Re: edible alt

[Diana Bloomfield <dhbloomfield@bellsouth.net>]

Hi Bob,

I posted this before, I think, and you most likely know about this  
already-- but I was making some pt/pd prints for an exhibit and, at  
the 11th hour, ran out of developer.  I called my 2 friends here who  
do pt'pd printing, and both were away.  This was a Sunday, so not  
much open around here.  I looked up a recipe for sodium acetate  
developer, and it can be made using baking soda and vinegar.  I tried  
it, and it worked like a charm.  I normally use potassium oxalate,  
and the sodium acetate had a less warm brown tone and produced much  
more of a deep grey, b&w tone.  I liked the look of it.  I haven't  
done it since, but as I remember, I used distilled white vinegar--  
put the baking soda in first and kept adding vinegar until it fizzed,  
and I couldn't see any more baking soda.  Not very scientific, I  
know-- but I had to use a lot to get a good amount of developer.    
Anyway, it did the trick, and the prints looked good-- with  
absolutely no hint of  clearing problems, either-- which I sometimes  
get with the potassium oxalate and certain papers.

Diana



> DEAR LIST,
> 	I seem to recall in past postings that certain "food" items could be
> used in alt photography.
> For example I read that a saturated solution of MSG could be used  
> to develop
> PT/PD prints.  I also recall that either Sprite or 7-Up had enough
> phosphoric acid in it to be used as a clearing bath.
> 	I would like to add a few.  Most "Iron tonics" used for anemia
> contain ferric ammonium citrate as their "iron".  If I mix them  
> with a bit
> of Potassium Ferricyanide solution I could make some cyanotypes, yes?
> 	I returned from Paris with a nasty flu and have been taking
> Buckley's cough syrup with its characteristic high gag factor  
> ammonium smell
> & taste.  When I read the label it stated that it contained Ammonium
> Carbonate.  Soooooooooo, if Eric Neilsen will tall me the right  
> amount of
> citric acid to add, I guess I could make an Ammonium Citrate PT/PD
> developer.
> 	I must confess I find it scary to consume anything that can either
> develop or clear PT/PD prints but I guess this is "better living  
> through
> chemistry" as our old pals at DuPont used to say.
> 		HOLIDAY CHEERS!
> 			BOB
>
>  Please check my website: http://www.bobkiss.com/
>
> "Live as if you are going to die tomorrow.  Learn as if you are  
> going to
> live forever".  Mahatma Gandhi