U of S | Mailing List Archive | alt-photo-process-l | Re: Gum on masa, again

Re: Gum on masa, again



(snip)
Wow, six 12x16"s a time; an enviable performance! How yo do it?
Intermittent agitation? Can you please elaborate a little bit?
Regards,
Loris.


I was going to actually confess I do 8, but then you'd really think I was nuts.

Absolutely intermittent agitation. I just abide by one principle: as soon as the print is exposed, it goes into the water to leach out the dichromate. From that point on it stays moist--somehow, usually face up in an inch of water in a tray, and then bathtub development can take place immediately or in a couple hours--it doesn't much matter. Necessity (when getting ready for a show or having to leave to go to class with the gum prints not finished) is the mother of invention. Oh, one more caveat is if I DO leave the house I try to make sure the print will stay completely submerged and not bobble in parts to the surface. If that happens you can get uneven development.

It is kindof amazing how long, really, one can leave a gum print in the development bath and still get a great print. 8 hr--no problem for me.

The other reason, though, I do that many at once is that I usually do two iterations of each image at a time, one to do photographically aka no manipulation during development and then one to have fun with/take chances with. Most times I end up liking the latter better.
Chris
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Christina Z. Anderson
http://christinaZanderson.com/
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