Great!  We got this conference kicked off.  I hope everyone who has even a 
casual interest, gets into this and passes on their experience and receives
some benefit from others.

To start the creative juices flowing, why don't we consider two things:
   #1.  What is your interest in photography, what equipment do you use,
        and what would you like to get from this forum?
   #2.  What is the best photo you have ever produced & how was it made?

50 responses total.

Wow, #1 of #1!  Boy do I feel cool.

I just got a Minolta Freedom Zoom 70 (or some name to that effect), and I
am looking forward to seeing if it can do some tricky shots...  I used to
use my Dad's Leica, which takes about 3 minutes to get set up right, but 
lately I have had a succession of super-cheap cameras taking substandard
pictures of my vacations.  This new thingy is all auto, of course, but the
manual claims it can be coaxed into some interesting shots.

I think that camera can take multiple shots and time exposures.  If so, 
you can do some neat double exposures, like take a picture of the moon
at the highest zoom, then shoot a landscape at the widest zoom.  You
would have to go to manual for the moon and shoot it as if it were 
white rocks in bright sunlight (Because that's what it is) ie: if ASA
100, shoot at approx 1/125th and f8.
If you try it let us know how it turns out.

ps use the self timer for any long exposures and set the camera on a 
table or other stable object.

I have a Minolta Freedom Zoom 90.  I seem to have broken the flash, though.
does anyone know what sort of place I should take it to?

Double exposure?  I need to look in the manual again.  Would be cool if it
is possible, although there is no manual override for the exposure settings.
My last cheapo "became" a multiple-exposure camera, which is why I had to
replace it. :)

To Nephi:  I know Huron Camera does work like that but they are $$$.
If possible, you may want to take it apart and see if you can trouble
shoot it (Perhaps the flash tube?).  Otherwise, I am positive they could
do it.

Actually, I live about 500 miles too far away from there for a 
specific store to be of use.  I was just wanting to know to what 
*kind* of store to take it.

        Items!  This conference needs items!

About fixing cameras:  They are about the only thing I won't try to fix, 
mainly because of all the tiny parts waiting to spring free.

Warning about electronic flashes: they do run on a fair amount of voltage.
Nothing that would be likely to kill you, but you could get a nasty little
burn.

To Nephi - What kind of "items" did you have in mind?  Headings or topics?
Please advise and I will try my best to get something of interest started.

Actually, I was just making a general suggestion.  Putting all the 
info in the first item can really hamper a new conference.  

You don't have to put any items in, but someone does.  

I'll try to think of stuff.

?

o  what i wanted to say was if someone has an interest in b&w
photography i have a compleet darkroom set up including a besler
d enlarger, auto stop k, ect  for sale chee, maybe even a lesson
or two.

How much?  I may have an interest, and if not, I know people who are 
interested.

The works for about 225.00 for a complete list of everything call
me at 313-482-6054
thanks
bruce..

I may have an interested friend.  I'll get back to you soon.
/

Thanks Marc, look fwd to hearing from you. I maybe able to help with
questions about older equipment, I owned Farquharson Photographics
in Ann Arbor, 1982-87. Let me know if I can be of help.
thanks
Bruce
..

for camera repairs, 1st check out your local yellow pages for ads of stores
that do all kinds of photo/camera repair.  You might also want to look at
the rag "Shutterbug", or "Petersons Photographic" for ads in the back where
you can send your camera for repair and/or estimates.

locally to the Ann Arbor/Detroit area I suggest Daves Camera Repair on
Newburg Road (between Michigan and Cherry Hill), I think that is in Wayne, or
Westland, or something.  It is a small, independant repair shop with good
turn-around time, fair prices and no high pressure sales (they do sell some
cameras, new and used, but main business is repairs).  Dave fixed one of my
old Nikon point-and-shoots very reasonably, and diagnosed an old Nikormat EL
problem which is not currently repairable (parts not available) but he has
a 'tickler' file for it so if he comes across the part(s) he'll call me to
bring in the camera.  No charge on that one.

hi everybody though I am anovice in photography I would be  setting up a
lab in the next three months and i would like you to help
by alok Verma(alverma)

What are you planning to do in the lab (darkroom?).  Black and white only?
Do you have any apparatus already?  Do you plan to do contact prints or 
use an enlarger?

hi Marc I would initially start with developing Black and White  only.
I don't have an apparatus as of now.

Alok, here's a "recipe" I used for my chemicals:        

1.  Film Developer - I used 45 cc of T-Max liquid in a total of 8 oz    

2.  Stop Bath - I use 2-1/2 Tablespoons of Kodak concentrate in 2 Liters 
                (I use a 2 liter pop bottle)

3.  Fixer - I use 4 full film cans of fixer in 16 oz    

4.  Paper Developer - I use 2 teaspoons of Selectol in 16 oz water

                    - I use 3 teaspoons of Dectol in 16 oz water        
======================================================================  

The above works fine for me.  I use plastic pop bottles for my chemicals.
I mix fresh each time and reseal the concentrate containers.  The develope
must be sealed real tight, without air.  I use two popsickle sticks and a tiny
c-clamp to keep the folded foil pouch tightly sealed.

I also have some similar recipies for other developers if you need them.

I have tons of really old, but useable printing paper for free if anyone 
wants it.       

What kind of an enlarger do you have?

Good luck.

thanks a lot will get back for more help when i need it.

Hi, all. I'm pretty interrested in Photography. I own a Canon AE! Program &
a Nikon N 70.Have taken quite a few snaps.Need some new ideas regarding
technics of photography.

What are your interests?  What kind of films, techniques, and subject matter
have you tried?  There are several people here who can offer their experiences
if you get a little more specific.  

Hello.  I'm kind of new here, and I'm kind of new to photography, so just bear
with me...:)

Some1 with a digital camera ?

contax 35 mm body with various lenses bare bones stuff mostly
i leave to 28-80 zoom on the body as i like the slight wide angle
distortion...i have also an OLD argus 35mm which is a brick that
takes pictures...a med format tlr which i never use and a polaroid
that i never use.

HEllo all, I'm an amateur photographer.  Had a class in High School, one in
college.  Haven't been in a drakroom in a few years, beacause they closed the
one at my college.  I would love to have my own darkroom.  I've only had
experience developing my own B+W.
     Someone asked about our most interesting photos.  I did one for my last
photography class that was a fantasy shot.  I took a close up of a friend's
face, and superimposed it onto a shot of some over-hanging tree roots.  Rather
like a dryad in results...  Did it in the dark room with dodge and burn, and
trial and error.  I'd love to get my hands ona  nice ol' B+W enlarger.
     MArc:  In high school we also used pop bottles for the chemicals.  Even
once had an old "downy" fabric softener bottle someone brought in.
        MAgex(#26):  I just ordered a Mustek digital camera.  As soon as it
gets here I'll let you all know how well it works. (eagerly waiting for her
new toy.)
I'll quit rambling now.

Glad to see someone using the same old techniques.  Do you mix a fresh
mini-batch everytime you develop and/or print?

well, I was informed yesterday that digital camera is a "no longer avilable"
item.  SO, no digital camera.  I've decided to go ahead and put together my
own B+W darkroom with the money instead.  (I admit I'm much more excited by
this).    I spent the afternoon cleaning out a corner of my father's garage
which I'm going to partition off for the darkroom.
     Anyone have suggestions on making a light-proof vent?
     Marc:  All of my darkroom work till now has been in school dark rooms.
So, there they used larger batches of chemicals more than once.  What are the
pros of making small fresh batches?  as opposed to re-using several times?
     I'm so excited by this darkroom project!

Chrys: Early on, I made a fresh full batch of developer, stop bath, fixer,
and whatever else I planned on using.  I saved the mix in dark bottles but
never felt confident that the age of the fluid wasn't affecting my prints,
or their ability to last.  I had a lot of muddy black and whites which I
thought to be due to old chemicals, but I was never sure.  After I started
making individual batches, I felt that the blacks were blacker, the whites
were whiter, and the shadow detail cleaner & sharper.  The individual batches
is much more economical, too.  Listed below are the mixes I used (From a 1996
posting in Grex):
 1.  Film Developer - I used 45 cc of T-Max liquid in a total of 8 oz

 2.  Stop Bath - I use 2-1/2 Tablespoons of Kodak concentrate in 2 Liters
                 (I use a 2 liter pop bottle)

 3.  Fixer - I use 4 full film cans of fixer in 16 oz


 4.  Paper Developer - I use 2 teaspoons of Selectol in 16 oz water

                     - I use 3 teaspoons of Dectol in 16 oz water

Let me know if you try it.

this conference doesn't seem to be very popular, does it?? i would like
to keep in touch with the amateur photographers.. I am myself one.
Anybody interested in nature photography?? 

I think a lot of people are photographing, but cameras can be so
automatic now that a smaller percentage of people are interested
in photography per-se - they just take pictures. 

Why don't you open up the subject of nature photography and see what
responses you get?

Hello, I'm an amateur too; I've been use Nikon FM-60 as my best suck gun.
Eventhough that one is my lovely armour, but I need advice from all of you
about another suck gun type/brand for my best reference base on your
experience. Thanks alot before guys !.

What is a "suck gun"?

A "Sun Gun" is a photographic flash,I don't know what a "suck gun" is.

There is a Mikon F-60 camera. sonny is not, I believe, a native English
speaker, and "suck gun" may be an alliteration or incorrect translation
of a camera term from another language. My first guess is suck=take (as,
a picture), and gun=hand-held-device, hence, a camera. 

i dont know about phogragfy but i try to know how thier work

heh.

- Backtalk version 1.3.30 - Copyright 1996-2006, Jan Wolter and Steve Weiss