HINTS AND OFFERS FROM AREA 22 OFFICIALS.
The newly elected chairman of Area 22, Jeff Mundell, writing in his Area Newsletter, points out that he has been `in` photography for about 12 years with natural history and still life as his main interest - but always exclusively on colour slides. He also has a part-time business in wedding and industrial work using both 35mm and 6x6 formats. At the moment he is busy constructing a 5" x 4" field camera. The design and construction of trigger devices for remote control and high speed flash units are amongst his other interests.
Jeff, whilst admitting he is a novice, has also dabbled with home processing and colour printing. He offers advice to any member interested in trigger devices or high speed flash. His address is: 140. Mount Road, Chessington, Surrey, KT9 1JL.
The Secretary of this same Area, George Sparkes, in the same issue of this local Newsletter, mentions having to make up fresh solutions following a Malta holiday. He noticed a new bottle in which the contents had a slightly different colour to the older chemical in another container. This, as he says is always somewhat disconcerting.
This is very true, George, though you say the results were good, so the chemical colour, in this case, doesn`t appear to have mattered. But if the chemical was CD.3 and the colour becomes excessively dark... watch out! I mention this same point in an item in my Round -A- Bout Column.
George gives a hint of value regarding the tracing of scratches on a film. Keep a note, he says, of which film goes into which cassette. Put a sticky label on each cassette detailing a reference number and the length of the film therein. Then with the slightest suspicion of a scratch and out goes that particular cassette.
Needing to replace drive belts on both is slide and cine projectors, George contacted on Bill Crumplin`s recommendation, Mr. Ken Valentine, 29. Highfield Road, Bushey, Herts, WD2 2HD (tel. 0923-242156) who supplied the items at £1.30 plus 30p post.
George bemoans the fact that copy for both the National Newsletter and the Area ones is becoming a major headache: as he says, "It`s like getting blood out of a stone". I know only too well what you mean, George! members fail to realise that the people writing in the various Newsletters can only include what is given to them by other members. Even the more mundane of incidents experienced by a chappie can often be the spark needed to provide a paragraph, or maybe a full page article. But, quite obviously, the member who has to supply the copy can`t enlarge on a particular item if the `bare-bones` are not supplied to him/her. So come on you chaps. Get in touch with one or other of the officials who do, quite seriously, need your copy desperately.
I sent one of my slides from a recent processing to George. He seems to have been suitably impressed. This was simply a random one chosen from a total of six films. All were processed within a two days period and all were in the normal Club brew - but with the accepted amount of CD3 - 11gms/litre. Which appears to have brought the brew right at the top of the list. For quality, that is. I feel it now is the equal to any. And is most definitely better than some.
Ron Knowles.