Re: Reversal Neg. contrast control


Liam Lawless (lawless@vignette.freeserve.co.uk)
Thu, 04 Mar 1999 23:56:59 +0000


HI Joao,

I assume you're referring to Soemarko LC-1 from Post-Factory #2, in which
case a crazy, complicated, but interesting idea that just might work, though
I have misgivings about it. Your previous post suggests that you're
reasonably happy with the shadows but dissatisfied with highlight
gradation - to increase highlight separation you really want to increase
contrast rather than reduce it (that is, to produce denser highlights in the
first development). I can't say whether a low-contrast developer and a
higher than normal exposure factor to compensate will have any advantage
over simply increasing the development time in an ordinary developer.
Personally, I doubt it, but there's one way to find out...

Different developers can make a difference (though this is not something I
have explored very much). I haven't used LC-1 but as it contains no alkali
the hydroquinone will, I guess, be virtually inactive and it will
consequently build up little highlight density. This is what makes it a
low-contrast developer, and I would not expect it to separate highlight
tones very well. As FotoDave has pointed out, a low-contrast developer may
not develop sufficient density for reversal to be successful, and, by the
look of it, I think LC-1 must be a very low-contrast developer. A long
enough base exposure may produce the necessary density/highlight separation
in spite of this developer, but it seems rather pointless to go to the
trouble of making up another developer (unless you have it on the shelf
already) and then play with the exposure to negate the effects of the
developer. By all means try it if you have the inclination (and let us know
what happens!) but to me it would make more sense to first try the much
simpler expedient of increasing the first development time in ordinary
developer (as suggested previously), and only consider more complicated
approaches if this is not satisfactory.

Keep in touch,

Liam

>Hi Liam,
>
>Just thinking, what if I use for the first development Davi's formula and
>increase the factor for base exposure, like decreasing overall contrast by
>developer 1 and may be a very shot flash for further control?
>
>Joao
>
>
>
>



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