Smell-O-Vision

R

Roger Hicks

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What smells are photographically evocative for you? Fixer, of course. But what prompted this thread was the hot smell of the hot lights on my Kaiser copying stand. Fresh film. A new box of paper. Then there's the semi-cured leather of FSU camera cases. And as Frances says, the lingering smell of developer on your fingers, even after you've washed your hands.

Any more?

Cheers,

R.
 
Fixer and Stop Bath are just smells that come with film developing or printing...as much as I dislike the smell of Kodak's Indicator Stop Bath I do get a whiff of it when I mix it for printing...I know my nose will be offended but I still do it...
Smelling the back of your camera...hoping to detect if a roll of film is in there...

I have this Tamrac Camera case/backpack that stores my Zone VI 4x5 view camera...
When I unzip it it has this scent/smell that's unique to this bag & camera...I'm not sure what it is but it's been there as long as I can remember...

Do any of you old timers remember the smell from a print dryer when the fiber based print wasn't fully washed of fixer...??? Ahh...good times...
 
The smell of some old camera coverings (decaying leather / glue combo?) can take me right back to times as a very young child playing around with an ancient folder of some sort (Kodak perhaps) that my maternal grandparents had. For some reason I loved the smell of that old thing as much as just handling it.
- James
 
I don't really like the smell of fixer- especially the smell left over on my hands. I guess the dislike has waned over time- it doesn't bother me too much anymore. or I'm losing my sense of smell... I never knew that fresh film had a smell!


for what it's worth, my M2 smells awful. but that shouldn't be a surprise because it's probably a bacteria haven. maybe it's time for a bath...
 
mto'brien said:
I use one of those regularly! Love the sound, but it does make me have to pee sometimes. Usually when I can't open the door yet... sorry, was that an over-share?

Smells: fresh film and FSU leather cases.
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My main experience with FSU cases is watching them turn green in the wet Brisbane summers! :D
 
Keith said:
My main experience with FSU cases is watching them turn green in the wet Brisbane summers! :D
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Yes, they can rot out rather quickly, but they smell like the baseball mitt I had as a kid. In little league I was a right fielder, so I really didn't have much to do out there except smell my mitt. :)
 
Cocoa butter: reminds me of girls in bikinis and the beach where I grew up. (and still live) Nothing for me is as evocative.
 
benlees said:
Not to be too damn cheesy but the smell of fresh air going out and about looking for things to take pictures of.
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Same here.
I'd take the smell of fresh Autumn or Spring air over any smells associated with photography.

I don't like fixer smells, I don't like ammonia smell from sepia toner, I don't like the smell of lith developer.

In fact, I'm going to spend money on a good exhaust fan when I'm finally ready to do my darkroom in the new house.
 
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