I have one more thing to do for my Black & White Photography I course and I'll be officially complete with the Spring 2010 term. Summer school, if my class makes, here I come in 30 days.
I have my final critique (crit for short for you artsy people in the know) today at 3 p.m. It's not just mine but the whole class will be presenting their final prints, no more than 10 and no more than 30. I originally was thinking I might do a number somewhere in the middle, around 14-18, but after procrastinating and paying another $30 for a new packet of photo print paper I decided to go with the minimum. I ended up doing 11 but a couple are prints that I already had done previously.
We just didn't have to have prints this time, though. We had to purchase museum (rag) board for our "presentation." We could have 2-ply or 4-ply or higher if we wanted but the cost increases by the ply and the size. I ended up getting the 2-ply 8x10 and then some. It was something like $10 for a 25-pk but you get a little discount if you by more quantities. When I ordered the supplies, he hadn't shared yet on what color he recommended. I wanted to make sure I had the board because of my procrastination. I ordered two 25-packs of white, antique white, and black. I figured whichever color he didn't prefer I would just use for my own personal photos if I wanted to mount them or whatever. My total cost was something like $50 so it's not like I was out a lot of money and I have plans to use what I have left...for something, anything.
I went into the lab Saturday morning to develop my B&W roll of film. I kinked it near the end so a couple of my frames were damaged but luckily they weren't good pictures to begin with. I recommend using a roll of 16 or 24 exposures. Trying to put a roll of 36 exposures onto the reel that goes into the developer tank was easy to begin with but it started getting tricky near the end. I'm not sure if it's because the reel isn't really built for that long of a film roll or what because you have to get it on the reel in pitch dark. So, I can't see what the issue is until I'm done developing it but by that time I forget about checking because it takes about 30 minutes to develop the film. After developing, I put it in the drying closet - a closet to let film sort of drip dry but no actual "drying" done. The professor recommends a drying period of one hour although it probably doesn't actually take that long. I decided it was too nice of a day to spend in the lab so I left intending to return later that evening or the next morning.
Returning Saturday night didn't happen. Sunday morning didn't happen either.
Sunday afternoon I finally get to the lab to make some prints. I took the kids and their cousin with me to get them out of the house. They also helped develop some of the prints after I used the enlarger. They definitely helped speed up the process. I could keep making prints while they were running them through the developer, stop bath, fixer and then the wash. They like seeing the "magic" happen too.
Anyway, 17 prints later (some were dupes of me trying to get the exposure time right for some of the prints) and I was ready to leave for home after about 2 1/2 hours. I missed my roller hockey game. It was at 6 p.m. but I didn't get home from printing until about 5:30 p.m. Not enough time to get home, get ready for hockey and then get there by 6 p.m.
So, I'll be on my way to class in about an hour to leave my prints for my final grade. I think they look pretty good. They good use a little more tweaking here and there but the paper isn't cheap nor is my time. Maybe I'll digitally capture a few and post them for all to view.
I have my final critique (crit for short for you artsy people in the know) today at 3 p.m. It's not just mine but the whole class will be presenting their final prints, no more than 10 and no more than 30. I originally was thinking I might do a number somewhere in the middle, around 14-18, but after procrastinating and paying another $30 for a new packet of photo print paper I decided to go with the minimum. I ended up doing 11 but a couple are prints that I already had done previously.
We just didn't have to have prints this time, though. We had to purchase museum (rag) board for our "presentation." We could have 2-ply or 4-ply or higher if we wanted but the cost increases by the ply and the size. I ended up getting the 2-ply 8x10 and then some. It was something like $10 for a 25-pk but you get a little discount if you by more quantities. When I ordered the supplies, he hadn't shared yet on what color he recommended. I wanted to make sure I had the board because of my procrastination. I ordered two 25-packs of white, antique white, and black. I figured whichever color he didn't prefer I would just use for my own personal photos if I wanted to mount them or whatever. My total cost was something like $50 so it's not like I was out a lot of money and I have plans to use what I have left...for something, anything.
I went into the lab Saturday morning to develop my B&W roll of film. I kinked it near the end so a couple of my frames were damaged but luckily they weren't good pictures to begin with. I recommend using a roll of 16 or 24 exposures. Trying to put a roll of 36 exposures onto the reel that goes into the developer tank was easy to begin with but it started getting tricky near the end. I'm not sure if it's because the reel isn't really built for that long of a film roll or what because you have to get it on the reel in pitch dark. So, I can't see what the issue is until I'm done developing it but by that time I forget about checking because it takes about 30 minutes to develop the film. After developing, I put it in the drying closet - a closet to let film sort of drip dry but no actual "drying" done. The professor recommends a drying period of one hour although it probably doesn't actually take that long. I decided it was too nice of a day to spend in the lab so I left intending to return later that evening or the next morning.
Returning Saturday night didn't happen. Sunday morning didn't happen either.
Sunday afternoon I finally get to the lab to make some prints. I took the kids and their cousin with me to get them out of the house. They also helped develop some of the prints after I used the enlarger. They definitely helped speed up the process. I could keep making prints while they were running them through the developer, stop bath, fixer and then the wash. They like seeing the "magic" happen too.
Anyway, 17 prints later (some were dupes of me trying to get the exposure time right for some of the prints) and I was ready to leave for home after about 2 1/2 hours. I missed my roller hockey game. It was at 6 p.m. but I didn't get home from printing until about 5:30 p.m. Not enough time to get home, get ready for hockey and then get there by 6 p.m.
So, I'll be on my way to class in about an hour to leave my prints for my final grade. I think they look pretty good. They good use a little more tweaking here and there but the paper isn't cheap nor is my time. Maybe I'll digitally capture a few and post them for all to view.
