[alt-photo] Re: Subject: Re: paper and cyanotype

[Loris Medici]

Dear Christina,

22 Şubat 2012 17:04 tarihinde Christina Anderson <zphoto at montana.net> yazdı:
> ...
> Ware's is a b--ch to clear, and really requires citric acid to get the yellow out (or an hour or more soak time) on this paper. With my water, of course.

Citric acid clear is my standart procedure for both trad. and Ware
cyanotype processes. Not a big deal once you get used to it ;) hehehe.
Haven't tried Buxton but all suitable papers were clearing easily (w/
one dessert spoon citric acid into 1000 - or was that 2000? not
critical actually... - ml water). Total processing time around 10-15
minutes... (Shorter processing for thin papers like Masa.)

> Ware's however is a bit snappier in the midtones--may be my coating technique ...

Plus, IME, Ware's highlights are much much more soft / smooth /
continuous... I could never get the same creamy highlight rendition w/
the traditional formula!

> Curve for both is almost the same which did surprise me.

My trad. cyano curves were always flatter (because of the more
contrasty / short ES process) compared to cuves I devised for the Ware
variant.

> ...
> Now onto Platine and Masa. Really I should do an FAEW next because that is a hard paper for cyano.

Masa is great to me! And, IMHO, FATW / FAEW are both out of scope for
any kind of iron / iron-silver processes including cyanotype. I could
make them work OK (not good, just a plain and simple OK) with HCl
acidification (BTW, oxalic acid pre-treatment was a total
disappointment for me w/ the Ware formula. Awful; a gritty gritty
paper and grainy image - I don't know why?) , but to me they're both
useless for the purpose... I guess I have too high expectations! ;)

Regards,
Loris.