Toning.

First experiments.

Yesterday I fiddled with toning cyanotype. First experiments were fairly positive, with two, maybe three out of eight working out.

I used green tea.

Wet the print, then a bath in a tray with 2L water mixed with a spoonful of washing soda. The bleaching was quick and noticeable.

Then in a tray with green tea for about three minutes.

Then into a tray with water/H202 mix, really just a rinse.

Agitate at each step.

There was still a lot of blue showing, so I dunked and agitated it in the washing soda again and then back in the tea and it started to turn brown.

Last, a clear water rinse in the utility sink in our garage, then the print was hung to dry.

I tried a few different variations of the above, using prints from the past that didn’t make the cut. I have a whole folder of them. Success with cyanotype has not come easy.

The toning saved a few of those rejects.

Cool.

Party time.

It’s been a hell of a year.

The last photographic event/outing I participated in was the 2020 FP4+ Party, back around the first week of March, just before the lockdown.

That week I ventured out on my own, but ran into people, talked, and generally did what I always do when I go out shooting.

Since then I’ve stuck pretty close to home. My choice, for a number of reasons.

This year the FP4+ Party be my first event/outing. Fitting, really.

The 2021 Party schedule…

April 5th – 11th, shoot
April 12th – 18th, develop
April 19th – 25th, post

By the time April 5th rolls around, I’ll have had my second Pfizer jab. I’ll still observe CDC protocols, but I think it’ll be okay to get out shooting if I limit my interactions with people.

It’ll be fun to shoot and develop a handful of 120 rolls. It’s been a while, I’ll probably have to mix up a fresh batch of D76.

A little less than a month to go.

Side note: I’m gonna hafta miss the GTX Photo Fest this time around. Bad timing, as my second jab comes a few days after. 2022 for sure.

Colors 6.

Yellow.

Also, see > blue, orange, green, red, purple

Compilation time.

Old Chevys.

I was looking through the archive for a particular grainy, black and white shot I made of a ’57 Chevy at a Goodguys car show years ago. Searching “chevy” on my old Mac brought up a ton of results.

After initially selecting around 50 shots, I whittled it down to these 27 photos made using various film and digital cameras, taken at car shows I’ve attended over the last 15-16 years.

Hope everyone’s safe and warm.

Instax Wide 300.

New toy. Yay.

This freakin’ thing is HUGE at 4″ deep, nearly 5″ tall, and 7 1/2″ wide. It weighs in at 1.62 lbs.

The pix are good sized, with the actual image 2 7/16″ tall x 3 7/8″ wide. The whole integral film packet is is 3 3/8″ x 4 1/4″.

I came with a snap-on close-up filter, but ~16″ is as close as it’ll let you get.

I opened the box, attached the strap, plugged in the batteries, then I burned through a 10-pack of the wide film walking around the house, garage, and yards.

Fun camera. It’ll take a little getting use to the heft, and framing with the viewfinder, but it does take pretty cool shots.

Vic’s addiction, Dead roses, Buddha, Lieve’s addition.

Charlie Allen.

Fremont Drag Strip.

A barely recognizable night shot from back in the mid-to-late 60s. Converted from color to monochrome in Photoshop. Shot from up in the spectator stands on the west side of the track.

I’ve started posting my shots from Fremont Drag Strip on Instagram > @fremontdragstrip

I was around 15-16 years old when I took these pictures. I’ve shared them in a number of places on the web already, but not Instagram.

Colors 5.

Purple.

Also, see > blue, orange, green, red

Rose-colored.

If only for a minute.

Ricoh GR Digital II.

I am not above snapping pictures of my neighbors’ roses. There must be some variation of the 5-second rule about trespassing to get a shot, right?

Spoons.

Play. Play. Play.

Ricoh GR Digital II. And a half-dozen plastic picnic spoons.

Because, symmetry.

Uniform.

Locked up.

Canon PowerShot S3IS, downtown San Jose back around January 2007.

I’d just started working at San Jose State and lunchtime walks in the neighborhoods surrounding the campus were a nice break in the day.

I really can’t recall where this bike shop was, though…