Just want to thank Dave Soemarko for his LC-1B
formula, which I just used for the first time this evening in an attempt
to do some BTZS type testing with a Kodak Ortho lith film. I had forgotten
about this formula and did some initial tests with various other formulas,
with very bad results.
Then I remembered Dave's work on the formula that
was published in Post Factory, and in the book by Christopher James. So I
went to James, got the formula and mixed up the soup. It really worked
great. You have to really test this lith film carefully because it is
trigger happy in terms of contrast, but with a bit of work I was able to
derive data that should allow me to expose the film in the field over a
fairly wide range of SB R and develop for continuous tone.
I might mention that the immediate reason for
this testing lies in the fact that I just took delivery on a new Richard
Ritter 20X24" camera. Very rigid, with a full range of movements, and
weighs 23 lbs! I have some continuous tone film on hand but at the current
price I thought it might be interesting to get used to the camera with
lith film, which is much less expensive. And as luck would have it, I have
a couple hundred sheets of Kodak Ortho lith film, so that is what I am
experimenting with. With the very good success I have had with the
Soemarko LC-1B formula I figure in a day or two I will be ready to load
the new featherweight camera in the SUV and hit the trails.
Also note the round photography in the background
of all three pictures. That photograph is a portrait of me made by the
famous photographer Sam Wang.
Sandy King