New Print

Funny how a new print makes it into the world. A couple of years ago I was doing my pilgrimage to the Bronx and figured I'd take in the 2nd most popular tourist attraction: Bronx Botanical Gardens even though flowers don't move me in the least.

My uncle Joe spent year after year at these gardens - returning with millions of flower slides which he'd then project for us in long boring sessions filled with Latin names. You know, sometimes photographers get caught up with one subject and just beat it to death. (Sorry Joe).

I've done it myself with benches. Can't pass a bench without wanting to take its' picture. I don't know why. Benches, trees, things made out of wood. Poor benches, out there in the elements all day. Splintering. Weathering. Getting darker with age. Gleaming when soaked. I'll have to get that part of my psyche analyzed someday.

So there I am in the botanical gardens - just as bored as if I were at Uncle Joes - and it starts to rain and I wander around with tripod and G2 - and find this wooden railing. So now I like this. I carefully setup the shot so that there's this trail leading off into the mist, and you are right above the railing (difficult tripod shot was it).

The Botanical Garden Trail picture is found on the site (somehow) by a design firm in Utah. Big hunt for the neg. And I mean big hunt. Took me longer to find that negative than to take or process same.

Then I don't hear from them for something like 4 months. Turns out that they would like it after all. So I finally print it and - the thing springs to life again.

You can see it here, but I don't think it would be interesting to you based on the web shot. But the print - it has that feeling of being etched in the paper - if you know what I mean. It must have been the 21mm lens which was really good with that G2.

Without the push from the folks in Utah (I bet they know their wooden railings out there) - the neg. would have just gone the way of all negs. - whatever that is.

Weborial: Developing Film

Okay - one more. Feel free to let me know if I've made any major blunders or if you want more info. Oh, that's right. Faster film. Didn't do that. I will.

Developing B&W Film