From: Campos & Davis Photos (photos@campos-davis.co.uk)
Date: 05/21/00-06:44:35 AM Z
Dear Randall,
Why is your computer send .dat files as attachments to the alt process list?
Attachments are definitely not encouraged on this list. The recent virus
scares have caused panic amongst the uninitiated!
Any news about Ziki's funeral arrangements? Is the group doing anything?
Kindest regards
Richard
Campos & Davis Photos
6 Cranbourne Road
London N10 2BT - UK
Tel/Fax: +44(20) 8883 8638
email: photos@campos-davis.co.uk
www.campos-davis.co.uk
-----Original Message-----
From: Randall Webb [mailto:randall.webb@lineone.net]
Sent: 21 May 2000 14:49
To: 'alt-photo-process-l@skyway.usask.ca'
Subject: RE: Eyeball densitometry
I'm interested to see that there are a few people
out there who still subscribe to the " if it looks right it is right" school
of photography.Whatever happened to test strips or in the case of large
format, exposing several sheets and developing them for different density
ranges? My densitometer has developed a nervous seizure at present and reads
zone V values at anywhere between 0.1 and 3.9 but I don't really mourn its
passing.I have a set of 10x8 negs that I took a few years ago with the
envelopes carefully marked ND 1.6, 2.1, etc but it doesn't make much
difference to the final image. In fact the high contrast negs make very
respectable gum prints.I also have a Stouffer strip but I never use it as I
don't like a set of reducing rectangles on the bottom of the print.
On the same subject there is a little known
historical fact which may be of interest.Hidden in the dark recesses of the
Fox Talbot museum at Lacock UK there are the remains of what appear to be
Fox Talbot's early experiments with a densitometer.It consists of an oil
lamp, a concave mirror, some pieces of brass telescope and microscope, some
string and a lot of sealing wax.A note (undated) in Talbot's handwriting is
with it. I quote the contents of the note. " I have been excercised of late
with a small experiment.The purpose of which is to measure the passage of
light rays through the various areas of darkness on what my dear friend Sir
J Herschel calls my "negatives". I had in mind a method reducing both the
labour and the lack of consistency of making my salted paper prints.
However, I feel I shall be obliged to abandon this
scheme as it is neither art nor science.It was my intention to work in
conjunction with my good friend Sir John H. but he has been pre-occupied
with his new "ferro-prussiate" process.
I was frustrated in my efforts on two counts. In the
first by virtue of the fact that the rays of light were of with an office
punch in two white cards. Put one hole over the area you want to "match"
in the step tablet, then run other hole over the print until it matches
(or vice versa). The human eye is SURPRISINGLY sensitive in this kind of
matching -- in fact early densitometers relied on operator matching tones
by eye.
Judy
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : 06/13/00-03:10:20 PM Z CST