I think I'll also build a light box. While we do love our rain and our low
flying sun up here in the great wet north -- they keep us artsy-fartsy
types wonderfully morose -- they make printing cyanotypes difficult.
Oh, and Judy, my male ego now tells me I need a crate of step wedges, but
I think I'll swallow the ego and just spring for one or two more. Thanks
for all the good advice.
Ron Connelly
On Mon, 24 Feb 1997, Judy Seigel wrote:
> On Mon, 24 Feb 1997, Ronald Connelly wrote:
> > However, even if my negative isn't quite right, shouldn't I be getting
> > more steps to expose through the step tablet?
>
> Ron, my experience of cyanotype is that the paper is a major major
> variable. Some will NOT do more than 6 or 7 steps without going into
> reciprocity failure. If you can get hold of a sheet of Whatman Fine
> Print, that's a VERY long scale cyanotype paper, and if that doesn't give
> you 12 to 15 steps, there may be a problem with the sun up there in
> Seattle. I don't remember if you said which Arches paper you were using,
> but my list of "Short scale papers for cyanotype" includes Arches
> heavyweight and arches 90 lb watercolor.
>
> I'd also check to see if that paper is buffered, which would be a fly in
> the ointment (to mix metaphors) & possibly the problem right there.
> (Cyanotype likes slightly acid.) Then there's the fact that with a kit,
> you don't know how the stuff is formulated or what the condition of the
> chemicals are. And you could get a pound of fe am cit for that price, ya
> know.... (tho of course that's been known to act up, too). However, if you
> mix your own you can increase scale with more part B.
>
> Another pretty good scale paper for cyanotype is plain old Strathmore
> artists Bristol.... and I'd guess some of those la di da platinum papers.
>
> In absolute extremis, try a flash -- if your prime exposure is an hour,
> try bracketing around 3 minutes without a negative.... (Of course you need
> more than one 21 step when your exposures are an hour long, otherwise
> night up there near the arctic circle sets in before you've done your 2nd
> test. In any event, having one 21-step is like having one sperm -- not
> enough.)
>
> Cheers,
>
> Judy
>
>