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  #1  
Old 27th February 2013, 09:39 PM
FrankToronto FrankToronto is offline
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Location: we share our time between Toronto (Ontario) and Gabriola Island (British Columbia) both in Canada
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Default Hello from snowy Toronto

Today we are having snow in Toronto so the title for my post is accurate. Found your site while browsing the web for more information about film and darkroom usage. Since my level of knowledge is somewhat limited at this point I think my posts in the short term will be more about asking questions than contributing responses.

I developed several rolls last week with decidedly mixed results….

Although I was introduced to photography during my teen years and got my first "real" camera in about 1967 (a Minolta SR1s, because I couldn't afford the SRT101) over the last 4 decades my photography consisted mainly of family snapshots. On my retirement I decided to get back into photography and pursue the hobby more seriously. Like many these days that involved a lot of digital shooting and processing in Photoshop.

I joined the Toronto Camera Club and started competing. This is an excellent club, with over 300 members, and is apparently the oldest continuously operating camera club in North American (founded in 1888). The club has a darkroom which you can use. Sadly few of the members still shoot film. Being a member of a camera club certainly helps develop your skills with regards to skills like improving your composition.

I had done some darkroom work in high school and wanted to revisit the magic of seeing images develop before your eyes, so now that I had access to a darkroom I started shooting film again. First it was with my old Minolta, which I still have. Then I purchased a used Canon Elan 7 (since I shoot digitally with a Canon DSLR). I realized I wanted bigger negatives to work with in the darkroom and purchased a used Bronica ETRS (645 format). Then took the next step to 4x5 with a used Chamonix 45N1. Like many I find that shooting film slows you down and helps you enjoy the overall process of photography more. Film is certainly more challenging, and a lot more fun than digital.

Several years ago my father passed on and I inherited his range finder Contax IIa (purchased in 1952). It has a beautiful Sonnar 50mm f1.5 on it and takes wonderful pictures (occasionally when I get it all right). I did need to get the camera CLA'd first. Not sure I have gotten the hang of rangefinder shooting yet.

Being retired I have the good fortune of spending time in two locations. Part of the time we are in Toronto and I use the darkroom at the camera club. Another part of the year, usually the summer months, we spend time in an idyllic part of British Columbia, on Gabriola Island, which is one of he Gulf Islands located between Vancouver and Vancouver Island. I am in the process of building a darkroom at our location there and hope to have it finished this summer. Up until now, when there, I have been using the approach of loading 4x5 film holders with a changing bag and processing that film in the kitchen using a daylight tank then bringing it back and printing in the darkroom here in Toronto. The camera club has a number of good enlargers, the Devere 504 being my favourite. For BC I was able to acquire an Omega D5XL with three lens turret for a very reasonable price.

I notice there are a few Toronto participants on this forum and maybe one day I will run into them here. I look forward to learning from you and hopefully in the future also contributing more.

Last edited by FrankToronto; 27th February 2013 at 09:43 PM.
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Old 28th February 2013, 11:14 AM
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MartyNL MartyNL is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FrankToronto View Post
Film is certainly more challenging, and a lot more fun than digital.
Couldn't agree more Frank!
Welcome to the forum, I'm sure you're going to find a lot of like minded individuals here and perhaps we'll be able to encourage you to take part in the monthly print exchanges?
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Old 28th February 2013, 11:33 AM
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mono mono is offline
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Welcome to FADU, Frank!
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Old 28th February 2013, 12:21 PM
FrankToronto FrankToronto is offline
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Thank you for the welcome Marty and mono. I think I would feel more comfortable joining the print exchange once I get my printing skills to a higher level, but getting there (and joining the exchange) is a goal I am striving for.
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Old 28th February 2013, 12:46 PM
CornishPaul CornishPaul is offline
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Welcome to FADU Frank. I'm also the proud owner of a 1952 Contax lla, my favorite camera to use, in my opinion the equal to any Leica from the same period. Happy shooting.
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Old 28th February 2013, 01:54 PM
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Domingo Domingo is offline
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Welcome from the sunny Spain, Frank (today is raining, but that's only a mistake...)
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Old 28th February 2013, 02:19 PM
FrankToronto FrankToronto is offline
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thank you Paul and Domingo

Domingo make sure the weather in Spain improves by the end of March, we plan to visit Barcelona at that time. It is a city I have always wanted to visit. The opportunity to travel is one of the joys of being retired...
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Old 28th February 2013, 03:06 PM
Richard Gould Richard Gould is offline
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Hi Frank and welcome to Fadu, from a grey,cold but dry Jersey
Richard
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Old 28th February 2013, 05:48 PM
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray is offline
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Hi Frank and welcome. I must admit that I cannot get my head around two things that you are used to - neither anything to do with film and darkroom.

1. Getting used to having snow for weeks or even months at a time

2. Travelling for hours on a plane or days in a car or train and still being in the same country

Canadians are big on snow and distance

Mike
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Old 28th February 2013, 06:03 PM
FrankToronto FrankToronto is offline
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thank you for the welcome Richard and Mike

Mike, you are probably not aware what a responsive cord you hit with your remarks. We have visited England a number of times. About 10 years ago our daughter was studying in Leeds, so we visited her and then rented a car, took a day, and drove down to the Southern coast of England (including Lyme Regis) visiting the numerous wonderful places like Stratford and Bath on the way. Easy to do in a small country, but you couldn't visit that many significant places in Canada during one day.

During that trip (but not the same day) we also visited the lake district. What a wonderful part of the world….

You probably saw from my "Location" notice, that we actually live in two different parts of the Canada which are over 4500 km apart. So it takes the best part of a day to make the trip (flying). And the weather is dramatically different in both parts. On the coast of British Columbia the weather is more like a good part of England, with the snow occurring a couple of times a year and only staying on the ground for hours. But it gets lots of rain in the winter. Here in Toronto, we tend to get lots of snow, and it stays cold a long time. Even though I could spend time in the warmer (and wetter) west coast, I prefer the colder winter in Toronto.

Last edited by FrankToronto; 28th February 2013 at 06:10 PM.
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