Tag Archives: Instantograph

High-tech meets low-tech

Last week I was given some bits and bobs from a scientific darkroom that shut down at the university once the researchers had converted to a fully digital workflow. One of the items was a box of Kodak Electron Microscopy film (SO-163, if anyone is interested). The film comes in the unusual size of 3¼×4″, whichContinue reading “High-tech meets low-tech”

Victorian selfie

I had a brainwave about a better way of using my 1890s Lancaster Instantograph. It has no shutter so only very slow films can be used. Until now, I’ve been using paper negatives which are very slow, but can’t be enlarged – only contact-printed. I remembered I had a box of Kodalith 5×4″ lith filmContinue reading “Victorian selfie”

St Mary’s Church, Fishponds

Earlier this week in a charity shop in central Bristol, I discovered a parish magazine from my church, St Mary’s, Fishponds, dating from October 1947. I decided to scan it in and reproduce it here for anyone who is interested – look at the images below or download the PDF version. I think it’s fascinating – partlyContinue reading “St Mary’s Church, Fishponds”

The wrong side of the camera

I’m usually the photographer, and rarely the model. It’s not that I dislike posing for pictures, mostly that I don’t often get asked. But recently I offered to take part in Drew’s “1/52” project – each week, he takes a picture of a man wearing a hat. It was fun – I was relaxed inContinue reading “The wrong side of the camera”

Family portraits

It’s been a while since Christmas, when my father-in-law-to-be gave me a Victorian camera. I’ve played with it a few times since then but because I’ve been so busy I haven’t got around to scanning any of the pictures in. Until today. These pictures were taken between Christmas and New Year when I’d only hadContinue reading “Family portraits”

Lancaster Instantograph

Released 1887 The Instantograph is a quarter-plate view camera, first introduced in 1887 and produced until 1910, although it underwent several evolutions in that time. I think my example dates from about 1897. It takes glass plates  in the quarter plate format, although you can use sheet film or photographic paper too. I’ve written someContinue reading “Lancaster Instantograph”

First picture from the Instantograph

Yesterday I posted excitedly about my newest (and oldest) camera, the Instantograph. I discussed three options for getting film into it: cutting down glass plates, cutting down film, or cutting down printing paper. I don’t currently have large enough film to cut down, and I found that the glass plates I had hoped to useContinue reading “First picture from the Instantograph”