Matthew Hoffman (mhoffman2@sprynet.com)
Sat, 16 Oct 1999 05:51:05 -0400
Judy, I started using pyro several years ago when all I was printing
were silver negatives. The improved accutance is a distinct advantage, even
to my untrained and increasingly myopic eyes. More important, for me, is
pyro's ability to "tame" the highlights. Especially when using smaller
formats, I always seem to take the highlights to the limit or beyond. Pyro
makes them much easier to manage in printing. The fact that it responds
readily and predictably to expanded and contracted development helps too.
I can't say it's all that much extra work: mixing two solutions instead
of just one takes what? 20 seconds? And of course wearing gloves ... but I
was doing that anyway.
Now that I've largely switched to alt processes, I've found that the
majority of my negatives, made for silver, are still useful, needing just a
little tweaking for the needed extra contrast. Earlier negatives using other
developers just don't work. Pyro has the advantage of offering some leeway,
even when you're not processed alt-specific negs.
-- Matthew
----- Original Message -----
From: Judy Seigel <jseigel@panix.com>
To: Alt-photo-process <alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca>
Cc: <alt-photo-process-error@sask.usask.ca>
Sent: Friday, October 15, 1999 10:44 PM
Subject: Re: Pyro article in PT
>
>
> 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"
> | info@post-factory.org >
>
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