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October 2, 2010
As mentioned in an earlier post earlier post I started shooting 8x10 black and white film last week when I was down in Victor Harbor. The image below was the kind of subject I had in mind to begin with: rocks don't move; I'm protected from the wind and it is easy to work there once I've transported the camera to the location:
Gary Sauer-Thompson, orange rock ledge, Petrel Cove, 2010
It's a question of re-learning to see in b&w again.
When I returned to Adelaide during the week I decided to check out which pro-lab would be able to process the b+w negatives. To my horror Atkins Technicolour informed me that they didn't, and that nobody else in Adelaide did either. There was maybe someone in Sydney they added, but they weren't sure. They would have to check. They could process 8x10 colour film though. Now they tell me.
I had started with B+W cos it was cheaper than colour and I thought that I would be more willing to accept mistakes on re- learning this style of large format photography, even if it did mean re-learning to see in black and white.The whole 8x10 thing was to do it as cheaply as possible.
Now I have to find a pro-lab in Australia that would have the facilities and skills to process 8x10 black and white film. I should have just started with colour and imported some film from the US
Update
Transporting the Cambo 8x10 is a two person operation. Suzanne carries the tripod legs and head over each shoulder whilst I carry the camera in one hand and the dark slides in an old computer bag slung over my shoulder. We move slowly along the clifftop path, and gingerly make our way down the cliffs to the beach. Once down there things are okay using the camera. It's the transportation that is the issue. That and processing the film.
Update 2
I've found someone who can process 8x10 b+w film. It is done by Chris Reid at Blanco Negro in Sydney, the last dedicated professional black & white darkroom in Australia. Blanco Negro is a small custom lab who process black & white film and do high quality printing using the finest products. Chris is an expert B&W printer and chemical guru and prints all things for pro and amateur photographers, exhibitions and galleries.
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