D-76

[mdboatbum]

After 15 years of shooting digital I decided it would be fun to shoot some film again. Shot some Tmax 100 last summer at the Screwpile Regatta in Solomon's, Md and finally got around to developing it last night. What a flashback it was!! Fumbling around in the dark to get the film threaded on the reel, the smell of the chemicals, the rapt attention paid to the timer to get the agitation right. All the while the mixed sensation of anticipation and dread waiting to see if there were images or just a blank strip of film. I'm happy to report there are in fact images on the film!! Ended up doing 2 rolls and both look like nice contrasty images. Won't know for sure until I get them scanned, but from the look of the negs I'm pretty confident.
I'll never forget the first time I developed and printed photos. I was 8, visiting a cousin who had a darkroom. Watching that image magically appear as the paper soaked in the developer was the coolest thing I'd ever seen!! I kinda pity people born in the digital age as they'll likely never experience that.

 

[dirtsailor2003]

Ya know what they say,

No Pics it didn't happen!!! :)

I dug out my trusty old AE-1 the other day and dusted it off. Put it back in the closet...

 

[mdboatbum]

Haha!! Well the pics will have to wait til I figure out how to scan the negatives. Got rid of my enlarger years ago. As for the ae1, get it back out! I dug my a1 out today and almost loaded it up, but decided on the late '40's Retina 2a instead. Something about that old rangeguesser is just fun. Took it with me running some errands and used the light meter app on the iPhone to take a few shots. Shot the regatta pics with the m3. That one is just beyond awesome. Humbled as hell when it was handed over to me. My mother in law handed it to me with a roll of film and asked me if I could figure out how to load "this old camera". I loaded it for her and as I handed it back to her I asked if she knew it was the finest camera ever made. She laughed and said "well then you'll enjoy it I guess" and handed it back to me. It had been her late husband's, and she told me I was the only one she could think of who'd appreciate it. I feel somewhat unworthy of it, but even my hamfisted attempts yield some pretty incredible images. The legend of the "Leica glow" is more truth than fiction.

 

[dirtsailor2003]

I should. It's been years since I did any developing. Don't have any of the equipment anymore.


Smoke away!!!

 

[padronman]

My first REAL camera was an AE-1  got it for HS graduation in 82 and still have it as well.   My dad, brother and I used to do all our own developing.  We had a dark room built in one corner of the 3 car garage.  Man I know what you mean by the chemical smell......I can smell it now in memories.

Scott

 

[lemans]

You know I thought I was in the wrong site when I saw your post.. What does D76 have to do with smoking I thought? It's probally a old type of smoker or a technique for ribs like
3-2-1 .
I had a good laugh , partly because I'm a professional wedding photographer and film and developing is in my blood..
Photography is my first love. But smoking is a close second

 

[oldschoolbbq]

Mine was a Brownie

. A B-day gift at 10y/o . I hated the darn thing , couldn't get the instant gratification my friend got with his Polaroid

Maw and Paw would see the cost of a Polaroid . They said money don't grow on trees , then Paw said it took 20 hair cuts for a Polaroid and the Brownie was 1.

They got a Super-8 for vacations , but was off limits to me... now all the film is ruined . I truly wish I had them converted before the film decayed.

Have fun and . . .

 

[gary s]

Cool, The first real camera I had was a Nikon F2 back in 1975 got it used at a camera shop in Waco. Had it till 1995 (was stolen out of my truck) replaced it with an Canon A-2.  Always figured that digital would never catch on with people who took photography seriously. Boy was I wrong, been shooting Digital since 2000, I get my old A-2 or Roliflex  out every once in a while then put them back up. It's a shame we had a couple of real good Photography shops here in Tyler, but there gone now.

Gary S