Re: First layer...

[Katharine Thayer <kthayer@pacifier.com>]

I was waiting to respond to this great demonstration til I could get  
down to my workshop and find my prints on the old Artistico paper,  
but when I finally got down there, I can't find that folder of  
examples of prints on a lot of different papers (I've recently moved  
and things aren't all unpacked yet.)

The reason I wanted to look at that paper is that I remembered it  
having more surface texture than this; I suspect the paper has  
changed substantially from my old paper of the same name.

The gum print itself is a good illustration of a point I was making  
on hybridphoto.com the other day about tonality being a function of  
the coating mix,  particularly the pigment concentration.  This shows  
so well how a medium to light pigment mix does very nice tonal  
gradation but doesn't give much DMax.  For comparison, here's a  
heavier (but not heaviest possible) mix of the same pigment, ivory  
black.  The DMax is darker  and the tonal gradation isn't bad in the  
shadows and midtones, but jumpy in the highlights.  This is a  
function of the pigment mix, not of the negative.  A print of the  
same negative on a lighter pigment mix gives smoother gradations in  
the highlights but not as dark DMax.   Like I always say, in any one  
gum layer, you can have drama or subtlety, but not both.

http://www.pacifier.com/~kthayer/html/kids.html

Thanks for showing,
Katharine




On Aug 25, 2007, at 3:59 PM, Loris Medici wrote:

> Hi,
>
> The paper is finally dry (or, almost dry since it's 30C 65% in my  
> darkroom right now!) below you may find links to see the print:
>
> Re-sized scan:
> http://www.loris.medici.name/gum/loris_gum_1st_layer_sm.jpg (159k)
>
> Cropped 100% 300dpi scan:
> http://www.loris.medici.name/gum/loris_gum_1st_layer_crop.jpg (43k)
> (Very good detail! Can you see the man? I think he's smoking... Can  
> you see the fine lines of the fire escape?)
>
> Re-sized scan (with diagram showing the crop):
> http://www.loris.medici.name/gum/loris_gum_1st_layer_diagram.jpg  
> (161k)
>
> This is one-coat (will do further coats later) Schmincke Ivory  
> Black. Print size is 25 x 16cm or 9 13/16 x 6 5/16".
>
> I'm very impressed. I got incredible shadow detail with my 2A+1B  
> Trad. Cyanotype curve designed for Masa Paper. Shadow detail is  
> even better than the Cyanotype version. Image is softer than  
> Cyanotype but the detail is still there...
>
> Regards,
> Loris.