24-Hours to Print
I can’t recall who suggested it initially. During one of our lengthy phone conversations, Dave and I discussed doing a project that required us to shoot a photo, develop the negative and make a print within a 24-hour period.
I had been wanting to start the project for a few months. Last weekend, I had been up in the Whitefish/Kalisepell for Nadoncher Fest, and met up with a fellow film enthusiast. She told me that a guy had given her a Leica IIIf and that she would let me borrow it sometime, but didn’t have it on her at the moment. As it happened, she came through Missoula a couple days later, brought the camera and passed it off to me. She wasn’t sure if it worked properly, so I planned to run a test roll through it. I thought, why not shoot the 24-hour project at the same time?
For clarification, one could do this project by shooting a single frame if they chose (for instance shooting 4x5 or 8x10, or 12 frames of medium format with a TLR). I opted to bulk-load a 24-frame roll of Ilford HP5+. I usually roll 36-frames, but from past experience, it can be hard to finish 36 frames in a short span of time. Further specs are that I pushed the exposure to 800iso. The camera is the Leica IIIf, built between 1950-1957, the lens is a collapsible 50mm Summitar f2.0. I usually shoot with a yellow filter, but unfortunately, the filter size on this lens differs from my 40mm Rokkor Summicron.
My darkroom is on the third floor of the apartment building I live in and it gets pretty warm in there by the afternoon, which can affect the chemicals during printing. With that in mind, I planned my day out to start shooting by late morning. This would allow me to get up the following morning and print while it’s still cool in the studio. I set out to walk around downtown at 11:15. I started at the north end of Higgins Avenue where a farmers market was taking place. I ambled through the various shops looking for anything that caught my eye. I was more interested in the people selling their wares than their actual products.
I noticed a little girl looking through a fence at the workings of a train engine. The contrast of her dress against the black train was what caught my eye. I kept walking and saw a gentleman selling cribbage boards. The scene struck me as humorous as he took a backseat approach to his sales, while the window behind him read “Grande Opening”; further still, there is a sign threatening to tow him away. I continued on, looking through other booths before continuing down Higgins.
There are some great side streets and alleyways that always seem to have some good light spilling through them. I took a couple shots, and moved on. I found a little slice of light that I was feeling and I stood idly for a bit waiting for someone to walk through.
A guy on a Onewheel board came cruising through and I snapped a quick shot.
Continuing on, I was drawn to a wall near the courthouse that I took a couple of shots of.
Turning south, I walked down toward Monk’s Bar. I gravitated toward a gentleman that was standing at the entrance to one of the buildings. I considered the EV under the tree that was casting shade onto him and adjusted my settings, while zone-focusing to roughly 4 feet.
The above photo is one of my favorite shots from the project. Keep in mind that I had never shot this camera before and there is no light meter or automation. With regard to the technical aspect of reading the available light by eye and setting the exposure, the familiarity of how a rangefinder system works and utilizing zone-focusing to work quickly, this is the kind of image that gets me excited when shooting on the street. On top of that, mustering the courage to get within 5 feet of a person and to raise the camera and make an image, it’s rewarding to come away with a photo that is technically accurate, and boldly captured.
Moving on, I continued looking for opportune spots. Initially I was checking out the area just to the right of the scene above. I started to realize its potential and set about reading its qualities. Some people walked through and I studied how the spot worked. When this fella was approaching, I thought he had the right look. This is the frame that I chose to print. I like that he has a slight smile, as if he’s seeing the humorous nature of the image being made. Mostly, I enjoy the beam of light anointing his head and his posture matching the angle. The final print has more contrast than the original negative. I prefer it this way. While I was framing up the shot, I saw it as a high-contrast scenario. When printing, I did need to burn his shirt, arm and head a bit as they were lacking detail.
Once I had a shot I was satisfied with from that spot, I moved on. I was eyeing an International Scout parked against a flat brick wall. I wanted to shoot it, and considered my options. As a lady approached, I thought I’d include her. Running into the middle of the street, I quickly got into position as cars were approaching. The crop-in shows the resolution power of the 70 year old vintage lens. “Scout” and “All Wheel” can be clearly read in the negative.
About this time, I was thinking a beer was in order. I moved toward one of the many breweries within the downtown area, always on the lookout for shots. An angle of light was shining in a back alley and I considered its potential. I wanted a human element included but it wasn’t really a high-traffic area. Just then, a guy riding a scooter came riding up and turned in the direction that I needed him to go. I didn’t get a chance to thank him.
I swung into Conflux for a beer and to reflect on the session so far. Without seeing my images yet, I considered what I would want to cover in this post. During the break, Nate hit me up to join in walking Lou. I made my way back to my bike and head his way. We went up the Rattlesnake, found a trail and made our way toward the river. I asked Nate to make an image of me up on a fallen tree. Once we reached the river, Nate humored me by climbing out onto a rock where the light as shining nicely.
Once we got back to town, the brewery was calling again. We headed to Draught Works (where I’m currently writing this), and met up with Max. These final images are quick snaps of my friends to finish out the roll. After the brewery, I walked home to develop. Once they were dried, I scanned them and reviewed the day’s work.
The following morning, I got up and headed into the darkroom. Having seen my images during scanning the night before, I had decided which image I wanted to print. It went smoothly, printing some test strips and seeing what needed to be burned.
I’m glad that the loaner camera worked out. Being that I was constrained to shooting during the middle of the day, I didn’t really have the opportunity to test a wide array of shutter speeds. I think I’ll shoot with it again, but not for a project; more of a casual roll allowing more opportunity for a variety of lighting situations.
My takeaway for the project is that it was enjoyable. I never really need a reason to go out walking with a camera, but having a project to focus on, and a time constraint, makes things more interesting. I think I’ll do the project again sometime in the future and add a different element to the mix.
Finally, thank you for reading about my experience. I hope it was enjoyable to read, as it was enjoyable to accomplish. If any of the images speak to you, prints are available in a variety of sizes; just reach out to me using the form below.
Thanks again,
- Fletcher
