Steve Shapiro (sgshiya@redshift.com)
Sat, 20 Feb 1999 16:49:02 -0800
Subject: re-photographing negatives
>Hi,
> Has anyone tried "taking a picture" of a small negative on a light
>table with a large format camera. I realize that a very long bellows
>stretch would be necessary but I think that about 20 inches extension on
>a 4x5 would be okay for a 6x6 cm neg and maybe 35mm.
> I'd try it myself but I don't have access to a darkroom now (long
>story) and am only able to obtain t-max sheet film here.
> Any recommendations for lens type,film and dev. combo?
> Perhaps this is somehow un realistic as it seems too easy ( and
>believe me, I know about that one -e.g. k chlorate %sol and micro-
>pipettes)
>
>All the best
>Joel Lederer- Tel Aviv
>
I may seem easy because it IS easy.
There are two ways of doing this. One, matchthe light from the light table
with overhead light and get a floating effect. Negatives? Yes. A crystal
clear effect of perfect match.
I shoot small items, did grains of sand on a light box with tungston light
overhead, and used EPY 64T that's Ektachrome tungston based film.
I cut some 8X10 sheets into 2 1/4X 3 1/4 and loaded them into Graflex sheet
film holders for my Baby Anniversary Speed Graphlex; and using a Boyer
(Paris) 75mm macro lens with double bellows extention -- I just focused and
focused until it was clear -- after all it's a VIEW camera; and using the T
setting Timed the focal plane shutter, with reciprocityfailure calculated to
more than one second exposures. They were clear and clean, and just what I
wanted.
Super huge close ups of a single sand grain.
BTW theafore mentioned technique is the quintessential way to shoot machine
parts, tools and bits of machanical devices. I tried to get some of the
'lens testing boys' to shoot pictures of the exotic and ALL their lenses and
got a terse reply 'that that isn't photography, tools are tools and
photography isn't anything to dow ith tools -- that's for fancy pants
types.' (Paraphrased)
I wrote back, my attitude's like Judy's; and simple stated one point.
"Michelangelo sculpted his marble tools."
Whatever,
S. Shapiro, Carmel, CA
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