NEW IN 2018!

We've been busy here at Panopticon adding new services to our roster. Now, we are ready to officially announce all of the new services that we now provide!

Color Film Processing

We are very excited to announce that we are now processing COLOR FILM! Our new processor can develop all formats of C-41 film from 35mm rolls to 8x10 sheet film. Not only are we developing color film, but we are also offering develop and scan as well as develop, scan, and print packages. These new services will be offered with black and white film development as well.  If you want to know more about pricing and film packages, visit our Film Services page.

 

Bulk Negative Scanning

Have developed film you want a quick look at? We now offer roll, strip, slide, and individual film bulk scans. These are great for quick looks at negatives or for making small, medium quality prints. Our Fuji Frontier can scan both black and white and color film as well as positive film! Along with your bulk scans, you will receive free digital file transfer and an 8x10 contact sheet. For more information, visit our Scanning Services page.

 

Bulk Image Scanning

Bulk image scanning is a fast and cost effective way to scan that shoebox of photographs you've had for years. Our scanner can handle images up to 8.5x11 inches so all of those old photographs can be digitally preserved or put onto a DVD included with your order. If you'd like to know more, visit our Scanning Services page.

 

Value Printing

Last but not least, we would like to introduce our value printing services. Value prints are great as test prints to know what to print larger or for little images to give away to clients, friends, and galleries. They are also great for duplicating  or preserving old family photographs. For more information, visit our Digital Services page.

Take a look at our updated services pages on the website or stop by the office to talk in person with one of our staff members about us helping you with all of your photographic needs.

Flying with Film

Mr Whiskey Photo assistant and packing consultant extrodinaire 

So with my upcoming trip out to Anderson Ranch I realized I was going to be flying with a bunch of film. Normally I prefer to drive places so I can make photos along the way. The Journey being as important as The Destination. This go around I’m a bit time bankrupt and the distance is great enough to warrant a flight. This brings into play a whole set of variables.You see with a 2002 Crown Victoria I can fit an amazing amount of stuff. But right now I’m limited to a carry on in the overhead and one that will fit under the seat of the plane….

So some choices have to be made.

First off I’m bringing the Canon 5dmk3 for ease of use and instant feedback during the workshop. 3 lenses 3 batteries 4 sets of cards and a flash round out that kit. I know a zoom takes up less room than 3 primes. It’s just that I don’t work that way. Primes just fit my way of working. My second choice is the tried and true Mamiya 7II with a 65mm and a 80mm.

I chose this camera because it makes roughly the same aspect ratio as my 4x5.It has a leaf shutter for faster flash sync speeds and it has a much smaller profile.That and a few odds and ends round out my back pack bag..

Why the added expense and hassle of working with film? That’s a much longer post for a different time.

So now that I’m mostly packed I need to worry about 2 other essential items.

A tripod and some film. The tripod is the easy one, I’m going to use a smaller one with a ball head and stuff it in my suitcase.I won’t have as much room for underwear and socks but there is laundry available where I’m going so that should be fine.If I wanted one of the bigger ones for use with a bigger camera I could always ship it to my destination and ship it back when done but that’s just not practical right now.

Now onto the 2nd and biggest essential.

FILM. In particular Kodak Portra 400 120.

Freezer bag with label and some emulsion choices.

After some online research, to see if anything has changed in the last few years. Not much has. Kodak tells us that film rated at 800iso is fine for one pass through the current X-ray machines. That means 400iso is good for 2, 160iso for 3.Maybe. That information only applies to the personal screening machines, checked bags get a WAY BIGGER dose of X-rays. Never and I mean NEVER put film in a checked bag. As an aside,never travel with film loaded in a camera, remember the camera is going to be X-rayed, also there is a chance that the film back might be opened by a screener, and there goes your film…

There are no direct flights from Boston to Aspen I’m going to be making a couple of hops. If worse comes to worst my film will get the Zap two times. Not the end of the world but not ideal and I’m not cool with that. I’m going through all the trouble to work with film I don't want it damaged. Fortune favors the prepared!

What I need to do is put all my unexposed rolls in a clear plastic freezer bag that is marked “unexposed film” and ask to have it hand checked. Nicely and with the confidence that this is how it’s done. Because this is how we travel by air with film. I shouldn’t have to tell you that you should be nice,like me Ma always said, “be nice on purpose.”

Do not use the old shielded bags they used to use for film. If an X-ray screener can't see through them they just turn up the power until they can, effectively rendering them useless.The reason I like the freezer bag is they are tougher then sandwich bags, they have a hardier zipper and they also usually have a little panel you can write on with a sharpie.I label almost everything, it makes finding things in a hurry easier. A well labeled bag that is easily accessible saves the screener time. I don’t know about you but when I run into an organized and prepared person at work I’m more then willing to go out of my way to help them out. They took the time to think about my time and its value. Be that person

Everything you need plus somethings you don't! but you'll need it if you don't bring it.

That brings me to getting to the airport early. Being respectful of other people’s time and allowing yourself enough time to deal with being a special case is important. Worse case you just make your flight, best case you have extra time to buy an overpriced beer while waiting for that flight.

Lastly mark your exposed rolls and keep them in a separate freezer bag. Still easily accessible along with the unexposed rolls just separate. I had to compromise with a screener once where they hand inspected my exposed film and xrayed the unexposed. Yup it came down to that. Exposed film is more sensitive so it was more important to me,the unexposed got marked and then used in the holga because that’s my happy accident camera, I’m already throwing the dice so why not a little more chance?

So clear plastic bag, labeled and readily accessible. Smile, be polite and GET THERE EARLY. Make sense? I hope so,here is a handy link to the tech Support articles from Kodak.

http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/Support/Technical_Information/Transportation/index.htm

One from Fujifilmusa

http://www.fujifilmusa.com/support/ServiceSupportProductContent.do?dbid=670359&prodcat=238119&sscucatid=664277

And one from Ilford.

https://www.ilfordphoto.com/faqs

Making a Negative from a Cell Phone

Pretty much everyone now a days has a smartphone. It seems like every time you turn around there is a new and improved cell phone being offered. With the increase of smartphones comes the controversy of phone photography, is it fine art? Should it be used professionally by photographers? All of these questions aside, a camera is a camera and if you want to shoot with it we say go for it! We even have options for you. Recently we created a LVT Negative from a digital file shot with an iPhone SE and then printed a 16x20 fiber print in the darkroom. Here is how we did it:

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STEP 1:

Download the file at FULL SIZE to the computer and import into Photoshop. We made all adjustments here (cropping, levels, curves, dodging/burning, etc.) It is important to make the image in Photoshop the way you want the darkroom print to look. If you know you want a certain area in your image to be brighter make that adjustment now in Photoshop. It will save time and frustration later on in the darkroom!

Our print ready file:

STEP 2:

Because our machines take 8x10 film, we can put multiple images on one sheet of film. We can do the same image a few times (with different contrasts for printing) or we can pick completely different images to be on the same sheet of film. It also depends what size you want your negatives to be. If you only have a 35mm enlarger there is no sense in making a medium format negative! We can either prep the LVT file for you or we can send you the specs and you can prepare the file on your own and send it our way to be made.

For this example we made both roughly 35mm negatives as well as medium format sized negatives:

STEP 3:

Get in the darkroom! We used the 35mm sized negative and made a 16x20 fiber based print. We were able to hold detail and tone in the print while maintaining the sharpness . A note about using camera phone files: just like all cameras the higher resolution and bigger files you have to start with the better the output will be. Thankfully the camera phones keep going up in megapixels which makes the photographs higher quality to work with.

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If you are interested in this process and have questions please call the office (781-740-1300) we would love to help walk you through it.

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Throughout the Years

A client recently brought in negatives from the 40s and 50s. We made contact sheets in the darkroom for the client so they could see the family members throughout the years. 

Dodging & Burning

While we use photoshop on daily basis to create beautiful digital images we also love using traditional darkroom techniques to create the best fiber or RC print we can. Almost every print we make requires some dodging and burning. Here is a brief explanation of dodging and burning:

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BURNING IN

This is where a portion of a print is too bright after the main exposure. The majority of the print looks good, so additional exposure would make it too dark. To fix this you add additional light ONLY to the bright area. To do this you cut a hole in cardboard or use your hand in a cup shape to project a beam of light back onto the paper AFTER the main exposure. This happens a lot in skies or if a heavy flash has been used. We also use burning to add a vignette to an image.

Some of our burning tools

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DODGING

This is where a portion of a print is too dark in the shadows after the main exposure is made on the enlarger. To fix this during the exposure you hold back or shade the problem area with a dodge tool (a piece of dark cardboard or plastic on the end of a thin metal wand). The time using the tool varies depending on how dark the problem area is during the main exposure. It is very important to keep the dodge tool in motion during the exposure, this helps feather the effect and makes it blend into the rest of the photograph. We usually use dodging in shadows to bring out texture in the print. You want to have a rich black but you do not want to block up all of the shadows in the image to achieve the rich black!

Some of our dodging tools

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An example of darkroom dodging and burning from Fstoppers

If you want to learn more about darkroom editing we recommend checking out this post on FStoppers Website

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Day in the Darkroom

Paul and Liz have been busy printing  Stephen Sheffield's beautiful photography. We have 26 negatives and making over 50 silver gelatin fiber prints in total for this artist! We always enjoy working with Stephen and love the range of tones in his black & white negatives. Film is most certainly not dead!

Darkroom Details: What is a RC Print, Fiber Print & more?

We have three working darkrooms here at Panopticon Imaging. Each room has its own specific purpose. One houses the printing lab, one our film processor and the third is where we create LVT digital negatives. In our printing lab we hand/tray process each print to ensure the consistency throughout the printing process. The film processor darkroom details are listed here. Our LVT darkroom is where we can create new negatives from digital files (more details below). We are happy to share information about these processes that we know and love. Video by: Frank Hegyi

rccombo_ver1.2

What is an RC Print?

RC or Resin Coated Paper is darkroom paper with a base that is sealed between two polyethylene layers, meaning it has a plastic base. Since the base is sealed between the two layers it does not actually absorb the chemicals, greatly reducing the amount of time RC prints need to be washed. This is the most affordable darkroom option, however, the least archival. There is developer in the paper to increase speed of development. Over time this will deteriorate giving your print a lifespan of 20-40 years depending upon storage conditions. This is used for contact prints of negatives and prints. This paper was popular with press & newspapers as they needed images fast for breaking news. The RC paper we print on is Ilford Glossy or Pearl with a weight of 190 gsm (Medium weight) paper.

fiberprint_combo1.2

What is a Silver Gelatin Fiber Print?

Silver print, Fiber prints, Gelatin silver as they are commonly referred to and are one and the same. This is a museum quality, tray printing process (not machine processed). Fiber paper is a paper base that is coated with photographic emulsion. The base of fiber prints are not sealed like the RC paper, this makes for a slower process with washing and drying. These beautiful, archival, exhibition quality, black & white, silver gelatin, fiber prints have superior tonal range, durability, and resistance to fading for over 200 years. All prints are finished with a Selenium bath to assure archival permanence. There is the option of warm tone, glossy or matte Ilford Papers. Fiber paper is 225 gsm which is a double weight paper.

Selenium_combo

What is a Selenium Bath / Toning?

We use a Selenium bath to increase the permanence of our Silver Gelatin Fiber prints. For this process we use a combination of diluted Selenium, Fixer Remover and water for a short bath prior to a final wash. Selenium converts some of the original silver image to silver selenide, a more stable form of silver. The Selenium also increases the tonal range available in the paper, deepening the blacks and brightening the lights just a touch. If it is desired, Selenium can also be used to change the color tone of the print. A diluted solution of only Selenium and water will give you a red-brown tone. While a stronger Selenium solution with result in a purple-brown tone.

lvtneg

What is an LVT Negative?

LVT stands for Light Valve Technology. This process which is also known as a Digital Negative or Digital to Silver process is used to create a new negative from a digital file. We have several machines that can create these beautiful negatives on 8x10 sheet film. We have many clients that have damaged negatives that need to be digitally restored and then new negatives made. Also, if you are shooting digitally this give you the option to have prints made in the darkroom. Film is not dead!

LVT negatives: Stephen Sheffield

Agnieszka Sosnowska- Icelandic Self Portraits

Agnieszka Sosnowska is a talented photographer that we have been lucky to work with for the past several years. She has been very busy lately and get have been able to assist her with silver gelatin fiber printing and digital scans and prints. She was born in Poland, raise in Boston and currently resides in Iceland. Her everyday life in Iceland is the subject of her beautiful portfolio.

Recently, she was featured in CNN's online Living Section. James K. White writes "Her life in Iceland looks, well, brutal. But she allows her audience glimpses of her feminine and playful side, too."

We had an opportunity to assist her for an exhibition at the Reykjavik Museum of Photography titled "Verksummerki/ Traces of Life". We received these beautiful images from the artist. Make sure to check out her portfolio of images on her website!

Time Capsule in a Chocolate Box

We had some wonderful clients come in with their parents/grandparents film collection from 1946 Berlin. Close to 50 rolls of Kodak and Agfa film. They were stored in a wooden chocolate box for close to 70 years! It was like opening up a time capsule.

The film was all neatly marked with location and dates. None of the film was damaged except the paper wrapping was brittle to the touch. It was wonderful to hear the stories of the film and the travels of the clients father. We will make sure to post images as we develop them!

Film is Not Dead

Did you know that we process Black and White Film? Paul & Liz are happy that the whole world has not gone digital. We can process 35 mm, 120, 220, 4x5, 5x7 and 8x10 sheet film!

We have a 13 tank Kreonite Dip and Dunk Black and White film Processor. We love this machine and let me tell you why. Our machine has constant agitation which leads to even & consistent film development. While alternative processes like Hand-line processing and rotary processors have very inconsistent agitation which can cause tonal variations in your film. Our Dip and Dunk minimizes handling which will prevent surface scratches which can happen on roller transport machines. Not to mention they have simple mechanics and are constructed to run 24 hours a day so they are robust machines!

Being photographers ourselves we take the utmost respect when handling your film. We meticulously handle each roll and will cut or not cut your film according to your specifications. We will accommodate special processing instructions too! #filmisnotdeadfriday

Lindsey Beal - Lost Art of Daguerreotypes

Rhode Island based artist, Lindsey Beal brought some of her recently created Daguerreotypes into the office for framing. She made these photographs while at a workshop at the Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina. Also, she teaches at Rhode Island College and New Hampshire Institute of Art. Daguerreotype, an alternative process, has become a lost art form due to the labor involved in creating them. The process was first created in 1839, the artist polished a sheet of silver plated copper, treats it with fumes that makes its surface light-sensitive. Then the plate is exposed in a camera.

Ms. Beal reviewing her work with owner, Paul Sneyd.

 Liz framing Ms. Beal's daguerreotypes

Fun, Funky and Strange Darkroom Tales

We have three working darkrooms here at the office. Each serving a different purpose. One for darkroom printing, one for film development and the third for creating new negatives from digital files. Needless to say, we get asked a lot of questions about printing and developing and get out fair share of  interesting requests. First, this is the oldest film we have ever processed. The roll states "Develop before 1915". Sad to say there were no images present, it was actually never exposed.

Next up is the Circular Glass Plate Negatives we got asked to print. These images were taken with concealed vest Camera! Similiar to the ad below. "No Tourist, Artist, or Student, amateur or professional, should be without this camera". We agree.

The wonderfully creative Matt Gamber never lets us down with his darkroom requests! He created his own paper negatives using vintage television sets. From his series "This is (Still) the Golden Age" he captures still from such TV shows as  "Price is Right" and "The Lawrence Welk Show".  Mr. Gamber is represented by Gallery Kayafas located on Harrison Avenue in Boston, MA.

We always have plenty of 8x10 film on hand to assist you make your digital files turned into negatives. FILM IS NOT DEAD!

Fiber Printing at Panopticon

Guggenheim Fellow Cheryle St. Onge's beautiful silver gelatin fiber prints are all printed and ready for shipping. So delighted to have the opportunity to work with such a great artist and wonderful portfolio!