Film and Darkroom User

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-   -   Darron Hartas says 'hello' (http://www.film-and-darkroom-user.org.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=2283)

dhartas 13th March 2010 02:56 PM

Darron Hartas says 'hello'
 
I've been in the professional photographic industry all my working life, having started as a trainee photojournalist on a daily provincial newspaper in Yorkshire back in 1979. My current film camera: the trusty Nikon FM2.

Back then we used Koni Omega 6x7 cameras with Ilford HP5 film. Each photographer was expected to do around 6 jobs a day, so time was always short! It was very much a DIY operation; quick neg dev (HC110) and fix, as little wash time as we could get away with, then into the film drying cabinet.

I remember the condenser enlargers gave exceptionally sharp results on the Ilford glossy paper from the medium format negs and we didn't mess about with test strips... just full sheets of paper... yes there was a lot of waste sometimes! Much dodging and burning went on with most shots to help correct poor exposures in often difficult shooting conditions.

As I left the newspaper in 1984 they moved to 35mm exclusively and then colour neg some time later. I shared darkrooms with some fantastic photographers, including the great John Giles, now PA's top shooter. I still think he must have fixed it to be the only photographer on the final bend at York races when Lester Piggott fell in the early 80s.

After gaining my NCTJ pass, I left the paper and set up my own GP photo studio in York. We'd process and print our own black and white and print up 10x8 in colour on a Maxiprint machine (before they went bust).

I closed the studio after 15 years to concentrate on publishing, editing and marketing in the photo industry. I set up Photo Art magazine, published and edited Master Photographer magazine (for the MPA) and more recently was News Editor on BJP. Our company, WPS Media, actively helps Fujfilm Professional to market film in the UK and beyond. We set up and run www.choose-film.com and also www.fujilab.co.uk, which is home to the Fujifilm Pro Online Shop.

My goal: to help keep 'real film' photography going for as long as possible!

I'll be happy to try and answer questions on Fuji's films, especially in relation to availability, discontinuation, etc.

Dave miller 13th March 2010 03:11 PM

Welcome Darron, I'm sure your expertise will be in great demand here.

Barry 13th March 2010 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dhartas (Post 27099)
...

My goal: to help keep 'real film' photography going for as long as possible!
...

Welcome to fadu Darron. I'm sure everyone here is with you on this one!

dhartas 13th March 2010 03:27 PM

Thanks Dave and Barry. Always happy to help, if I can!

B&W Neil 13th March 2010 03:48 PM

Hi Darron and welcome to FADU. I enjoyed reading your introduction - you have had a wide and varied photographic life!

Neil.

Richard Gould 13th March 2010 03:48 PM

Welcome to Fadu,Darron, I am sure you will be a great asset to us all,and I think we all have the same ambition to keep film alive,Richard

Peter Hogan 13th March 2010 04:01 PM

Hi Darron, and welcome to FADU...:)

Bob 13th March 2010 06:51 PM

Welcome aboard Darron.

I hope you can get something out of being here as well as acting as a sounding board for others on the subject of Fuji ;).

Have fun, Bob.

Mike O'Pray 13th March 2010 07:05 PM

Hi Darron and welcome. Nice to see someone with an insider's knowledge of a major film manufacturer. We have actually corresponded recently in respect of the rumoured demise( or otherwise?) of Fuji Neopan 120.

This isn't the right thread but you can help us if you care to make a contribution to the Fuji thread.


Don't worry we're a very pleasant bunch :D:

Mike

Neil Smith 13th March 2010 08:59 PM

Hi and welcome to FADU

Neil


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