From: Carl Weese (cweese@earthlink.net)
Date: 11/06/00-08:32:35 AM Z
Lukas,
For Pt/Pd prints I've found that there are no shortcuts to making good
copy transparencies. The only approach that gives acceptable copies is
classic cross-polarized lighting. You need two lights, one on either
side of the copy subject, aimed at 45 degrees, with polarizing screens
(plastic is ok) over the lamps and oriented in parallel, and a good
polarizing filter on the camera lens, set to maximum effect. Without the
full polarizing setup it's impossible to avoid flare across the print.
Tungsten or quartz 'hot lights' are acceptable though I prefer to use a
pair of studio strobes. Between all that filtering and bellows extension
you need a lot of light.
A polaroid back for testing is helpful. A gray-card reflected reading or
incident reading will work for exposure, allowing 1.5 stops for the
polarizing filter. Other print media with less tendency to spread a
diffuse flare from the lighting may be easier to copy, but shortcuts
will backfire with Pt/Pd, chrysotype, kallitype, or anything else made
up of metal particles in flat matt paper. Your 210 Symmar should be ok,
but a pol. filter will be quite expensive.
---Carl
-- Website with online galleries and workshop information at: http://home.earthlink.net/~cweese/
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