One large format camera in a backpack on a road trip can take up a lot of cargo space but two packs full of gear would be prohibitive on the family vacation. So with some judicious packing and selection of bare essentials I manage to pack the 5×12 and its 3 holders, the 4×5 in […]

I have been taking pictures for over 35 years and one of the best pieces of gear I ever bought was a Manfrotto 3021BN aluminum tripod. It served me well when I was younger and didn’t mind the weight. I had pared it with the Gittos MH3000 Ball head modified with a video QR system. […]

I saw a posting in the Large Format Forum a few days ago that mentioned using Ansco 130 as a film developer. I have some stock of Ansco 130 which I use for a Paper developer and love the results with Ilford and Bergger Fiber papers.  The recommendation was use the developer 1:10 for 10 […]

I saw this little gem posted on ebay as an Ikeda Anba but knew it was something different. A little research leads me to believe it is an early Nagaoka Seisakusho 4×5 field camera but it may be another maker too. It has a lovely dark cherry finish with brass hardware.  It weighs a mere […]

In celebration of photography day I went into the darkroom to catch up on some printing. But of course had to try something new. First I mixed my Photographers Fomulary 130 paper developer a little more dilute to see if it made any difference in tone of my normal paper. I mixed it 1:2 instead […]

Another test this month using Photographer Formulary Liquidol paper developer. I had read reviews about this developer giving rich blacks and having similar qualities to Dektol, which is the standard by which other developers are measured. Liquidol purports to have faster development time, higher shelf life, and flexibility with over/under development. Developed by  Bill Troop and […]

Having seen some interesting images a few months back shot on Bergger Panchro 400 I decided to order some and give it a try. Since I usually work with Ilford FP4+ at EI of 100 it was going to be a bit of a challenge to find a suitable scene for a 400 speed film. […]

Yesterday I decided to try Photographers Formulary 130 Paper developer which is same or very similar to Ansco 130 developer. The developer is supposed to provide rich blacks with high contrast if used straight, or can be diluted 1:2 for a softer working solution. PF recommends 1:1 for best overall results. There are 6 ingredients […]

In a previous article, https://www.searing.photography/testing-lpd-vs-pf106/ I explored the differences of two paper developers on 3 different papers and found there was little difference in the tonality based on developer.  There were differences in exposure time required to achieve max black  and some differences in shadow detail but I can not attribute all of that to […]

Since I use mostly Ilford multi-grade papers I decided to try out the Ilford Multigrade developer. It is similar in chemical make up to LPD, being a Hydroquinone + EDTA acid, so I did not expect much difference. The developer comes as a liquid concentrate and is mixed 1:9 or 1:14. Working solution should last […]