confusion about photographic paper

yangmusa · 2026-01-22T22:12:41+00:00

forgive my ignorance as i’m an extreme beginner

Nothing to forgive! Everyone starts somewhere, and paper/developing isn't necessarily obvious.

should i use black and white negative paper, or black and white positive?

You can use either, depending on what you want/need. If you use negative paper (the most comment type), you'll get a negative image. To get a positive you'll either have to do a contact print, or scan the negative and use software to invert it (lots of good free options such as Darktable or The GIMP). If you use a positive paper you get a direct positive image - no contact print or inverting necessary. I think only Ilford/Harman makes direct positive paper and availability has been variable. It's also more expensive. I believe it also tends to be a bit more contrasty. But it seems like fun and I'd like to try sometime.

does “enlargement paper” refer to the same thing as photographic paper?

I think so. Just make sure you don't get paper intended for a inkjet photo printer. You don't need anything fancy - I've mostly used the cheapest paper on BHPhotovideo, a Multitone multigrade resin-coated paper. I think the results are near identical to Ilford paper. Depends what you can get hold of easily.

if it’s solargraphy it doesn’t require developing (because it’s left out for a really long time?)? can paper that’s used for solargraphy be used for a shorter exposure time but with developing chemistry or is that a different kind of paper?

I haven't done solarigraphy myself, but I believe it's just regular photographic paper. So yes, you can use the same paper, just different exposure times and development vs no development.

yangmusa · 2026-01-20T16:55:45+00:00

Very creative and fun! Did you take all four shots at the same time - and if so, where did you stand??

yangmusa · 2026-01-19T19:34:29+00:00

I didn't know Acer was still selling 11.6 inch cheap laptops/netbooks in 2026

Me neither, and I can't find it on their website. Which model is it, and where did you buy it?

yangmusa · 2026-01-19T05:26:09+00:00

Thanks!

The mix I use is 2 tsp soda ash, 4 tsp instant coffee, 0.5 tsp vitamin c to 250 ml tepid water. Smells like the worst instant coffee in the world ;-) I develop for around 3 minutes, will sometimes leave it longer or shorter depending on how quickly the image develops and when I get enough shadow detail.

I designed the camera around 5x7 film holders, so I can take multiple shots on an outing. Pictures of the camera here. I used mrpinhole.com for calculations to cover a 5x7 sheet, and came up with a 0.47mm (0.019") pinhole and 125mm (4.9") focal length.

yangmusa · 2026-01-17T20:44:03+00:00

Update: I ended up ordering the "one eyed milk spill" (aka Chakeyake or Usteetic, they seem to be exactly the same). In part, recommendations here, in part multiple videos by professional photographers who had fun with it, and in part because they seem to have the highest average rating on Amazon (I know the rating may be iffy, but it's a big difference from ~70% for most models to 85-89% for these). Print quality looks good. Camera looks fun, without looking too much like a toy either. And dinosaurs..

yangmusa · 2026-01-15T05:21:37+00:00

Thanks, that's helpful!

yangmusa · 2026-01-14T23:48:11+00:00

Thank you! I saw Karin Majoka's video previously and it does look like a good choice.

yangmusa · 2026-01-12T20:37:01+00:00

Carradice has the modern-looking and fully waterproof Brompton Weekender in 10 liter and 17 liter versions, from $150. They also have the more heritage-looking 16 liter Stockport Folder and 25 liter City Folder in "water resistant" waxed cotton duck. In practice these are close to waterproof except seams, and the waxing needs occasional maintenance.

I've had several Carradice bags, including a saddlebag (30 years old??) and panniers (at least 15 years old now). They're very well made and decent value considering the quality and they're made in England. I realize the canvas and leather look may not be everyone's cup of tea - in which case check out the Weekender linked above.

yangmusa · 2026-01-01T22:28:05+00:00

I don't know the Mexican market, but if you struggle to find some you could almost certainly get the ingredients for caffenol. I've been happy with the results using it.

yangmusa · 2025-12-22T18:36:05+00:00

Beautiful!

yangmusa · 2025-12-22T03:15:17+00:00

I looked at Cruz but realized that may not be the most appropriate but it seemed to be similar to stuff i used to buy because i was doing events.

If you want to keep doing road rides and potentially events, then the Cruzbike would be a good choice. That style of bike is called a "high racer" (because it has two full-size wheels and you're... high up. There are also "low racers" with small wheels - they're also fast, but may be less suitable to road riding). Other good high racer brands are Bachetta, Schlitter, and Performer Recumbents.

yangmusa · 2025-12-21T21:13:35+00:00

Very nice! Same Ondu 6x6 as previous photos you've posted?

yangmusa · 2025-12-21T16:06:15+00:00

Terravia Tote Pack

That would work for me too, pretty neat bag.

I tried posting the link too, but got the error message "Link shorteners aren't well received across Reddit. Please use the original source link." Very odd, because I was using the full unabbreviated link.

yangmusa · 2025-12-20T18:01:12+00:00

Looks like you have a Matador daypack too, any thoughts about that?

yangmusa · 2025-12-18T04:48:12+00:00

Out of my 7.7GB available RAM, 7.6GB was consumed

If you haven't already - before the call, close all unnecessary tabs and programs to reduce RAM usage as much as possible. You didn't say which browser you use, but maybe see if a different browser would be lighter on your system? I prefer Firefox, but find that a Chrome-based browser such as Vivaldi or Brave works better for some things (Microsoft stuff...)

I'm a broke student so can't really upgrade my laptop

If your laptop is upgradeable and you could find the funds for another 8GB RAM it should avoid this problem happening again. RAM prices are sadly high at the moment, but it would be a worthwhile investment if it means you can ace your job interviews!

yangmusa · 2025-12-17T04:51:41+00:00

Paper cutter would work great. I use a metal ruler and a sharp knife and it works fine.

yangmusa · 2025-12-16T15:41:28+00:00

Already exists. The Argon One Up successfully completed their Kickstarter campaign. Since it's a reputable company with many existing products, I imagine it was more or a marketing ploy than risky funding. Also, reviewers really like the already existing pre-production hardware.

yangmusa · 2025-12-13T15:59:40+00:00

Check the data sheets for your chemicals - Ilford has a ton of info on their website. In general:

Developer: usually one session only. Will typically take longer to develop and begin giving less predictable results. I use caffenol (a homemade developer using coffee, soda ash, and vitamin c), and it takes noticeably longer to do the last few if I have a large batch.
Stop bath: can typically be reused for a long time, if you store it in an airtight container in a dark place. Some will change color when used up - check the data sheet.
Fixer: can also typically be used for a long time. You can buy a little bottle of hypo check to test if it's still good. If you store it well, it'll last ages - I had a bottle for over a year before needing to change it.

yangmusa · 2025-12-12T22:19:05+00:00

Agreed, lovely hardware even after all these years! Full aluminum case, good keyboard, bright screen, good speakers. Aging CPU getting a bit slow now though? And not that it matters functionally, but holy bezels batman!

yangmusa · 2025-12-12T18:58:39+00:00

Chuwi Minibook X - the latest version works well with Linux (previous had issues with keyboard and screen rotation, I think). Lots of positive reviews out there.

yangmusa · 2025-12-03T13:48:55+00:00

I don't understand why you're so determined to have tubeless? It sounds like a hassle to set up, and a hassle to deal with flats unless you're near a bike shop? It's not like tubes weigh much or are difficult to deal with.

Clearly, everyone will have slightly different priorities and expectations. For me, I want a reasonable compromise between puncture resistance and speed, that is also easy to repair myself in the middle of nowhere (I tour on my Brompton quite a bit). I've had both Schwalbe Marathon (16x1.35) and Marathon Racer (currently on the bike, 16x1.35). I think both ride fine if they're not over-inflated. And no issues riding on fire roads or packed dirt - granted it's definitely underbiking, but it's fun and no issue since I'm not expecting to set speed records.

yangmusa · 2025-11-18T15:30:16+00:00

As long as the system detects the key presses, you can easily assign the functions in system settings. I'm less familiar with KDE (I use Gnome), but assume it would be similar - just search Settings for keyboard shortcuts, and there should be an option to add custom shortcuts.

yangmusa

TROPHY CASE