Colour Negative Developer Update

Okay so I think I've cracked the highly concenrated and dilutable colour negative developer.

I'm getting the or rather a correct pH (~10.22 @ 17.4 celsius test temperature in initial tests) of a test solution of what is a 1+100 dilution, or rather a 1+1+100 dilution since the developer will come in 2 parts.

I'm moving to Melbourne on Wednesday afternoon next week so I hope to do some test runs of the developer that week.

"Meter for the shadows"

Backlighting can be very pretty, as long as you bring extra light to light the front or side of the subject etc.

Film users often to say meter for the shadows and expose for that, you can develop normally or develop for highlights after that depending on the case.

Well I'm not doing a little roundup test, with Shanghai GP3 and Kodak Ektacolor Pro 160 to start with.

Of backlit objects, normal incident reading/correct exposure in the key light (direct sun), and then also an incident reading of the shade of the backlit object, both of these exposures also made on a 30D for digital reference.

First I will see how the GP3 holds up in these situations in a Rodinal stand for 1 hour, if the highlights are too dense, then dilution will be increased or time decreased.

Then I will see how the Ektacolor Pro 160 holds up in regular C-41 development, then split bath development, and then also finally stand developing in Rodinal for an hour (and rehal developed back to a colour negative).

Looking for work

I'm currently looking for work, so I can fund more film and chemicals, and more cameras. Well, and of course rent and food.... but that's lower priority ;)

I had an offer from Owen from David Hawk English School, who posted me a contract and can sponsor me for a VISA for teaching English in Zhongshan, about 130km west of Shenzhen iirc.

I'm unsure whats best for me to do.

Whether I should take that, hold out for other offers, or try to find an offer from Japan, or simply pack up all my crap into storage and stay at a hostel in Sydney while looking for anything (such as night fill), though I'd be giving up shooting film mostly, and I'd probably need to get some kind of laptop which is more expense..


Blah.

Mamiya RB67 ProS Repair Manual and Parts Catalog

A kind internet user has emailed me both the parts catalog and repair manual/sevice instructions for the Mamiya RB67 ProS, I previously scoured the internet for these but could not find either.

So I am making them available here for all film users, enjoy.

Service Instructions for Mamiya RB67 ProS
https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=12CM_sA3yELlU4ek6n7e5QCF7yAZjnOOo4zicWgWWc0ewuMDfm-9P8zGGmjPV&hl=en&authkey=CIH7t-0M

Parts Catalog for Mamiya RB67 ProS
https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=1zH6tCMpny0AnZvulZzEkjiy1eHmDWBve0K70pH7CFWjvoLpem_sYmOaRTDw0&hl=en&authkey=CLaQ9eoC

Shoulder Mount Follow Focus Idea

After seeing the excellent work done here - http://athan.se/diy-shoulder-rig/

I (obviously) thought that inexpensive plastic gears with a gear ring would make it a litle more 'proper' (or even lego gears), but the major problem was still the twist of the wrist while holding a shoulder mounted camera, which is not ideal.

No matter which way your hands are position with bars that are more horizontal, or vertical, the concept has the same problem (though its a very excellent solution for a mobile camera and pulling your own focus).


It suddenly hit me - a trigger.

You could use a trigger (like a gun), instead of any twisting motion.

The trigger pulls a spring when you press it in, which draws a line/cord/etc hooked up to pulley or other device, that converts that motion into rotating motion so you can run a gear, which then you gear up to the lens.

So as you press the trigger in, the focus moves closer (or further away), and as you let go, the spring pulls it back in the opposite direction.




So simple!

I'll have to find time to start building all this shit.

Satay

Peanut Oil + Chilli Powder + Ground Corriander + Ground Cumin + Brown Sugar + Peanut Butter + Milk = Delicious.

Graduated | Bleach Live Action

So I graduated.

What to do now?


I'm toying with the idea of doing a live action Bleach fan film in the trailer format, I want to show what a anime/manga to film translation should be like, as I heard there is a Hollywood manga to film adaptation of Bleach on the table.

Also because, the music is so great, and it can be really strong at times, I wish Bleach was pushed up to a Seinen rating from the beginning rather than Shonen, it'd have so much more potential.

Anyway, whatever I do, I'd be staying true to the character and style of Bleach and not raping it, though some differences rather than a complete literal translation are always needed to be true to the feel of the original material, as they are not in the same context across media.

I'd definately however, be targetting mine as 'seinen' though, in the anime adaptation of the manga, there is a deeper, darker and sinnister feel that kind of comes through but not quite, I want to bring this feeling right out, along with all the good points of Bleach.