Re: FW: Re: Silver Mirror Prints

From: Judy Seigel (jseigel@panix.com)
Date: Fri Jan 14 2000 - 19:16:18 /etc/localtime


On Fri, 14 Jan 2000, James Romeo wrote:
> > I was excited when I read Prof William Jolly's Silver-Mirror Print
> > article in Jan/Feb 1999 PhotoTechniques. Here Prof Jolly said he developed a
> > method of printing B/W paper where the light regions acquired a silver
> > mirror deposit and, depending on how the print is held, almost glowed with
> > realism like daguerreotypes. Prof Jolly said they were spectacular and the
> > editor seemed to agree by saying they were striking and unique.
> >
> > A year later and, surprisingly, I've found no further information on silver
> > mirror prints, nor have I been able to find anyone using the process.
  
There have been sporadic reports, one or two on the list as I recall, but
if I may be forgiven for repeating myself, the method is tricky and
uncertain. What gets "silver" incidentally is not the black image part,
but the unreduced silver halide, the "whites" in the photo.

I have written about it in Post-Factory #3, in the feature "Silver Gelatin
Gets Toned," giving also the formula for what is probably "Tetanal Silver
Bronze Mirror," although it's sold in this country probably as Rockland
Halochrome. I happened to "crack the code" of the formula, by an
interesting series of circumstances told in the article. You have to get a
couple of odd chemicals (hydroxylamine hydrochloride and hyrazine sulfate,
for instance) but the cost is ultimately miniscule compared to buying kit
after kit, and even better, there are infinite variables to ring in
according to your paper and your own aesthetics (a variety of bleaches
too).

You may not get exactly the effect you have in mind, right off, but then
again you may. Either way I will go so far as to say something I rarely
do -- this formula is pretty much foolproof. One way or another you'll
get your mirror effect. Whether it's the highlights or the shadows depends
on how you do it. (I used this toner pretty much exclusively for several
years.)

Then the notorious Post-Factory Issue #4 has Dallas Simpson's article
about silver mirror toning, which he calls "Kinetic Tin." I haven't done
that one myself but the picture is marvelous, and instructions seem very
complete. There is also a report by Photo Omnivore on his own work with
the Specular Silver Toner from Issue #3. Yes, he said, it plates !

Judy

.................................................................
| Judy Seigel, Editor >
| World Journal of Post-Factory Photography > "HOW-TO and WHY"
| info@post-factory.org >
| <http://rmp.opusis.com/postfactory/postfactory.html>
.................................................................

> Usuff,
>
> I haven't read the article, but the terminology used (Silver Mirror prints)
> tells me that it might be comparable with (German) Tetenal Silver Bronze Mirror
> Developer, which I have in my darkroom ,but I haven't been in a position to use
> it (yet). I have worked with it once in a workshop and then there were
> possibilities for mirror like qualities in the (ordinary) B&W print.
>
>
> Jacques Verschuren
>
> http://home.wxs.nl/~fotjver/
>
>
>
>
>
>



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