RE: Shooting long range negs?
DEAR ROSS, I also agree with Sandy to use a pyro developer. I have had excellent results with Tri-X 8X10 film developed in PMK for platinum/palladium printing which needs nearly as much but not quite as much density range as salted paper. With this combination, I get excellent smooth highlights and good deep open shadows on my PT/PD prints. Pyro negs have the added attraction of still being printable with silver gelatin even when developed to contrasts necessary for alt processes. CHEERS! BOB -----Original Message----- From: Sandy King [mailto:sanking@clemson.edu] Sent: Thursday, August 09, 2007 11:00 AM To: alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca Subject: Re: Shooting long range negs? Ross, I don't know Fomapan 200 but Kodak TXP is not a good film for salted paper. You would be much better off with TMAX-400 or Ilford FP4+. Also, I would suggest the use of a staining developer as the stain will give a big boost to the overall contrast of your negatives since stain density blocks UV light. Chris Anderson's comments about sizing and fog are very appropriate. Salted paper is very sensitive to both and results can be very ugly if you don't pay attention to detail. Sandy King At 6:06 PM +1000 8/9/07, Ross Chambers wrote: >Dear Folk, > >I'm trying to achieve salted prints from 5x7 camera negatives. >I'm a little hampered by regular lack of access to a densitometer >(occasional access is not impossible -- I just don't want to strain the >friendship until I feel more confident of results) so I'm eyeballing them as >best I can using the step wedge on the light box comparison method. > >I would appreciate recommendations on the filmstocks / developers that I >have available (I've used Fomapan 200 and Kodak 320TXP; Xtol and D76 thus >far with results which printed OK on Ilford MG IV VC at grades 2 - 0, but >are still flat, but not totally hopeless, on salted paper). > >I'm paying regard to John Barnier's recommendation to extend processing time >by 30%. > >I have also Arista Ultra Edu 100 and APHS Litho (Jim Galli's evil influence) >neither of which I have tried. > >My developers option is D76, Xtol, HC110, Rodinal and a bunch of raw >chemistry. > >I haven't tried my preciously hoarded Arches Platine yet, I'm using some >cheap Canson 100 and realise that this could contribute to the short >contrast range. > >What would any of you successful salt printers grab off my shelf to set out >for a printable negative? > > >Thanks - Ross > > >=========================== >Ross Chambers >Blue Mountains >New South Wales >Australia >maelduin@ozemail.com.au > >===========================
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