Re: liquid light


Liam Lawless (lawless@vignette.freeserve.co.uk)
Sat, 30 Jan 1999 23:58:34 +0000


Hi Brandy,

I typed out this reply, stored it in the "Send Later" folder, and found it
had disappeared when I came back to it later. Re-typed it, and the original
reappeared! Magic!

This is a very tentative suggestion because I haven't done anything with
liquid emulsions for a long time, but I did once make my own and have
experienced your problem, so my observations may be helpful. I have printed
on glass - though without a great deal of success - and found that images to
be viewed by transmitted light need greater densities than paper prints;
about 1 stop more exposure, if memory serves correctly.

Glass prints also benefit from a thicker emulsion coating than opaque
materials, and this may be where your problem lies. I have seen
instructions for commercial emulsions which say to set in the fridge after
coating, and the stuff can be used as soon as set if the solutions are kept
on the cool side. But an emulsion that has merely set is thick and like a
jelly, and not easily penetrated, for which reason much longer than usual
processing times may be needed.

A properly dried emulsion, on the other hand, forms a hard, horny layer that
is a fraction of the thickness, and much more accessible to solutions (and
much less likely to dissolve in the developer!). If you have not already
done so, try letting it dry for 24 hours or so before using. Obviously,
don't use heat, but ambient temperature should be OK (depending where you
live, perhaps). Kept in the fridge, it'll set quickly, but won't dry
properly at all. One way to reduce drying times is to add a little alcohol
to the emulsion: if you normally dilute it, replace some of the water with
alcohol.

However beautiful the cloudy effect may be, it is due to unfixed silver
halides that need to be removed for a permanent result.

Liam

-----Original Message-----
From: brandy auld <ariadnelab@hotmail.com>
To: alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca <alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca>
Date: 28 January 1999 19:49
Subject: liquid light

>I'm wondering if anyone out there can help with liquid light photo
>emulsion.
>I've been printing on glass. I've done a lot of work with liquid light,
>and it seems to work well with the one problem being that I cant seem to
>figure out how to guarantee a completely clear image after fixing. It
>seems that the emulsion hardens on the outside and the inner part right
>next to the glass becomes protected from the fixer. The result is a
>slight clouding of the otherwise clear areas. This can be quite
>beautiful, but I would prefer if I could control this particular effect.
> I've experimented with different thicknesses and temperatures and
>proportions but with no certainty.
>
>Also if anyone wants to suggest a more authentic approach to achieving
>prints on glass I would appreciate it. I have a feeling that other
>methods will involve serious chemistry and a more controlled
>environment.
>
>I love the way the pictures look on the glass. They are beautiful, so
>I'm willing to try the next step in improving the quality and integrity
>of these prints.
>
>Thankyou!
>
>-Brandy
>
>***************
>Brandy Auld
>Ariadne Laboratories
>
>______________________________________________________
>Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
>



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