Tree pods, withered

John Power
Posts: 94
Joined: 26 May 2021, 10:18

Tree pods, withered

Postby John Power » 15 Aug 2021, 16:48

We're locked right down here, so the kitchen table is the place to be with my camera, again!

I think I missed focus here. Tech Pan is such a great film for me, endlessly sharp and reveals errors clearly.

Other than that, this came out just how I was hoping. The pods were picked up on a walk a couple of months ago and have been slowly aging on a window sill. In that time they've opened, wrinkled and shrunk a fair bit. They are full of character now and I thought a good black and white subject.

ImageWithered pods by J P, on Flickr

Walter Glover
Posts: 1270
Joined: 31 Jul 2012, 22:31
Location: Leichhardt, NSW

Re: Tree pods, withered

Postby Walter Glover » 16 Aug 2021, 13:46

Aaaah! Aa man after my own heart: there areno impediments, just incentives to explore new avenues. I adore still lifes and the potential they offer though they might prove daunting to pursue in the present circumstances.
Tech Pan! Never had the chance to use it much. back in the day, but a mate who was a techo at Kodak raved about it. And among my heroes of the original New Topographics showw, Lewis Baltz, shot industrial landscapes that you'd swear were 10x8 but which were, in fact, 35mm Technical Pan.
What size is your Tech Pan and how old? Did you soup it in the special developer? In the event that LF. proves too much of a challenge in my new life I've been giving thought to trying the new ADOX CMS 20 II PRO & ADOTECH IV. If your curiosity is piqued have a look at the German boys on Analog Insights — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8IaCKwjgkI

Seed pods are a compelling fascination for me. I spent a fair chunk of my life photographing the nude, as did mid-20th Century icon Rruth Bernhard who maintained, "“The human body represents to me the same universal innocence, timelessness and purity of all seed pods, suggesting the mother as well as the child, the parental as well as the descendant, conceived according to nature's longings" in defense of the pursuit we were engaged in."

At the size and resolution allowed, and with my little screen I can't adequatele make an honest assessment of focus but, that aside, The picture is full of intrigue and nourishment to reflect on.
Walter Glover

"We see things not as they are. We see them as we are."
Emanuel Kant

John Power
Posts: 94
Joined: 26 May 2021, 10:18

Re: Tree pods, withered

Postby John Power » 17 Aug 2021, 22:24

Fantastic response, thanks Walter!
The tech pan I have is 4x5, a mate has a few more boxes that his dad gave him. They were in his possession for his work at the civil aviation safety authority, photographing (I think) parts and sites of failure when things went wrong.

I really, really love this film! But it's hard to find details for development. My first effort ended up with bromide drag, stand developing in hc110 for an hour with one gentle turn at 30mins, this time I did a "normal" agitation development in HC-110 1:79 for 5 mins, I think. I also did a shell that we collected from Bermagui a while back and it came out OK. I would absolutely love to get some specific developer for it! I only have one box of 20 sheets ans I must be down to 12 or so left, so time is running out. In focus or not, pixel peeping into oblivion, there is just no grain that I can see.

Cms 20, yes!! I am about done with my second 35mm roll and will develop in the adotech 4. It was the Germans in your link that got me interested :) I shot one roll in my om2 and the second roll is in my eos1n now. I thought it might be interesting to compare old and new glass with it, as I think they did in the video.
Last edited by John Power on 18 Aug 2021, 07:17, edited 1 time in total.

Walter Glover
Posts: 1270
Joined: 31 Jul 2012, 22:31
Location: Leichhardt, NSW

Re: Tree pods, withered

Postby Walter Glover » 17 Aug 2021, 23:08

John,
I’ve got a mate, who’s now in Perth, who used to be professional product manager at Kodak and he’s a great fan of Tech Pan. We speak almost daily and I’ll ask him if he knows anything about accessing Tech Pan developer. He might even know how to make it.
Keep fighting the good fight.

Cheers,
Walter Glover

"We see things not as they are. We see them as we are."
Emanuel Kant


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