last night i had my first session in the co-op darkroom. i was there to mainly just “move in”, bring some of my materials and get to know the space a bit. here are my notes:

• when using the faucets with the hoses, i tend to lose track of where they’re going and get water everywhere
• there is enough glow-in-the-dark stuff in the room to get my bearings but seems dark enough to tray-develop film
• using my little dolly worked ok for bringing boxes over but i should probably try to limit my cargo to a backpack since i’m walking
• i should probably get a dip/dunk tank for souping 8×10
• i should bring some shop towels for myself (and in generally not get so wet)

overall i had a good time and look forward to using the facilities more. i ended up developing two sheets of 8×10 in trays (some night shots from golden gate park). i’m confident i will be producing a lot more work this year.

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately about photography. I would normally not write about such things because my thoughts are not organized enough for writing them down. Today I thought I’d at least put something out there. People who know me, know that i love photography and cameras, but I feel my blog needs to reflect this more.

In a way, I feel that I’m not producing enough images either. This is maybe two-thirds myself and my current situations and feelings. The other third is explained by the image above.

For the past several months I’ve been noting random folks on flickr who are using film and are local. I’ve been befriending them. There is definitely a local traditional photo scene here. But lately I discovered a cache of basically street shooters. One of them is a former art school student who happens to own a Speed Graphic. She offered to show some of her friends how to use it, and I took the opportunity to invite myself in (bringing my Crown Graphic, of course).

So I’ve met a bunch of them twice now. Most of them own small rangefinders, from Yashicas to Leicas. And reading more about street shooting has piqued my interest. It’s tough, when the tools in the area range from $20 to $4000. Where do you start? I think the sane answer is start cheap. Shooting street is so apopos right now, having just moved into one of the most colorful neighborhoods in San Francisco.

So I’m thinking about buying a cheap 35mm rangefinder. Most of my idle time over the past few weeks have been reading about them. It’s important for me to come up with a short list because the next big camera show is coming up! I’ll have some money burning a hole in my pocket since it’s been a while since I’ve gotten a new toy.

So we’ll see. Shopping list. More thoughts {even if undeveloped} onto my blog. More images. Hey look, a list of resolutions.

i’ve been home sick since wednesday. it was a bad stomach thing, possibly food poisoning. it reminds me of getting sick in mexico in 2003. this morning, i had some gatorade, took a shower, and got dressed. now i feel exhausted. ugh. i hate missing work, especially since i’ve been more sick than usual this year. but in my current state i don’t think i would be of much use. what’s a good way to rehabilitate one’s self after becoming weak/dehydrated?

well, no more hunched over a tub squinting at wet prints i pulled from a tray under the enlarger. i’ve joined a small darkroom co-operative that operates in my neighborhood. it was built pretty well and has all the necessary amenities, and it’s unbeleivably close (walking distance). quite a good “plan b” after deciding to not do darkroom work at home any more. can’t wait to get my hands wet. it’s actually got me a little worried, that i won’t have enough darkroom tasks to work on.. but i’m sure it will follow once i’m in the swing of things.

this is a ginko tree in golden gate park.

shot with a 1950s voigtlander heliar, film was 400NC.

make it ours, is what this painted utility box made me think of.

i took this on a photowalk in the mission district, my new favorite neighborhood. it’s so.. lived in. and colorful. and busy. and yet, the street i live on is pretty quiet. it’s great!

shot on fuji portra 400NC with a crown graphic, 1:4.7/135 xenar.

i think all the films i got back in this batch have some processing errors. the first couple scans i did, i noticed a haze in the lower right quarter. it’s more pronounced on this one than the others. not sure how to react yet to that. i’m just getting into color 4×5.