These are two of four photos I entered in our county fair, Taken in the Smoky Mountains National Park. The first is an 1840's school house, it still has the original furniture and it isn't bolted down! The second is one of the many creeks running through the park. I took them with a Nikon D90, 18-105mm lens on a tripod. Very slight adjustments and cropping in photoshop.
After a few weeks as a member of UGG I finally got up the nerve to post something!

Glad to see another diehard! I just bought a 4X5 that I am looking forward to using, I have a Mamiya RB67 I use most of the time and a Minolta SRT101 is now being used for infrared that I wanted to try this summer and the Minolta is 36 frames so I could bracket and get a better idea of what I am doing in one roll rather than say 4 with the Mamiya.When I am comfortable with how the 35mm infrared is coming out, I will start using it in the Mamiya. If 4X5 wasn't so expensive, I would use it for everything!
I wish I found this site a long time ago, I was starting to feel there were only a few of us on the planet that wanted to shoot the breeze and especially share their vast knowledge!
Kodak stopped making film because in 2000 they were selling 60 million rolls a year, digital which Kodak had a big hand in the creation of, drove film sales down to 2 million rolls a year.Illford was more or less taken over by it's employees that wanted to keep their jobs, an idea that some of the Kodak people should have considered.

great shots! I love shooting clouds! Do you use a filter and if so which one?

That shot is stunning, I love shooting with water, sometimes I ad some glycerine to some water in a spyer bottle and make my own raindrops. They hold up longer than regular water.

To all that answered the last one, thank you. The info was invaluabe.
If any of you would like to take the time, I'd like to know more. I found out I needed blotter paper to soak up as much water from the print as possible so I won't be using a squeegee. Can someone explain the entire process? From when I take it out of the final rinse, the drying process? I will be grateful,
Thanks Frank Hayes aka fhayes

too much time in the sun? so you were both dragon (dragging)? That dragon really lights up in the backlight!

Digital I have a Nikon D90. It doesn't compare to the Black and whites I shoto wjth my film cameras which are Minolta srt 100 and 101, Minolta autocord, Rolleiflex tlr, Graflex 4x5 and finally a Mamiya RB67. They suit my mood, I have never have the instant satisfaction urge to see my shots 'right now', I enjoy the wait and I really enjoy the process of developing and printing my film. I can scan them if I want and email them to those I want to enjoy with me. To misquote Charlton Heston 'you can have my film camera when you pry it from my cold dead hands'. I also have a kodak from the 1920's that I am getting ready to start using. Digital is wonderful, but it doesn't always suit my creative needs. I told a friend to shoot the same object with film and digital and see which one he likes most. Film won.

Thanks for the info, I will be sending it in. I picked this up for a lot less than I could have on ebay and I have a problem with tossing it and buying another.

What do you mean by wetting agent? As you can see, I am dry behind the ears on this. I'd like to find a book that explains doing it since I don't know anyone with a print dryer like these.
Thanks, Frank

Gentlemen,
Thanks for your comments, you have taken very good care of me here!

I picked up a couple of paper dryers, with the metal plate and fabric that goes over the paper and holds it down. My question is, which side up, the back or the print?
Thanks, Frank

I have an RB67 and my prism viewer's exposure meter isn't working. Mamiya seems to have lost it's web page, do any of you know of someone that works on these?
Thanks, Frank

I'm looking for a used enlarger that will be able to handle up to 4X5 negatives. I really like some of the older Omegas. Can someone suggest an enlarger?
Thanks, Frank

I love these! They are the hardest to shoot in my yard of anywhere else, I usually use a tripod with a quick release on the head but dragonflies are too fast for me. If I could just get one on break, enjoying the sun or shade...

Went to Tennessee in April for my Stepsons wedding,since we were so close to the park, Annie, my wife of 12 years said she would drive and I could look for things to shoot. So far, these 3 are the favorites of over 1,000. The schoolhouse was built in the 1840's, I was surprised that the desks were still there, not bolted to the floor. The boards for the walls are two feet wide and about six inches thick. One heavy small piece of architecture! I can't guess how long the streams have been there, I'll assume longer than the school!