[LargeFormat] Is there anybody out there

[Stein]

Dear Friends,

     Uncle Dick is out here and is large formatting until he falls
unconscious. Actually it was not unconscious, it was rigid - he ricked his
back hoisting the Mighty Shen Hao around the studio and has been off work
for a week. This has not prevented him from using the camera to copy
aboriginal artwork nor has it stopped him from photographing mermaids in the
studio yesterday.

    The Mighty Shen now has a new old 8 x 10 wooden back courtesy eBay and
an adapter to take the wooden back of the Nagaoka for 4 x 5 shooting. The
use of real Lisco double darks in both 8 x 10 and 4 x 5 and real Ilford HP%
film has made all the difference to the operation. I'm afraid the for-free X
ray film can now be turned back in to the maker for silver recycling - the
HP5 is all I want or need in 8 x 10.

    I have been using it to make 8 x 10 contacts reminiscent of the 40's and
50's Hollywood studio gallery shots. Real period decor and props is
prohibitively expensive in antique shops but furniture and decor places
sometimes have near-enough lookalikes to provide sets. There is a good deal
of silver cloth and leopardskin prints about. I have yet to find a Jean
Harlow bearskin rug, and indeed so far no Jean Harlow, but I am conducting
weekly tests. I do have an Audrey Hepburn and a Sophia Loren.

    Next step is to get into the back of the Shen with some old  telephone
switches and make a sychroniser block for the the packard shutter so that I
do not have to coordinate my right hand with the bulb and the left hand with
the Quantum radio sender. I get it right most of the time but have lost a
few shots to mistiming.

     Uncle Dick