Judy Seigel (jseigel@panix.com)
Fri, 15 Oct 1999 22:44:45 -0400 (EDT)
On Tue, 12 Oct 1999, Carl Weese wrote:
> I realize that some folks dont ever want to read another word about
> pyro developers, but for those who do, youll be able to find about six
> thousand words on the subject in the upcoming Nov/Dec issue of _PHOTO
> Techniques Magazine_ in my article Pyro Development for Dual Purpose
> Negatives. As the title suggests, the article concentrates on the use
> of pyro developers to craft large format negatives that yield beautiful
Carl, I read your pyro piece at the gym today (working out both the mind &
the body I hope it's not too yucky to say) with great interest... for
several reasons, not least because -- guess where a pyro article is now in
work? Yes, P-F, by Sandy King. As it turns out, the two pieces are quite
different -- although (as far as I can tell) in basic agreement. Your
portfolio looks excellent too, by the way -- my favorite (since you
insist) was "Dawn, Shepaug, 1998".... Of course the repro is a whole
other thing from the original, but even in this form looks lovely.
cut==========
> Finally, I have a question for list members--has anyone experimented
> with pyro negatives for printing in _other_ alternate processes like
> cyano, van dyke, gum, kallitype, etc, etc.? Id be interested in any
> experiences you can share.
I have on hand a few of Sandy King's small carbon prints done with pyro
negs, and I believe that's his standard developer, except for a new
related other one he's working on. They look wonderful to this eye, but I
am NOT a judge, having little basis of comparison... also a suspicion
that carbon may be something like gum in the sense of contrast and color
range being a freer esthetic choice, less tied to classic tonal scale than
platinum (and I daresay correction will be forthcoming promptly if I'm
wrong on that).
Sandy is in Europe on business, so may not yet have had a moment to
address your question above... I myself PLAN to try pyro on lith film for
gum, tho I haven't had that chance yet either... Which brings me to 1 of 2
questions I have for you...
Although you made the merits of pyro development for a neg to print both
VC silver and platinum quite compelling, what if one prints only the one
or the other? -- say only silver, and no roaming, or only gum, forevermore.
There is the superior acutance, but is that going to matter in a contact
print -- especially a non-platinum one? Especially given the extra trouble
of pyro (probably less extra to one fully experienced, but still...). All
this talk has made me curious to try it, but, gum surely doesn't need
extra range in the neg... Anyway and meanwhile, would you use pyro for
only silver printing???
The other question is... I *think* part of a caption may have been omitted
on p. 45 of the PT article. There are two scenes of Rock Creek in Montana,
Figure 1 A & 1 B. One A looks so much peppier (& very nice, too) I had to
figure that was the pyro neg, but didn't find anything in the text....
Unless I missed something obvious (very embarrassing), mine may not be the
only inquiring mind wants to know.
cheers,
Judy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
| Judy Seigel, Editor >
| World Journal of Post-Factory Photography > "HOW-TO and WHY"
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