jULibAt

The Coffee Project

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 03:40:19 GMT

Last weekend, i got all my ingredients together and coffee-processed 3 test rolls. i was trying to get a good feel for the possibilities of this diy/alternative method of film processing to utilize in the project Jim & i are cooking up for May.

shot 1 roll of b/w and 2 rolls of color. For each roll, i selected only 1 set-up and shot the entire roll of that 1 image because i planned on dividing the roll into sections for different processing. This way, I would have a comparison with less variables. After reading so much about the super-low contrast that this process gave, I took the advice of strangers and pulled every roll. (e.i. shot every roll at a lower ASA than it was rated) Also, I shot outside at noon for some high contrast subject matter. Was thinking that i should have shot in a normal setting too, but after seeing the cloudy haze the coffee developer produced, would also recommend shooting in high contrast settings. All the the films I tested with are super cheap films. I used these because the upcoming project I mentioned will use many rolls of film and these 3 are the ones I had over 10 raw rolls already. Don't make me give you the 'in this economy' speech!

Roll 1: FujiFilm Neopan SS b/w neg 36exp rated 100asa/shot at 50asa
Pentax K1000 manual SLR F11 S125

clean process, scanned, no manual corrections (*see note below about scanner settings)

clean process, scanned, basic corrections

Roll 2: Artista color neg 36exp rated 100asa/shot at 50asa
Pentax K1000 manual SLR F11 S125

clean process, scanned, no manual corrections, purple tint was a result of scanner, not coffee process

clean process, scanned, basic corrections

Roll 3: Fujifilm color neg 24exp rated 200asa/shot at 100asa
Pentax K1000 manual SLR F5.6/8 S125

clean process, scanned, basic corrections. This roll was practically identical to the other color roll.

Processing: For the clean process, I did everything the 'right' way. Good water temps, was very careful loading reels, etc. Here's the method I used which was just an amalgamation of ones I had read online just altered slightly to prevent waste and fit my 10oz steel processing tank. For 1 roll:

Developer: 8oz water 68 degrees, 8tsp instant coffee, 2tsp washing soda, 1 crushed 1000mg vitamin C tablet
mixed well and allowed to sit at least 5 minutes, no longer than 30 minutes

Fixer: 1 yr expired liquid Kodafix mixed 6oz water, 2 oz fix *couldn't find my fix test solution, so i decided to fix the film 3 times longer than recommended and did a sun test on a cut selection of film. No change after 20min exposure to sun so I assumed all systems were a go! It might turn dark in years to come, but whatever. Fresh fix is a pipe dream in this town.

-presoak film, 68 degrees
-develop 20 minutes
-constant agitation 1st minute, then 5 seconds every 30 seconds, tapping to remove air bubbles
-rinse (stop) with 68 degree water until it ran clear
-fix for 15 minutes
-rinse 68 degree running water 10 minutes
-1 cap of rubbing alcohol added to last rinse (suppose to lessen water spots, but it doesn't work too well. if you want no streaks and spots, use a hypoclear product)

Now for dirty processing! My favorite!

used the same mix as above, but used no reels, twisted, smashed, and stuffed the films into the canister. Mixed in coffee grounds (not the instant crystals) and a bunch of metal keys, and randomly shook the tank like a martini. Did 1 pour for the b/w selection, and 1 for the 2 color rolls. I changed it up a bit the second time, seeing as the coffee grounds didn't do anything, and making sure the film didn't roll up on itself. Overall, I was a bit disappointed with my results. The sprocket overlays where the film touched itself are neat, but the color overall was too grainy for my tastes and the extra agitation=warmer liquids adds even more grain. I was hoping for lots of tiny all-over random scratches from the keys and grounds, but instead only the keys made big gashes on the film (and it seemed only certain frames came in hard contact with the keys despite my best shaking and turning and slooshing efforts) which were a problem in scanning. Below are the most interesting frames. There were many that were just too clean.

these were the only ones that that image became lost. When i shoved the film into the canister, i didn't twist it around enough and it managed to roll up on itself

no corrections

corrected

no corrections

corrected

*a note about my Epson V500 film scanner: Its really working on something like this were i can get a great feel for how my scanner is no-so-great. Even though it is in full "professional" mode, it still auto corrects the images to some degree. The purple tone is not really the true look of the negs. They are brown/sepia like the b/w negs, however because the scanner is automatically estimating a correction based on the selection as a whole (big dark scratches included! argh!) its not really giving an accurate scan & color. I could have corrected in photoshop a bit better, but I got lazy with it.

Besides today I figured out a way to trick the scanner into doing it the way I want. If anyone a similar problem, let me know and I'll tell you how I got it to work on my scanner.

My opinion:
I prefer the b/w film to the color. I found it to be less grainy and give better contrast which meant fewer post-corrections. I didn't see anything very interesting happening with color bleeding (tinting around the edges and sprockets) that wasn't caused by my scanner that would make me choose color over b/w. ALTHOUGH, there is something cool about being able to process a roll of color film at home.

In the past, I have had some great results from dirty processing, but I need to keep experimenting. As of right now, I would still rather manipulate the film by hand after processing to get more control over the distressing. The in-the-tank results are touch and go....

And now 25 frames of me! dork.

in.trin.sic

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 22:50:12 GMT

This is a 35mm black & white stopmotion animation I created start to finish in 4 weeks. The film was hand-processed then physically manipulated and scanned & edited digitally. It screened for the month of February at the Picture This Gallery in Long Beach, California as part of the Love/Hate Exhibit.

in.trin.sic
adjective
-belonging naturally; essential
-(of a muscle) contained wholly within the organ on which it acts

There are many varying types of barriers that can exist between two hearts but none are as difficult to overcome has the intrinsic differences that are inherent to each.

Special Thanks
to those who made this project possible:

David Whitehead
Timothy M. Eubanks
Kathy Jackson
Christy Meaker
Mattie Gomez
Brandon Romig
Evan Shorrock
Napier Meat Processing

just in time for V.D.

Thu, 07 Feb 2008 04:54:06 GMT

image by Christy Meaker

AND
my animation is done! Here's a sneak peak of some hand-processed goodness...

are you in Southern California? This means you should go to the show. Why? Because it is going to be a GREAT show and because i, sadly, can not go. you can tell me what i missed & how my animation looked. its called in.trin.sic

**************************************************

Love and hate are two of the most passionate emotions a person can feel.
They can both cause strong outcomes, sometimes even insanity.
Most everyone has felt either the intense hurt or that profound happiness because of love.
February, the Valentine month, is a great time to share these emotions.
Through paintings, sculpture, poetry/spoken word or song.......
artists share their feelings through art.

Artists:
Camberley Morawa, Chris Langlais, Christy Meaker, Cora Ramirez-Vasquez,
Danny Boy CXC, David Omar Lopez, Diego Aguirre Macedo, Donna Letterese,
Edward Mauricio Moreira, Eric October, Ernie Lucero, Helene Barbara,
Jane Paquin, Johnnie Grez III, Juli Jackson, Kara Young A Lee, Lernie Beuler,
Miguel Angel Rodriguez, Ray Vasquez, Sergio Hernandez, Shannon Jones
Tamara Lujan, Alan Papaleo, handcrafted items by Cherry & Olive

Poets: Belen Ortega, Blanca Alicia Lozoya & Alex Rodriguez

Reception: Saturday, February 9th 6pm-9pm
poetry & song @ 7pm

FREE EVENT & be ready to "pour your heart out on the floor"

Also that evening...
Jewelry by LT Creations & Kate E Designs - unique & handmade using semi-precious stones,
swarovski crystal, sterling and 14kt gold to bring out the beauty of the wearer. http://kate-e-designs.com

Show dates: February 1st - 29th, 2008

Gallery Hours: Tue-Fri NOON-6pm, Saturday 10am-4pm

Location:
PICTURE THIS
Gallery & Custom Framing
4130 Norse Way
Long Beach, CA 90808
562.425.4861

For more info, please contact us.

Sutro Baths - San Francisco

Wed, 07 Nov 2007 23:30:29 GMT

Visited the ruins of the Sutro Baths and was intrigued by the history and taken aback by the visual contrast of still mossy pools and the crashing ocean waves... not sure these images really do it justice. i want to return someday with a wide angle lens.

oh the kraftwerk

Sat, 29 Sep 2007 06:20:55 GMT

Shot this awhile ago with Ryan and Charlie, way before VW madness. What a fun day. I love working with these guys...

my arch sandwich

Wed, 12 Sep 2007 18:23:59 GMT

it is really beautiful here. AND there are tidepools.

a day at the edge of the deep green sea...

Thu, 06 Sep 2007 03:03:16 GMT

taken in san diego. i had a very zen moment laying at the edge of this cliff with the endless waves crashing below. seriously nothing like it and i had great company to share it with too...

a boy and his blanket

Thu, 16 Aug 2007 23:24:35 GMT

recently i have been organizing all my photography from the past 2 years and have been running across images i had completely forgotten about.

this is Brandon and his special blankie. It has been with him since he was born and was created by his Grandmother.

Fun fact: This blanket is a light pink-peach color.

summer in arkansas

Thu, 02 Aug 2007 17:33:02 GMT

while i was home i was lucky enough to get to have a photo adventuring day out on the backroads and fields of my home state.
below are the tortured souls who braved the oppressive humidity and insect attacks for a few hours...

i often feel that the images i take while i'm at home are fairly boring and dull. is this my response to the environment? or is it just that i fail to be inspired by something so familiar? of this, i'm not sure.

the process

Thu, 02 Aug 2007 16:45:13 GMT

what fun can be had at work if you just try a little.

not that the image is too exciting (i just stepped outside my work and snapped this as a test shot) but the ansco 6x9 camera was loaded with a piece of photopaper, which we then ran through the print processor as a test strip.

look at these exciting and geeky variations!

paper neg

digital invert

print from paper negative

i can get that 70's feel to my photos anytime! oh joy!

new VW Nation trailer

Wed, 06 Jun 2007 05:36:47 GMT

different trailer for the documentary i helped shoot...

didn't see the old one? here.
also check out www.vwnationmovie.com for lots of info on the film & behind the scenes stills...

The project has been so fun so far. This weekend there is some sort of VW event in Orange County i plan on helping out with. Pictures will come...

part of the San Andreas Fault

Thu, 31 May 2007 01:50:35 GMT

what do Radiohead, McGyver, Start Trek, and Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey have in common?

VASQUEZ ROCK

hopefully i shall be photographing August Kelly here soon. i need an assistant for the day. who volunteers???

the only reason i enjoy summer is i live to swim... with cameras.

Mon, 28 May 2007 17:25:05 GMT

so being somewhat weightless in a pool makes taking photos with a sprained ankle 100% easier!

i hope the members of lifelikepictures & Michelle had as much fun as i did.

the below shots didn't necessarily work for the band, but i like them....

i would like to try shooting in the pool again with more sunlight (late afternoon was giving me dicey exposures obviously) and more slide film...

also, i'm thinking about taking prints of the images and photographing them underwater because i love the distortion water gives. frame within a frame... oh yes. what do you think?

cameraless animation test

Fri, 25 May 2007 19:53:07 GMT

so i have been trying out a new (to me) animation technique for making a cameraless (or direct on film) 35mm short. Basically in a very tedious process, i punch holes out of found footage and embed into into another piece of film, in this case clear leader. i have all sort of idea of where this could go, but here is my first test:

warnings include:
the frame is distorted (squeezed) because i am having problems with my computer & final cut pro so this was painfully constructed frame by frame in iMovie of all things and because either i or iMovie is stupid, i can't figure out why it distorted my frames...

also it is very short, only 3 seconds, so i had to watch in a few times to see what the motion was and how thing were working...

MY QUESTION TO YOU:

should i expand on this idea of cut-out film images? are you at all interested in seeing where this could go? or do you think it is silly and a waste of time to labor so intensely over a project of this sort?

The Getty

Sat, 05 May 2007 20:50:53 GMT

Last week i visited The Getty Center with the MoM Day troupe. Much fun was had!

California's own dead sea

Mon, 30 Apr 2007 06:09:26 GMT

recently made a lengthy day trip around the Salton Sea: an (accidentally) man-made lake surrounded by abandoned structures from its brief hay-day as a resort spot, ramshackle RVs of some hardcore residents, and many many dead fish that apparently can't survive the growing salinity of the water. this is California's largest lake and it also happens to have a higher salt content than the Pacific Ocean.

the history of this lonely place is rather interesting and soon to be featured in an upcoming documentary (with John Waters narrating?!)

Volkswagon Documentary

Mon, 16 Apr 2007 05:00:16 GMT

ryan & the westfalla in oklahoma city

tucumcari, new mexico

the croc pre-mural

stop on route 66

nighttime repairs

amarillo, texas

Look Daggers

Thu, 12 Apr 2007 22:29:39 GMT

so i just got to see this today. i worked on electric for this music video a few months ago. i must say, for the hippdity-hop style, its not bad.

those lights were so fun. The web version doesn't do justice to the lighting. it was shot in HD and really looks beautiful.
the strangest part was the location was in the back of a bookstore a few blocks from my house. its a large open room with a stage and black dome in the ceiling.,.. not the norm for a used bookshop. i'm not sure what it is generally used for.

Look Daggers is a Long Beach band with 2Mex of Visionaries and Ikey Owens of Mars Volta. Both guys were so cool and fun to chat with. i love working on sets that are fun...

morro bay day

Wed, 11 Apr 2007 05:49:03 GMT

took a day trip to Morro Bay to shoot some S8mm footage for the Glider video i'm slowly, but surely, working on. once i ran out of film, i shot slides. the following resulted:

self-portrait near the bay

found it very beautiful & i terribly miss all that space...

practice....

Sun, 08 Apr 2007 06:23:37 GMT

so i decided to make another random video project. i gave myself about an hour start to finish (but my computer was being lame, so more like 2 hours total...) to make a weirdo little video.

thanks to lifelikepictures for the excerpt from the song "saturday"
(i thought it was fitting since i love the song so much i was willing to sit home on a saturday night listening to it over and over in the editing process... why you ask? well, this is me in a nutshell.)

Ghost Town in New Mexico

Thu, 22 Mar 2007 03:42:24 GMT

Back from the documentary shoot and my favorite still shots were from this abandoned town right off the I40 somewhere in New Mexico.
All thoughts are welcome. i probably should have edited some of these but eh... life moves fast.

thanks to Charlie for providing extra scenery...

xxx-processed slide film

The Winchester Mystery House

Thu, 22 Mar 2007 03:21:11 GMT

On the trek up north i got a chance to stop in San Jose
and tour The Winchester Mystery House

This was fun and interesting, but not so great for picture-taking. The house can be quite dark and forget tripods! They really rush you along and there isn't much time to compose shots or do time exposures. Here are the only shots i managed to snatch:

otherwise, i was completely enthralled by this music box in the gift shop.
(WARNING! craptastic audio! Turn down your speakers and pretend you are listening to an old radio. Of course the sound would blow out on this clip. Seriously though, what can you expect from a point & shoot video function on a digital camera? But still you can get an idea of how whimsical and lovely this player was despite the over-modulation.)

more golden gate bridge

Thu, 22 Mar 2007 03:03:04 GMT

just a few from my 35mm. personally i like my Holga shots more. -see last post-

again x-processed reversal

first trip to San Francisco

Fri, 02 Mar 2007 06:30:01 GMT

i'm a huge fan of Northern California...
just wish i had taken even more photos!

x-processed slide film

out of nowhere!

Mon, 26 Feb 2007 16:42:25 GMT

3 career related updates:

* finally, my credit for costume designer was added to the iMDB from my internship in 2004. jessuss... that took forever.

* Beat The Air, the feature film i DP'ed was accepted to the Pumelo International Film Festival in Mumbai, India ( formerly Bombay). it will be screening March 5-8 and 12-15. Although a small festival, i am excited by the idea of having an international audience for something i shot.

* March 6-20 i will be traveling in a RV with 5 people i do not know acting as B camera operator for a documentary on VW culture. We will be shooting with the Panasonic HVX, a favorite for the digital in me, and this out-of-the-blue opportunity has me nervous but eager.... i leave in six days!!!