[LargeFormat] Introductions

[Don Feinberg]

>It seems that we do not hear from a large number of people on the
>list so this in an invite to everyone to come out of lurking mode and
>tell us who you are. Something simple on your photographic
>background, kit and preferred format/film and location would be a
>good starting point.

My turn...

I'm living in the suburbs of Chicago, but I'm not "from" here.  I'm really
not from anywhere any more.  I've lived about a third of my life outside of
the US.  Though I was born in New York, if there was to be a place I would
most consider home, it really would be Israel.

I've been photographing one way or another since the late 1950s.  I had a
Kodak Hawkeye Brownie which I got for a gift (620 Verichrome Pan, and off
and running...).  I got into 35mm in college in the 60s and paid a fair
amount of my tuition doing weddings, Bar Mitzvahs, etc.  I did all my own
darkroom work -- fortunately, the dorm I lived in had an old darkroom, with
a Federal 4x5 enlarger (imagine doing 35mm in the glass 4x5 carrier!).  But
I made it work somehow, and sold pix.

I didn't do too much in the 70s.  Built a darkroom or two, but didn't do
anything serious.  In the 80s, I did a lot of wildlife photography,  in
35mm, in Kenya, Uganda, Seychelles, etc.  My current 35mm is Nikon F90 with
a few lenses.  But today, I only use 35 when I really need the portability.
It's so easy to use, but it's such a tragedy in the darkroom!

I got into MF, then LF in the 90s.

I've been doing a lot of nature / natural history / light patterns.  I like
water, snow, and ice, and I like light patterns.  I can't find anything to
photograph here in the Ameican midwest.  I much prefer the US northeast,
much of Canada, northern, central, and eastern Europe, ...

My MF gear is all Kiev 88.  I've got three of them, with all the lenses made
for it, which I bought in E Eur (I worked for most of the 89 to 96 in
Poland, Bulgaria, and Russia).  I did a lot of work getting that system
working; today it all works flawlessly.

My first LF was a B&J Saturn 75, a 5x7 monorail with a 4x5 back.  Had a lot
of fun, and then built a 4x5 cherrywood field from scratch (Yes, really; see
www.duckproductions.com)!

Now I'm in my second darkroom since 1997 -- a pretty good one; I'm doing
some exhibition printing both B&W and in color.  I have a D5XL set up with
dichroics, plus a D2 with both condenser and cold light.  This way, I "cover
all the bases" for particular negatives.  I've gotten into f-stop printing
(thanks, Rich!) and haven't turned back since.  I've developed a pretty
substantial raw chemical closet, and I've been brewing  my own chemistry for
B&W, though still using Kodak for color.  I've brewed much of my own
formulary now for both film and paper developing, toning, etc.

And I'm not anti-digital.  I have worked in the computer industry for 35
years.  However,  I have had the misfortune (?) to have been exposed to some
really high quality prints several times in my life.  I've learned  what a
really top-quality print looks like.  Enough said?

I'm about to start taking in and doing some limited exhibition printing work
commercially.  My intent is mostly B&W, since there is no one left in the
western part of the Chicago area who does any B&W any more!!  I'll be
updating my www.duckproductions.com website, probably this coming week, with
services and prices.  If you're interested, drop me a mail...

Don Feinberg
ducque@mindspring.com