would then need a lens, too. I'll think about it, I might go ahead and spring for it sooner than I know, although I have had my eye on a used Tachihara for a few months now.

Currently I have one last Lumen print exposing outside. It is 6:07 p.m., and I will give it until 6:15 p.m., then bring it in for a total exposure of about 40 minutes. Then, I want to take an afternoon walk. So, update soon.

Not where I wanted to be

 The best laid plans of mice and men (and Mexican-Americans). I was hoping to go out to Crystal Cove this morning for a photographic hiking excursion, but no, I spent last night at the hospital. I had chest pains on the left side, and they didn't do away. I felt it was imperative to go to the hospital, these pains have hit me before and usually what I would do is take low-dose aspirin and sit in a recliner at home and wait it out. This time, after what happened to my father last year, it didn't feel like the road I should take.

I got there at about 11:30 p.m. last night, and usually I would see a big crowd of people waiting outside the emergency room of the hospital, but I was the only one there arriving this time! I guess the virus is really keeping people away from the hospital. I was able to walk in, see the attendant, and go in through the door in less than two minutes. I was also given an electrocardiagram almost immediately. It was very fast, and the waiting room was empty!

I was then directed to a small room where I was told to put on a gown and wait. A catheter was placed in my left arm, and blood samples were taken. I was also hooked up to a monitoring machine, the one that shows your pulse and takes blood pressure readings every 30 minutes. I also had a chest X-ray done by a technician who came in with a tablet and did it while I was still lying down in the gourney. 

Results were okay, it seems, so we were not able to identify the source of my pain. It is Monday morning after noon, and I was finally able to sleep a few hours (I didn't while I was at the hospital). They wanted to admit me, but I said no. If we need additional tests, they will have to be on an out-patient basis. I already took very high risks just by going to the hospital. I was discharged this morning at 5:30 a.m.

So, no plans to go anywhere. I have to just continue and prepare for Zoom(ba), i.e., my Zoom classes. It will be another scorcher today again, and all this weekend. We are projected to reach the upper 90s (and even the lower 100s) later this week. This is what we deal with in southern California at this time of the year. I really dislike the heat.

I will now post a few more photos from my trip to the arboretum last Friday. I developed them yesterday before the pain hit my chest. 

The negative for the image above was very thin. Blame in part the fact that, once again, I was using the red filter. I like this high-contrast look, however. The desert displays at the arboretum are beautiful.

I don't know why I took this photo. In color, it is better, there are some ocher and pastel colors which make for a pleasing sight, but in black and white, it doesn't really work. Once again, I don't know what is happening with the glaze in back. I am beginning to suspect my film developing reel. I have developed hundreds of negatives with it, and maybe, there is a pattern that is imprinted in the back. It certainly looks like a ghost image. I will have to try with Arista, if it shows up there, then it is probably due to either the film reel or the age of the Ektapan film.

I would have liked to have taken images at Crystal Cove Park today but it was not to be, due to the circumstances described above. I am thankful, though, that I returned home. When I think back a year ago to what happened to my father, I still grieve. My father left for the hospital on June 19th to get a test performed, and he left the house for the last time. But we have to get over this.

One last thing. My brother-in-law is still waiting for his Covid test results, but he didn't have a fever last night. He insisted on going to work today. Isn't that way too risky, to suspect that you have the virus and maybe might contaminate others, but still report to work? But there is no way to make him understand. I didn't speak to him, but that is what I was told happened.

Dreaming of a Sunday in the backyard

 Well, today was supposed to be a day to go out, but I didn't feel like it. I know, I know, we have to live life to the fullest, YOLO (You only live once) and Carpe Diem and "Life is not a rehearsal" (a friend from my engineering days used to say that), but when it becomes work to do so, then of course we have to rethink our plans. Today felt like a day to stay at home, so I did.

I wanted to see my used Graflex 135mm lens in action. I bought it from Ebay about 3 weeks ago, and had not used it at all. The reason I did so was to replace the old and malfunctioning (it doesn't fire correctly at slow speeds) Raptar (or Optar) 135mm which came with my Busch Pressman 4x5 camera last year, which I had mounted on my Kraken camera. Speaking of "releasing the Kraken" (which I gather is a mythical giant squid able to sink ship in the ocean by enveloping them with its tentacles and dragging them down), that is another camera I have not used. That Kraken was an impulse buy that sits in the closet. Well, that was happening to my Busch Pressman with my 135mm lens too, and since I paid about $80 for the lens, I didn't want that to continue. It was time to try it out.

I loaded some film holders with 4x5 Ektapan film and went out and started photographing flowers in the back yard. Things seemed to be fine, I would open up the aperture as much as possible (f4.7) and focus very closely on a flower, then load the film and shoot at 1/200 shutter speed. The negatives were going to be a little overexposed, and I knew that, but didn't want to take the time to meter with my Nikon DSLR (which, speaking of Krakens, will drag me down since it weighs like an anchor). I wanted to see if the lens was functioning, even though I was having more trouble with my cable release and also, holding the film holders firmly to the back of the camera. (I am using a rubber band since they do not lock in, but when taking out the dark slides, I realize I might inadvertently pull the film holder back and allow light leaks. Not a good arrangement.)

Well, I shot four photos and there were, by and large, disastrous. Something was not functioning. I was at a loss to explain what it was. Only one negative was acceptable, which is this one. (It has been inverted with software.)

 I can't explain the glaze on the photo. I thought, could it be a double exposure? Or maybe, an imperfection in the expired film? Light reflections? Or maybe, problems with my film developing reel? I don't know. 

The other photos were like this one.

Something was definitely wrong. I feel it had to be a flare, when I saw this photo. I took a look at the camera as the negatives were drying, and checked if the shutter was opening correctly. It was, and the speeds seem to be fine. I then looked down on the lens, and saw it was not level with the lens board. There was a tiny screw underneath which make it hook hook out at a diagonal angle. Of course, of course, light can leak in that way, I imagine, the seal must not be adequate when mounted to the lens board. I unscrewed the little screw and remounted the lens to the lens board, and this time, it was level. I then installed it again and wanted to try it out, but not with negative film, no, I don't want to spend more time developing negatives (and possibly wasting my precious Ektapan film from 1994).  So, why not Lumen prints?

I took out some of my black and white photo paper and cut it into 4x5 size. I then loaded it into a film holder and went back to the back yard and focused on some items. My first target was the cactus (nopales). Why not? There was a breeze that was moving all the other plants, but the cactus is solid enough to sit still even in the breeze. So I focused with the glass (very hard), then opened to about 5.6 aperture, then left the shutter open for 30 minutes. Not seconds, minutes, for a Lumen print you need to expose for at least that amount of time to imprint an image on the photo emulsion. Here is what I obtained:

It worked! It worked! I love this print. Yes, it is grainy and too contrasty, but that happens with all paper negatives, although in this case, with a Lumen print, we do NOT process the paper in chemicals, Lumen prints are completely chemical-free and do not require a darkroom. We just take the paper out and put it into the scanner and scan, then invert the file to get an image. There was blur on top, but I know what happened. I could see that the cactus (mostly) did not move, but there is quite a breeze blowing on hot southern California afternoons, so it did sway the top. But the image is fine! I wish I could do this with 8x10, Lumen prints in that size would be impressive even though it is a hassle to wait for thirty minutes in blinding sunlight to get an image, but I do not have an 8x10 camera with a lens.

Here is my next target, more cacti.

Once again, the milky image is what is obtained after scanning the photo paper as it comes out from the film holder. The second, inverted image, is what is obtained after using software to invert. Maybe I should up the contrast.

So, I had to do two more. Next was the back yard. 

It always amazes me that we can obtain these prints WITH NO CHEMICALS! But they are grainy as heck, I know, and you need to wait for 30 minutes with the shutter held wide open. 

The final one was some flowers in a pot in the front patio.

I want to do this with an 8x10 camera. Right now, I don't have anything I can use, I have a pinhole camera with an fstop of 500, but that would never, ever work with a Lumen print. The amount of time necessary for an exposure would be at least 10 stops more, when basing it on a sunny 16 exposure. That would be 2 to the 10th power and multiplying that by 30 minutes. No, I don't have that time, but I was thinking. There are wooden pinhole boxes for 8x10 sold on Ebay. There is one with a focal length of 120mm. Why not buy a 120mm large format lens and mount it, or buy a wide 8x10 lens (the widest seems to be a Nikkor 150mm) and mount it with a helical in the front, or some spacers? That should give me focus at infinity, right? I think I can mount it, even with the minimal craftsman skills I have. I want to try it, then do both Lumen as well as film exposures. That will be something to investigate.

For now, Sunday is drawing to a close. It is 5:10 p.m., and I wanted to go out and try some 8x10 pinhole prints somewhere (in Riverside), but no, it is hot and I have no energy. I will think about future plans, and in the meantime, read. (Note: I edited this entry on Monday morning, Aug. 31st.)

That is it for today. I wanted to keep my mind off the fact that my brother-in-law has fallen sick with a fever and my sister is worried he might have caught the virus. He has been tested and will get results in the next few days. I am not happy about that, nor about the fact he came to talk to my mom a week ago. I have a cousin who passed away due to Covid last Friday, and it seems unreal. I am hoping for the best.

That is it. 

Friday at the Arboretum

 Well I was determined to go, and so I went. I woke up early on the final Friday of August, and didn't go walking but instead prepared myself for my trip. By 9 a.m. I was on the highway on my way to the city of Arcadia to visit the LA County Arboretum. I'm glad I went.

There was no traffic, which surprised me. I was under the impression that this was Labor Day weekend but after close inspection, no, it wasn't this weekend, it is the first full weekend of September. Still, there is usually more traffic on Fridays, that has been my experience, but these are not normal times. It was light as I drove on the 210 freeway and looked for my exit. This is a familiar drive for me because this is the route I take to go see the annual Arcadia Band Review in November, and the arboretum is even located on the same street, Baldwin Avenue, but I had never passed by this entrance. I did today, and arrived without any contre-temps.

First thing to say is that it is huge. I walked in and after having my bar code on my ticket scanned, had to decide which way, left or to the right. I saw that they had beautiful desert plants to the right, plus there was a peacock on the lawn, so I went to the right. I am glad I did, the other way would have taken me to a lake and some buildings but, also, a dreary walk on a road lined with trees that were not picturesque and only seemed like a garage roadway. 

I went to the desert plants, and they were very artfully arranged. It was wonderful to walk there, and I went with the intention of taking plenty of 4x5 photos. I didn't want to start shooting them yet, because I heard that at the other end there was supposed to be a waterfall and I wanted to save my frames in case I saw something truly beautiful. (That attraction was a letdown.) So, instead I used my cellphone and my Fuji GW 690 with black and white film. I can return, I told myself, if I have film left after what I imagined would be the star attraction of the place (the waterfall). People by and large were respectful, but I made sure I kept my distance wherever I could. Susana Distancia, not the name of a female novela star but a guideline for how to act during an epidemic. Life in the time of Covid, I guarantee that if and when this is over, people will romanticize this period of our lives.

The arboretum is very well maintained, and I saw personnel tending to the plants everywhere. They weren't always wearing facemasks, but they stayed out of the way and if I had to cross their path, I did so quickly. There was a lot of sprinklers too, and they interfered with many of my photos. I had to dodge the water or else wait until the spray was in another direction so it wouldn't be too obvious in my photos. It was getting hotter and hotter, but it was still bearable. We are averaging temperatures in the mid to upper 90s these days.

Walking, walking, walking, and stoping to take photos here and there, mostly with my cellphone. I can take 8 photos on my Fuji GW690, but it took me a while to take them. I was not even using my 4x5 camera. Mostly it was cellphone photos. 

There was an area about mid way through the circular route, with small lakes and plant displays. There was one lake in particular where when you stand next to the edge and the turtles come swimming up to you, expecting to be fed. I tried to find good vantage points for a lakeside photo but there just weren't any. It is not a particularly beautiful lake, the trees are nondistinct, just a jumble of vegetation, and the lake water is green. I was sorry to disappoint the turtles, because I could offer them nothing although they gathered at water's edge just below where I was standing. I had a granola bar but thought I should not crumble it up and feed them because it might be poison for them.

And how was the waterfall? I followed the signs and found it (I think). It was a very, very modest attraction such as you might find in a landscaped garden in a back yard. Yes, it was quite obviously a man-made construction, not natural, and water was flowing only in the top rungs, the water did not fall down to the tiny pool at the bottom. It was a trinkle, not a roar, but maybe they were conserving water, so it was the ecological thing to do. I didn't even bother to take a photo with the 4x5, but climbed up the stairs (good exercise!) and stood on the little hill on the top, looking out at the San Gabriel mountains. I tried for a photo there but was not successful. It felt time to go.  

I walked and walked, and it was getting hot. I was there for 3 hours, arriving at 9:45 a.m. and leaving 12:45 p.m. I was bushed at the end and my shirt had very noticeable salt stains from sweat. A little embarrassing it was, but a good (and dehydrating) workout.

I did end up using all the frames of 4x5 black and white film, 8 frames of black and white and 6 of color Velvia film, but mostly, at the desert display, where I returned after having made the circuit.  I hope I captured the color. I left discreetly at the end to go to Pomona and buy lunch at Albertos.

After returning home and taking a nap, I developed some of the black and white negatives. Here are the frames, in no particular order. Note to self, next time you photograph closeups of garden displays in black and white, do NOT use the red filter. They are way, way too contrasty, and I do not like that garish contrast.

Garden display. Love the shape of the plants, and the contrast.

Not sure which display this was, but there was a problem with development of this negative. I think the back layer of the film did not wash away completely. I wonder if this is a result of an error in exposure (the back layer, or halogen layer I think they call it, is present in my 400 ISO negatives from last year, and I think has to do with underexposure), or with a faulty loading reel (maybe it is having problems since I have developed so many negatives by now), or maybe, just a result of old film (these frames are all Ektapan film which expired in 1994). 

One of the structures on the other side of the displays, closer to where the waterfall is located. There is a big lake nearby but it was not very photogenic. It looked like Fairmont lake in Riverside, to be frank, and that lake is not very beautiful.

The sprinklers were a real nuisance. I managed to grab an exposure as the spray was off to one side. Note to self once again, do not use red filter when sky is not an important part of the background.

My favorite frame so far. Bad idea to use the red filter. My negatives are all somewhat thin, despite the fact I was using 1/30th shutter speed (to compensate for the red filter). The Kodak Ektapan film is a real performer. 

Another display in the desert area, I think. Love the textures of the leaves. Remember, these are 4x5 frames, and I can't scan the entire area in my Epson V600 scanner, I can only scan a portion, so these are not the complete compositions. 

Well, I'll try to see if I can photograph something tomorrow. There is supposed to be a model event in Fullerton. I need more exposed negatives so I can fill up my negative reel so that I can process. I have two more frames from the Arboretum. The 4x5 color slides will have to wait until I can take them to get them processed at the lab in Irvine.

Photography is keeping me sane from the difficulties of these past two years. I still think of my dad every day, but it is getting easier. Now, I think more of my brother, and I wish things were not the way they are between us. 

Light leaks at the garden

In these days of excessive and oppressive heat, where light abound everywhere, I had a chance to go to the UCR Botanic Gardens last week. I took some 8x10 pinhole photos with Arista film, and have been wanting to develop them but have not been able to do so. Exhaustion creeps in and takes over. I have developed plenty of 4x5 negatives, but really, all the effort involved to develop a black and white negative for one image seems like too much.

Yesterday, after I had returned from my trip to the Norco Power House, I went ahead and developed a frame. These were taken in very bright conditions, and I chose scenes that were very well lighted. I exposed for 30 seconds, and I had two holders with me, the original holder sent to me by the person who sold me the 8x10 pinhole camera, and a wooden one I bought "on the cheap" from Youtube two weeks ago. Well, it turns out the wooden one is a dud, it has a massive light leak, at least on one side, and I saw that when I was at the garden that day. 

I remember this scene. It is a rose garden, and there are benches. I wanted a photo with roses and the bench, and there were no good compositions, so I forced it. I came up with something. I remember that when I wanted to return the slide back into the holder, I couldn't. It was sticking on something, and a felt lining was peaking out of the slot. I had to somehow force it in. Well, now I know, that was a massive light leak that was provoked. I don't know if there is a fix, but I don't think I will use that side again.

Here is the original negative:

 And here is the inverted image which, once again, since I don't have Photoshop nor Lightroom on this Mac computer, means I am inverting crudely with a simple program.

That massive light leak makes me want to hurl the wooden film holder into the trash, but maybe, just maybe, the other side is okay. I will see when I develop a composition with a rock in the forest.

Also, it makes me want to go out and purchase a much better film holder. The top-of-the-line holders are Toyos, which are still being made, but you have to be Midas to be able to afford one. They cost about $300. On Ebay there is a used one currently for about $150, shipping included. It is listed as in EX condition. I might have to buy it, especially since it comes from KEH and they are a camera reselling outfit out of Georgia with a long history and a good reputation. 

I have a class at 1 p.m. to teach, so maybe after I am done, I'll do something. I was going to try a new hike today but I didn't sleep well and I feel extremely groggy. In fact, the only thing I want to do is go back to sleep. 

It is 10:39 a.m.

In Da House

 So, I made it. It was frustrating as heck, but I made it to the Norco Power House. I had some time this morning, so I was determined to go.

This location is pretty nearby, and it should have taken 15 minutes, but when you are new to a location, of course there are problems. The online map is confusing, it shows a street where there is no street, next to the nursery. It was frustrating, and I didn't know where to pull in. I pulled out my cellphone and was using a direction finder, with a female electronic voice giving me the GPS instructions, but I just could not find it. I even went down the gravelly road next to the nursery, and one of the Hispanic workers clued me in to the directions. He told me the house was just on the other side, but I could not be on the road where I was. I needed to leave and go to the next street over, but I had been on that street, and from what I could see, there was no access to the other side of the hill. It was a neighborhood that I imaged was a maga holdout, with Trump supporters who I feared would rush out and stone me if I parked on their street. But after circling over and over and over, and not giving up when I wanted to, I found the horse trail where I could walk and access the location. It took me a damn hour.

Well, I walked, and it was not 0.8 miles, it was less. Maybe 0.8 miles round trip, but not one way. I made it and found a beautiful little place. The vista, if you subtract the overhead power lines, was beautiful. 

I was taking my Travelwide camera and my Holga. I used the Travelwide, not the other one. 

Here are the black and white frames I took: 

Inside the Power House. It was colorful, and I did take some slide photos with Fuji Velvia 100, but I doubt they will be acceptable. I exposed at f16 at 1 second, pure guessing on my part, and after seeing the f16 at 1 second photos I took in black and white (another 100 ISO film), they were very thick (i.e. overexposed). So, I am sure my slides will not be good, but I still want to see them. 

I couldn't resist this shot. It almost looks infrared to me. I was using my red filter. Still, it should not have this effect.

This was my parting shot. I had to walk down a little, but it is steep. I cold not risk it any more than I had. It was scary, and I was trying to prop myself with my tripod that I opened up and tried to use as a walking stick. No such luck, it gave me no support. 

This, this, this is the shot I loved! My favorite. I took it in slide film as well. I think it will work outdoors, because outdoors I was using sunny sixteen, and I know that rule works. It was hot and very bright outside.

An interior shot at 1 second in black and white. It came out, but of course, black and white has more exposure latitude.

I took this in slide film as well. Can't wait to see it. I had to lift the shadows in black and white, so my original slide is more contrasty. 

That was my morning in Norco. Mission accomplished, but at what cost. But the thing is, life is short, I know and feel that wisdom now, and we can blink out of existence at any moment. We have to do these things, we have to. I liked these photos, and still have four more, my slide photos, to have developed.

Tomorrow, I have a little time before I have to lecture. I might try hiking in a new spot in the morning, maybe in a spot just outside of the city of Corona. I will of course take my camera, I have already loaded my holders with film once again after removing the exposed film.

With regards to other matters, today's class went well. Now if only I can keep it up for 14 more weeks. 

Good night. It is 10:07 p.m. I just developed an Arista sheet of 8x10 black and white, taken at the UCR botanic garden last Friday. Pure disaster, almost half the frame is ruined by a light leak. I suspect the cheap holder I bought for $25 two weeks ago. I need to invest in better equipment.

Good night. Redux.

The court house

 Funny I should have an image of a court house to share today, my mom had a sad encounter with my brother just a few hours ago. He is stalking her and it is not getting any easier for her. He needs help.

Well, after that happened, I needed to do something to occupy my mind. I decided to develop another 8x10 negative. I went ahead and loaded one from an envelope where I keep a few of them stored, hoping I would have an Arista negative, but when I put in the pre-bath and cleared the water, the same pinkish water came out, indicating once again that it was the Catlabs film. Damn. I had wanted to see how my Arista exposures came out, but it was not to be. I have now labeled that envelope with "Catlabs", to remind me to avoid it tomorrow when I develop another sheet.

This one turned out to be a scene I photographed a few weeks ago when I went to downtown Riverside. It is the county courthouse, were we are called to perform our jury duty. I have not been called in several years, but who knows, now that I had to renovate my license, Covid or not, I might be. However, something makes me think that jury duty as we know it will not take place during the pandemic. 

I used a much more sturdy tripod, my Slik tripod, and counted off exposures for two minutes. The scenes I picked were very bright. The negative that came up today was much better, brighter and with more detail. Here is the scan:

As we can see, it is acceptable. Now I know, exposure of two minutes in very bright sunlight will work for Catlabs film. Here is the image when I inverted (crudely) with my program at home.

Yes, I know, I can't really distinguish too much detail in the highlight areas. I think that is a function of the quality of the scan which is also, admitedly, crude. I don't have a dedicated scanner for 8x10 negative, I just use the bed of the scanner.

This is more promising, however. I can't wait to see what I obtain with Arista film. I will try tomorrow. 

That's it. Good night.

 

Long days

 Another Monday, it isn't over yet, but it was long. These days, it is difficult to plan on doing anything outside the house. It is 16 hours of unbearable heat outside, then 8 hours of smothering heat at night. The good thing at least is that we can stay inside if we have to, which, we do.

Went out and walked, had been planning on a trip to photography something, but no, not today. I did an hour of yard work too. Then, looked at lawn mowers. I know which one we will order, but for now, I am making one last try with the one we have. I put in some engine oil, it needed it, but I think I might have put in too much. Didn't try to use it, it is far too hot outside, but maybe by 7 p.m. (I am writing at 4:23 p.m.) it might be bearable.

Here is the scan of the negative taken with the Catlabs 80 film. I scanned it this morning after I woke up.

I can't explain the yellow cast (it does look yellow). Maybe I left it too long in the developer? I did try to leave it longer, 30 minutes, because I knew it was the Catlabs film and it gives me such thin negatives. I did slosh it around for the first few minutes, but then left it lying in the try in the bathroom for the next 30 minutes. I hear so much about "stand developing", which to my understanding, means to not agitate the film container when you are developing, but to prolong exposure in the chemicals for up to one hour. I don't know why they do that. Maybe because they want to bring down the highlights?

Still, it didn't work. I inverted the image crudely and I remember taking that photo. It is of the plants in the front of the house. I must have left it for a good 30 to 40 seconds. Not good.

It is totally inadequate. It makes me want to give up completely with the Catlabs film, but not throw it out, no, it was too expensive for that. It cost $100 for 25 sheets, so it is $4 per sheet. Other photographers swear it works, so it must be the camera or my developer. Same with the box of Arista 400 4x5 film I have, it gave me thin negatives too, so I suspect the chemicals. That film is $54 per box of 50 sheets. 

I received the Optar 135 lens today. The one problem I am noticing is that it has a marking for 1/400 for shutter speed, but I can't turn the ring to get that speed, it seems to stop at 1/200. But the slow speeds seem perfect. The other Optar I had had big problems at lower speeds, it would stay open. That one is the one I installed in the Kraken camera I received from the designer. I still have not used that 6x12 camera, but there is no hurry. I want to try out the new Optar I received today, but it is blazing hot outside. Maybe in the next few hours, when I try out the lawn mower too.

So much to do, but today was a break-from-school day. Nothing doing today. I have a perpetual headache from not sleeping well. The sleep apnea is really not doing me well. 

Maybe I'll have one more entry today, but probably not. Classes resume tomorrow.

I didn't step out at all today

 I'm not proud to write what I wrote, but it is the truth. I stayed in all day, even though I had been initially thinking of making a short photographic trip during the morning. I did get much work done, I am ready for my classes, but still, it doesn't feel good to write what I wrote. The heat was miserable, of course. I had to turn on the air conditioning at 9 a.m., it felt that stuffy inside.

I read, that was good, and I worked on class assignments. I am ready for this week. Now, if only I can go out again. I am getting cabin sick again.

When the late afternoon arrived, I decided to develop a few more negatives. I loaded my holder with six more sheets and began working. They are from my Angeles Crest trip a week ago. I love the scenes, and love the way the negatives turned out. That film (Arista 200), with the developer (Clayton F76) are working well for me. As long as I had some empty film holders, I loaded some more Ektopan film (the one from the box expired in October of 1994). I want to use it somewhere tomorrow. Hopefully I can use it for closeup work if and when my Graflex lens arrives. It was supposed to be here on Saturday, but the mail service is still experiencing massive delays.

Here are some scanned negatives from my mountain trip a week ago. 

Once again, I ask, if you saw billowing orange smoke rising in the near distance, would you take the risk and still proceed to hike in the area? What am I missing when I try to understand why a group of elderly Asian women did just that but I felt the urge to leave? Are they that careless and daring, or am I just too easily alarmed? I was so certain a fire would be coming my way and I would be putting my life at risk. This is at the Islip Saddle parking lot, the one that took me one hour and a half to reach.

Love these shots of the trees and the far distance. These scenes are so close to home? All you have to do is pull off on the road (Highway 2) as you climb up the mountains. I was using my Travelwide with a red filter. I think I was using f16 on all my shots, also, 1/30 shutter speed. If I used sunny sixteen, and factor in two stop extra exposure because of the red filter, that would be 1/200 -> 1/100 -> 1/50 shutter speed. I guess I was right on. I also looked for sunny spots.

The Mormon rocks monument in Phelan, CA. These rocks are very impressive. So is the heat, this is a frying pan.

More scenes of valleys. I had to lift the shadows with the program I am using. I love the vistas, I guess you can see quite wonderful sights from just the parking area.

More sights from the pullout spots along the highway. Love the trees and open valleys. These will be a sight to see in the spring, I won't risk coming up here in the winter, not with snow. 

What was I thinking? I saw this hillside and felt I had to take the photo. Now, I know it was not a successful composition. I should have included more sky, I think. The fact that it is cut off on top makes it problematic.

Well, I guess that is it. I am ready to turn in. I also developed a sheet of 8x10 from my pinhole camera, but it is very thin, once again. I think I know what the reason might be. I think it might have to do with reciprocity failure. For exposures lasting several seconds, there will be massive reciprocity adjustments necessary, and so, a 10 second exposure might have to be adjusted and increased three, four or fivefold. I will try to develop some of the sheets of Arista 200 8x10 tomorrow. Right now, I have a sheet of the Catlabs film drying. It is a scene with flowers. It is thinner than a slice of baloney. 

Tomorrow, I need to walk, then go see the lawnmowers. Maybe in the afternoon I might want to go to another botanic garden, or else to the Norco Power House. But right now, if the heat is here as expected, I won't be going anywhere except where I can go in the morning. The heat is miserable, and it will be more of the same until November. 

Good night. 

Go tell it to the mountain

 It is 9:45 a.m. as I write this entry and it is already very hot outside. So much for going out to walk or planning a trip, today is a day for hunkering down at home and surviving. I would have liked to drive out to the mountains, I am eyeing a few hiking trips to San Bernardino, but not this weekend. There will be crowds going out there trying to escape the heat, and I don't want to run into them.

I thought I would post a few more photos that I developed yesterday. These are 4x5 black and white images taken with my Travelwide camera. I have really come to rely on this camera, and if anything is getting me through this Covid crisis, besides the support of my family, it is this, 4x5 photography.

These are from the Angeles Crest highway trip I took earlier this week, on Monday, "mi birdei". 

I really like this shot above. It was taken with fresh, not my expired stash, fresh Arista 200 film. Now I think I know what they refer to when they talk about tonality. Look at all the range of greys, and also, look at the clarity and smoothness. This is what amazes me. The composition is okay, I realize that, but I am not looking for grandiose images. I also could have increased the exposure and lightened the image, but I don't want to. This makes it almost a grey, overcast day, when in reality, it was hot but with clouds.

Another one from my trip to the mountains. How have I never explored the Angeles Crest highway before? It is a mentality, unfortunately. Others want to go out and see the world, but when you grow up poor in an immigrant community, you grow up hunkering down and surviving. We do have a bleak view of the world. I have been trying to change. Once again, the tonality is beautiful. The image could have been flipped horizontally, I usually scan by putting the negative down on the emulsion side, which means, a flip is in order. I don't think I did that in this case. The clouds could have been more dramatic, if I were doing darkroom work, I would have been burning in the clouds. (I know, I know, that is done with software now.) I have to remember, the Ranch 2 fire was raging during my trip, so there was a thick cloud of smoke arising from the Azusa area. 

One more with the mountains. For this one, I am to blame, I didn't wait for the light to hit the trees, they were in shadow. The hills behind the forefront were lit up, but not the front area, and I had to lighten with software. It looks unsatisfying. However, it gives me an incentive to keep on improving. 

So these are more images from the mountains. I want to return but, like I said, I am not going to highly-trafficked areas on weekends. With 15 million people in the surrounding areas, all of them cabin sick the way I am with Covid quarantines, I know that people rush in droves to these areas during the weekend. I will not go there.

Today I should be receiving a Graflex Optar 135 lens, to replace the one I grafted onto my Kraken camera (which I have not used yet). I will wait for that lens and mount it on my Busch Pressman 4x5, and take a few photos that I hope to develop today. That will be my photographic trip. Maybe I might go to the Norco Power House, I saw a video a few days ago about this place, a structure covered with street art in a field. I might go today.

Went to the park

 I went to the park and all I have to show for it are these words. (Bit of humor)

It was going to be another scorcher today, just para of a week that will turn into a month then several months, all the way until December when the cold will suddenly step inside after waiting politely far, far away, in another hemisphere.

Today was a day to go out despite all the heat. I slept poorly again, waking up every hour and a half to two hours, and my head was hurting again, but I managed to get up and took stock of my options. It was stay at home all day, or walk around the block then stay at home, or else do something, so I did something. I got up and got ready to go to UCR.

I had a magical moment as I was arriving. I was on campus and was just turning into the small roadway that would lead to the parking lot when I saw what looked like a spotted orange cat. Then I looked closely and saw that it was far too large to be a cat, it was the size of a medium dog, and that was when it hit me. It was a mountain lion, a juvenile, wandering on the campus of UCR while in the bushes! It was scampering far too quickly for me to have time to grab a photo with my cellphone, and I didn't even try. I just thanked the creator for the chance to see it as it walked across the roadway and into some bushes where it quickly disappeared.

It was a very satisfying moment, and when I arrived at the parking lot for the botanical garden, I saw that the parking dispenser was not working, which meant, no sliding my card to buy parking. I was grateful for that as well. I walked in with what appeared to be an Asian woman and her teenage daughter. I was carrying my 8x10 pinhole camera, my tripod and a small backpack with my Fuji GW690. I thought it would be a lighter load, but I was wrong, it weighed on me, especially the tripod. The thing is, I can't use the pinhole camera without it, and the Fuji camera weighed me down as well, but I wanted to make sure I took some slide photos, something razor sharp to contrast with the soft pinhole camera images.

Walking around the cacti, there were beautiful plants. There were not very many people there, and yes, it was getting hotter and hotter. My shirt was getting drenched after the first 15 minutes, but I was determined. I started grabbing my pinhole shots, first a cacti, then some flowers in the garden, then flowers and a bench with mountains in the background, then another scene with a giant rock and trees. Those were my four 8x10 images. I took a whole roll (8 exposures) of photos with my Fuji too, of different plants. Hopefully they will turn out. I was using sunny 16 because, if ever there was a sunny day, it was today. I was drenched in sweat, and when I arrived home, I had to take a shower.

Today was also the day to take my Honda car for an oil change. I also had a timing belt replaced and some valves adjusted. It was service that should ordinarily be done after 100,000 miles, and I am oh so close, at over 98,000 miles. They told me my belt was torn too, so I went ahead and did it. I had accepted I would be getting repairs today. Total cost was $613. More on the card.

I also worked on some school material. I have one more lecture ready to go for Tuesday, and the other one well-commenced. I need to change that syllabus, to make it less dependent upon works from Spain, but I will get there. 

So, all in all, it was a busy day. I feel very tired. After picking up my car (at 6 p.m.), I also developed some 4x5 film and one 8x10 negative from the four big negatives I took today. The big negative is still thinner than I like, but better than I was getting before. I think the Arista 200 black and white film, in combination with my regular F76 developer, is working out better. 

Yesterday, no matter how I tried, I could not find much information on getting Lumen prints with film instead of photographic paper. I looked, and saw a brief post, but no example, and no info on the time needed. I will have to play with it, but I was so sure that with film I could get some kind of image in less time than with the 30 minutes I need on paper. I guess I will have to experiment. I will use the Arista 400 4x5 film which I don't use because it doesn't develop well in my chemicals.

I would have liked to have images ready to scan today, but they are hanging in the bathroom. So, nothing to share today, not even a stinking Lumen print (we don't need no stinkin' badges!). But tomorrow, tomorrow, I will have something. It is supposed to be extremely hot tomorrow as well. I'll photograph something in the back yard. What can I say, I can't go anywhere during the weekend because all the sites will be crowded. We have over 11,800 Covid casualties in California, and Texas is catching up fast with about 11,500. People are not playing it safe, and I don't want to go out there. I have already taken too many risks, talking to neighbors (Regino) who wear no masks, or going to the Honda dealership and seeing a Hispanic family walk in, totally oblivious, with no masks. 

Maybe I will walk tomorrow, maybe not. I still need to work on lectures for my classes. However, I think this whole "one Zoom class per week" thing will be more manageable. I hope so, because I was being suffocated before Covid. 

So, that is it. Will read now, then go to bed. It is 9:30 p.m. right now (or 9:28, but close enough). 

Good night. 

P.S. The film was dry so I went ahead and scanned it! Here are two images taken along the Angeles-Crest Highway on Aug. 17 with expired Arista 200 film from 2005. I had not realized I had it loaded in some of my holders, but now I am glad that I used it. 

Look at the grain and the fogging! These look so vintage, from the 19th century, and yet they were taken on August 17, 2020. That's it, I am placing another box of Arista 200 4x5 film in my car and letting it bake in the heat for the next few months. If I can get film to do this, then I want more of it! And after all, expired film on Ebay is, I am finding out, very expensive. I lucked out with the box of Ektopan, but that film (from the 90s!) turned out not to give me this effect, that film is pristine, very velvety smooth. I want more grain and fogging like in these photos! 

Will post a photo of the 8x10 pinhole image tomorrow. 

Back to the grind

 It was another very hot day in southern California. I was tempted to just stay in and Zoom for a few hours (I had several sessions scheduled in my department), but I couldn't bear that idea. Heat or no heat, I was going out, and I wanted to buy some black and white 8x10 film. So I went.

Was served quickly in Santa Fe Springs as the usual place, then went to Heritage Park where I loaded a few sheets of the film in the new holder I had bought and received a week ago. I then took two photos. I exposed both for 25 seconds, hoping to get a denser negative, since the Catlabs 80 film was not working for me.

Went home, zoomed for a few hours, then finished some Powerpoint presentations, then finally got a chance to develop one of the negatives, not two, one. (The Stearman Press tank is only good for one at a time.) I gave it about 9 minutes in the developer and, after fixing, with trepidation, opened the container and, lo and behold, there was a denser negative!

(I can't upload right now, the computer says I lost a connection. Tomorrow there will be four of us using the wifi network at the same time, I hope I can maintain a Zoom connection when I teach my two classes.)

(Uploaded on Aug. 20th, after taking a screen shot. Maybe the file was too big for me to upload.)

I went ahead and scanned on my flatbed Epson V600, in a primitive way, since I don't have a dedicated 8x10 scanner. I lay three sheets of paper on top, then set a heavy book over that, then do a scan at about 800 dpi. It goes by quickly, in about 1 minute, and I obtain something. Next, in a few months, I want to see about buying a lightbox so that I can scan my images with my DSLR. A $100 lightbox is a much better alternative than a $1,200 Epson V800 (or so, I forget the model numbers). 

I inverted in my clumsy software way (which means, I don't have Photoshop nor Lightroom on my Apple computer), and obtained something that was better than I was obtaining with Catlabs film. Much better, although the edges are soft. I know, I know, pinholes are not supposed to be very sharp, but why would the center be relatively sharp and the edges noticeably soft? I suspect issues with film flatness, I did not do a good job loading the film in the car this morning, but I was rushed, it was hot as heck outside, someone with their windows rolled down was playing loud music on their car and not wearing a face mask, and I was nervous. And just maybe, it was the film holder too, it might have imperfections. It gives off a strong chemical smell which makes me want to ditch it.

So, tomorrow I have two classes to teach. It is the beginning of a new journey, but this is why they pay me. I need to do a much better job than I did during spring semester. I think I will achieve that goal.

Afterwards, I want to plan on an outing for Friday. I want to take a few more 8x10 pinhole photos. I still have not used the 6x12 Kraken camera, but I will, I will. The lens is mounted and I think it should be sharp. 

Let's do better than we did before and in the immortal words of George Lopez, "Be happy, cabrón!". 

(Uploaded on Aug. 20th after taking a screen shot. I also mirrored the image so that it faces the way I saw it at the park. This just means I have to be careful about the side I use when I lay it on the flatbed. The first scan of the negative must not have been the emulsion side. I wonder if I did scan the correct emulsion scan if the negative would be sharper.)

Nothing to see, move on, move on

 It was another day of scorching temperatures. We knew it was going to be this way, even my seven year old niece can look up the weather on her cellphone and inform us of what to expect. That was why I cancelled any plans to go out. I was going to make a quick trip to Freestyle, but decided against it. When the body refuses, the mind has to obey.

I did go walking, however. It was a pleasant enough walk, although it still annoys me at how many people I encounter on the streets who are not wearing facemasks. I used to encounter no one on my walks before Covid, but now, maybe people are afraid of exposing their cars to the virus, even if they go out and expose themselves. Seriously, I am sure it is the stress. Many people who would be very busy are less so now, with less business, and people feel so much anxiety that they need to do something to relieve it. That goes for some of the people I see, because in the last few months, most of the people I see on the street are homeless people walking around or pushing carts or riding on bicycles. They never wear face masks.

So, I stayed at home and put some finishing touches on my syllabuses and on a lesson plan for next week's class. I also worked on some other matters related to school. In the afternoon, as the clouds moved in (but did nothing to stem the heat), I got fed up and decided to develop some sheets of 4x5 black and white film. It is a good exercise, I started at about 5:28 p.m. and finished about half an hour later. It was quick, and since these sheets were with my fresh Arista 4x5 film, there were thankfully no problems. The sheets were well exposed.

Here are a few more scenes from my trip along the Angeles Crest highway yesterday.

These rocks are just off the exchange from the 138 highway and the 2 freeway. They are named after the Mormons. As I said before, I thought it was very colonial to name topography after invaders, and wish we had native names, but the people in the area must have been cleansed a long time ago.

By the way, these were quick scans. Normally I place them in holder and do the preview, and I chose the option of applying Digital Ice to remove little imperfections, and it takes a long, long time to scan. This time I didn't, and scans came in at about 3 minutes each (as opposed to 10 to 15 minutes). I will do that from now on, unless, of course, I have dirty negatives, in which I can use all the help I can obtain from software.

Another scan of the Mormon rocks. I love the austere beauty, and the tonality. I think I am getting the hang of using Arista 200 film and the Clayton F76 developer. I developed for 8 minutes. After scanning I did some minimal editing with my minimal photo program.

Here are a few scenes from the valleys and hills as we drive up into the mountains. This hill reminded me of the cinematography of Gabriel Figeroa, the famed Mexican artist who collaborated with so many directors during the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. I loved this hill. It also reminds me of the old Wyndham Hill covers I used to see at the Tower Records in Westwood when I was an undergraduate at UCLA. I loved those lonesome and serene landscapes, and even the minimalist music from those artists, although it was a commercial package, still appeals to me. It reminds me of loneliness, of dreaming, of lying down and reflecting on the world. I was young back then, just having hit my 20s. Now, I am on the other side of the hill. I hate to crack about it, but I am "over the hill".

This scene tried to capture the billowing smoke from the Ranch 2 fire that ended up aborting my trip to Mt. Williamson. I was returning from the Mt. Islip parking area, and had parked at Inspiration Park and driven up into the hills. Another austere and lonely landscape. I spoke to almost no one during this trip yesterday, and that was what I wanted.

More scenes from the area around Inspiration point, but I didn't wait for the light. The trees on the hill were in shadow, and I should have waited  until the sun lit them up. I didn't, so the contrast range is too big. I know I should have evened it out, but I just wanted to take photos. 

The contrast range is better here, I waited for the sun to hit the trees on the hill. It is the same scene as before, but with light. Lux, I should not have been impatient. I this photo is better. If you continue along the dirt road, as I did, you hit a ski resort. Nothing to see up there, it was of course closed and there was nothing to see. I want wilderness, not sky lifts.

So that was it, I still have about another dozen negatives to develop from my trip. That will be for another day, for now, I just want to lie down and see photography videos. It is 9:52 as I write this, and I just finished scanning some photoday slides from long ago. One final thought that has been on my mind: it seems as if the choice of Kamala Harris to be Biden's running mate will bring no benefit to the ticket. I have read so much carping from people who are unhappy with her. The left is unhappy with her because she was a strong prosecutor, and meanwhile, blacks feel she is not "black" enough while Asians feel she is not "Asian" enough. She is strong, assertive, and extremely intelligent, but that might not be enough. You can't please the Democrats, it seems, and if they keep it up, they will go down in flames, I fear. Just like so many times before. 

Finally, I will try to go to Freestyle tomorrow. The air will still be boiling, but I want to pick up an order so that I have materials to work with when I plan a trip on Friday. I will be teaching two online classes on Thursday, and tomorrow, Wednesday, I have to attend a virtual department meeting. The slog begins to try to get to December. 

I'll conclude this entry and include a few scanned slide photos of the photodays in another one. Move on, move on, nothing to see here.