Re: Enlarged negative methodology

Judy Seigel (jseigel@panix.com)
Mon, 29 Apr 1996 01:31:04 -0400 (EDT)

On Mon, 29 Apr 1996, Richard Sullivan wrote:
> The ways I am aware of:
>
> Shoot big to begin with.
> Direct Dupe film
> Neg-Pos-Neg
> Reversal of std neg film
> Make silver print and copy with large format copy camera
>

Richard, I think there are quite a few more if one is not making a fetish
of utmost extreme perfect tone scale and sharpness, as is the norm these
days for platinum.

What come to mind are

*getting the positive by using b&w film in a slide duper
*some other direct positive film in the camera (Freestyle sells a slow one)
*starting with a chrome (which is a positive) and projecting onto lith or
n31p
*using a paper positive, ie, contacting a print onto sheet film
*using a paper negative (ie, a print on rc paper)

> All of these have been done with some degree of success. I'd personally rate
> Dupe film at the bottom of the list with "shoot big" at the top as far as
> quality goes. From Pt prints I've seen, I'd rate reversal in no 2 position
> with Copy neg and Neg-Pos_neg vieing for the middle.
>
But how big is "shoot big"? There are folks who think even 8x10 is a
drag in the field....

> I am currently working with Meridel Rubenstein at the
> Institute of American Indian Arts here in Santa fe and she is fond of the
> copy camera both for doing orignal combination still lifes, incorporating
> photos and objects, and has taught the students to make their enlarged negs
> this way. The students at times copy wet silver prints to save time.

Halftone negs on this copy camera? Or? What, if any, are the size
limitations? (Of course copy camera, about size of a cadillac, is not
something everybody has at hand....)

Judy