[alt-photo] Re: Fwd: salt printing and contrast

Darryl Baird darryl at darrylbaird.com
Sat Aug 25 16:51:10 GMT 2012 

 

Yes, this technique is mentioned in Chris James' book, and it works
to increase the D-Max of a given print. So does double coating and
doesn't require me to make two different print exposures. (my preference
is to establish a set printing time and keep working while it's
"cooking," rather than keep getting up to change the printing frame) I
tested this approach and decided to double coat, but then I changed
other parts of the formula and got prints as good as the double coated
ones and kept moving forward with what was working for me at the moment.
I'm hoping the fumed silica will further deepen my dark values and that
will be the final step in improving my prints, besides the final print
color. (fingers crossed) 

another point... removing the salt prints
tendency towards staining/fogging (and dulling the highlights) also
contributes to better contrast. It seems citric acid added to the silver
nitrate sensitizer pretty much solves that issue. It's generally offered
in the literature as a way to keep the sensitized paper "out" longer,
and in my experience that's basically a reduction in fogging/staining
and not sensitivity. 

D 

On 2012-08-25 07:46, Christina Anderson
wrote: 

> Here's a message from John, below....
> Chris
> Christina Z.
Anderson
> christinaZanderson.com
> 
> Begin forwarded message:
> 
>>
From: John Brewer <johnbrewerphotography at gmail.com [9]> Date: August 25,
2012 2:05:22 AM MDT To: Christina Anderson <zphoto at montana.net [10]>
Subject: Fwd: salt printing and contrast Hi Chris I can't seem to post
to the list via my phone and I'm away. Below is an email I tried to
send. Best wishes John Sent from my iPhone Begin forwarded message: 
>>

>>> From: John Brewer <johnbrewerphotography at gmail.com [6]> Date: 23
August 2012 21:04:37 GMT+01:00 To: The alternative photographic
processes mailing list <alt-photo-process-list at lists.altphotolist.org
[7]> Subject: salt printing and contrast Hi Chris 
>>> 
>>>> One thing I
am puzzling with is Young's use of the word "contrast." If a certain
solution is faster in exposure, she then equates it with lower contrast.
Now, I could be the one confused but I have always understood contrast
to be separate from exposure. Once maximum black and maximum white are
achieved, the number of steps between the two is either fewer (more
contrasty) or greater (less contrasty) but if comparing faster and
slower solutions this gives a false read.
>>> This works with other alt
processes as a contrast control. Try it with cyanotype or plat/plad.
Block some uv light with say tracing paper or velum and you'll see an
increase in contrast as the exposure lengthens. The Victorians knew this
and to increase contrast put printing frames in the shadow rather than
direct sunlight. This I think is one of many reasons why third party
curves don't work. Best John. Sent from my iPad On 23 Aug 2012, at
19:28, Christina Anderson <zphoto at montana.net [8]> wrote: 
>>> 
>>>>
Darryl, Can I quote you :)? I am thrilled to find someone really doing
salt on this list, separate from albumen anyway... Do you find salt a
longer tonal range than pt/pd? What is your choice of fixing bath and
time? So the amount of silver nitrate influences color...you would have
to be, therefore, exact with your drop-to-sq.-inch count to get similar
color, right? One thing I am puzzling with is Young's use of the word
"contrast." If a certain solution is faster in exposure, she then
equates it with lower contrast. Now, I could be the one confused but I
have always understood contrast to be separate from exposure. Once
maximum black and maximum white are achieved, the number of steps
between the two is either fewer (more contrasty) or greater (less
contrasty) but if comparing faster and slower solutions this gives a
false read. That would be like, in the B&W darkroom, exposing a grade 0
paper and a grade 5 paper the same time and comparing the papers'
contrast. I would first get the standard printing time (SPT) and then
compare the number of steps. But I could totally have it wrong all these
years. PLEASE correct me?? I have the PDF, and just ordered the book,
but thanks for the offer. I wanted to see the step wedges in print. I do
like her clear method of writing and testing. An off-lister suggested
Ware's article on salt, too. OH, one other thing. I was able to see
Panera and Hajicek's giant salt print photograms done in the sunlight at
F295 a few years back. Now THEY were stunning. And of course Dan
Estabrook's work is a favorite of mine. Jesseca Ferguson as well. Chris
Christina Z. Anderson christinaZanderson.com On Aug 23, 2012, at 12:09
PM, Darryl Baird wrote: 
>>>> 
>>>>> Chris, I spent a good portion of
this year working on getting salt printing "down" and I've discovered
there isn't a single formula published that works completely as
"advertised" in any of the sources you've just cited. Young's work is,
by far, the most complete, yet there are gaps or things a little glossed
over. I revised Young's formula (using Potassium Chloride) with a couple
of additives in the sizing, and a minor modification in the hypo stage.
I was happy... notice the past tense. Young published her research as a
dissertation first, then revised it into the pdf "manual." I have both
if you'd like a copy of the former. One of the latest finds (for me) is
a statement by Reilly about the color also being determined by the
amount of silver used (retained in the paper) in making any image. It
made perfect sense that the final amount of silver within the image
being toned would have an affect on the final color. This one little
"detail" sent me over the top considering I want EVERY print I produce
in a portfolio to match in color. So, my next challenge is to manage a
method to estimate the amount of total silver present and adjust either
my toning time or volume for each image. PITA I'd already resorted to a
single-shot solution for each step, never reusing chemistry in order to
narrow or eliminate the color variables from each. 
>>>>> 
>>>>>> From
Reilly, Chapter 8:
>>>>> Toning "Among the factors which influence the
outcome of the toning operation are the pH of the binder (gelatin,
arrowroot, albumen, etc.) materials used, the pH of the silver solution,
**the amount of silver deposited to form the image,** the thoroughness
of the initial wash in processing, the pH of the toning solution, the
presence of other substances in the toning solution, the strength of the
gold solution, its temperature, its age, and the time of immersion of
the print." Steve Achell has some helpful advice in this document... it
was helpful in some of my formula changes.
http://steveanchell.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=34%3Asalted-paper&catid=15%3Aoutput-darkroom-and-lightroom&Itemid=39
[1] and
http://www.alternativephotography.com/wp/pop-printing-out-process/printing-out-processes
[2]I'm also going to start a new printing test using fumed silica.
Darryl On 2012-08-23 09:50, Christina Anderson wrote: 
>>>>> 
>>>>>>
Dear
>>>>> All, I noticed last night when googling it that it is
available on Amazon here and also on the alternativephotography.com
website
here:http://www.alternativephotography.com/wp/processes/saltprints/the-salt-print-m
>>>>>

>>>>>> lt-Print-Manual-Ellie-Young/dp/144528328XFor some reason,
>>>>>
ow how long I have had it, I have a PDF of it from the web, so at one
point it was free. In any case, I want to give credit to her for her
research and did buy the book (I can't stand reading PDFs). It seems
between Reilly, James' chapter on salt in his book, and Young's book
there isn't too much other current literature on the process, unless it
is just lumped under albumen which is quite popular. OH and Ed
Buffaloe's article on unblinkingeye.com which BTW includes a CASEIN
sizing for the salt print I am dying to experiment with, because it
would be matte like casein is, and like Reilly talks about 
>>>>>

>>>>>> hy.com/wp/processes/saltprints/a-dash-of-salt">htt
>>>>>
nativephotography.com/wp/processes/saltprints/a-dash-of-salt Happy fall
to everyone! Chris Christina Z. Anderson
christinaZanderson.com_______________________________________________
Alt-photo-process-list | http://altphotolist.org/listinfo [3]
_______________________________________________ Alt-photo-process-list |
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>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>
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Links:
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[1]
http://steveanchell.com/index.php?option=com_content&amp;view=article&amp;id=34%3Asalted-paper&amp;catid=15%3Aoutput-darkroom-and-lightroom&amp;Itemid=39
[2]
http://www.alternativephotography.com/wp/pop-printing-out-process/printing-out-processes
[3]
http://altphotolist.org/listinfo
[4]
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[5]
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[6]
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[7]
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[8]
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[9]
mailto:johnbrewerphotography at gmail.com
[10] mailto:zphoto at montana.net

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