Re: Negative help, please

Tom Ferguson (tomf2468@pipeline.com)
Mon, 10 Nov 1997 16:57:32 -0800

Hello Marilyn,
It is good to hear that you are still "at it" and that you've come out of
"lurker mode" (Marilyn was a student in my beginners alt-process class).

HC-110 is capable of a lot of "expansion" in negatives. What you may need
to do is to increase the strength of your film developer. Most people use
HC-110 at dilution "B", which is 32ml of pure (strait out of the bottle)
developer for each liter of working solution. Because I know you almost
always work in flat (soft) light situations (like I so often do), you will
usually need a plus development. For these (with Cyanotype) I use either
12 minutes in 50ml per liter or 14 minutes in 65ml per liter (all at 70
degrees F). That is for HP-5, but T-Max numbers, which I think I remember
you use, would be similar (probably slightly shorter).

If these instructions still result in flat negs, try soaking them in a bath
of half working strength Kodak Hypo Clearing Agent, and half pure (strait
out of the bottle) Kodak Selenium Toner. Soak the processed and washed
negs in water for 5 minutes, then in the toner for between 1 and 5 minutes.
You can do this in normal room light. Wear gloves, I understand the toner
is capable of soaking through your skin and into your blood at this
concentration (really!). Re-wash the negative after this step. Save this
toner, it is capable of toning many negs before wearing out.

If this STILL isn't enough contrast, I would suggest buying some lights and
adding contrast to your scene before you shot!!!! Try it, you'll like it
(it adds a lot of control). For black and white, cheap "halogen work
lights" at Home Depot supply lots of power (250 to 500 watts) at a very low
cost. Better "photo grade" lamps such as Lowel or Smith Vector are
available at Calumet in Hollywood (213-466-1238), and have the real
advantages of being color corrected (for "Tungsten" film) and having
accessories (barn doors, reflectors, snoots, etc). I'm very fond of the
Lowel "Omni" lights. If John Richardson is in at Calumet, I'm sure he can
guide you (he makes wonderful platinums, and I believe he prints in Cyan).
Get a "scrim" (wire mesh light output decreaser) for these lights, or if
electrically handy: adapt a "dimmer" to the light (Note the "higher
wattage" needed, and remember that the dimmed light will NO LONGER BE COLOR
CORRECTED). The Lowel's do cost at least 4 times as much as the Home Depot
variety.

If you must work with two developers, I would suggest using 1/2 strength
paper developer as the second step, rather than lith developer. For one
thing, you already have it. Process the negs in HC-110 (50ml per liter)
for 10 minutes, then transfer them to the 1/2 strength paper developer for
between 30 seconds and 2 minutes. I doubt you will need to go this far for
cyan negs!

Good luck
tomf2468@pipeline.com (Tom Ferguson)

>Marilyn Dalrymple (dalrymple@truelink.net) wrote:
>I want my large format negatives to have more contrast, yet maintain as
>much tonal range as possible. Not achieving the contrast I want I am
>going to try using a two developers on each negative--the two developers
>being HC110 (or perhaps another full tonal-type developer) and a "litho"
>developer.
>
>I would like some suggestions, please as to how I should go about this.
>Should I leave the negatives in the HC110 developer for the full
>prescribed time, then put the negatives in the litho developer for a
>short time? Should I take the negatives out of the HC110 developer a
>minute or two early, then put them in the litho developer for the
>remaining time?
>
>Should I put the negatives in the litho developer first, then in the
>HC110. Is there another full tonal quality developer that would work
>better in combination with a litho developer?
>
>I am working on cyanotypes right now, so I need the contrast and full
>tonal qualities on one nevgative.
>
>I would appreciate any help you could offer. Thank you.