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Re: Salt process etc.

Stephan,

First, if you are looking for formulas for salted paper: Get Thee To a
Library!

Get the books, The Salted Paper and Albumen Book by Reilly

The "Ansel Adams Guide" to Alternative Process (forgot author) has a
somewhat informational chapter (although confusing and condecending in
places) on salted paper. Don't waste too much time on this book, long on
hear-say, short on actually doing (my opinion, no evidence).

And the grand-daddy of them all Keepers of Light by William Crawford

Any well stock college library should have at least one of these works. You
public library will be able to get a copy through the inter-library loan
program.

Second, no salted paper process is a positive. You must have a negative to
produce a positive picture.  The negative contrast range is very high, a
minium of 2.8.

A fast and easy salted paper formula is as follows:

Salting Solution

Table Salt (Kosher, no iodine)................ 20 grams
Gelatine.........................................................1 gram
Water..............................................................1000 mls

Dissolve the gelatine completely first. You will need to heat the water,
don't go hotter than 140 degrees or you'll cook the gelatine.  Then add the
salt.

Coat the paper and let dry.

Next coat with

Silver Solution

silver nitrate..............4 grams
water..........................30 mls

coat and dry in subdued light.

Expose by contact until image is 1 to 1.5 stops too dark.  Process inplain
running cool water until all the milkyness if gone, about 3 to 5 minutes
depending on your paper, sizing and phase of the moon.  Move to a toning
bath and tone until the color you desire is achieved.

Simple Borax toner

water at 100 degrees............400 mls
borax..........................................3 grams
gold chloride 1% solution........6 mls

Give a quick rinse in plain water for a couple of minutes, the fix in a 10%
plain hypo fixer

sodium thiosulfate..............10 grams
water...................................1000 mls

Okay all you nit pickers, I know that this isn't a true 10% solution, but it
does work.

Wash for about 20 minutes in plain water, dry face up and poof! your done.

Joe Portale
Tucson, AZ


-----Original Message-----
From: Stephen Gray <stephen@k-par.co.uk>
To: alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca <alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca>
Date: Tuesday, April 17, 2001 6:56 AM
Subject: Salt process etc.


Hello all.

I am new to this forum so please forgive me if this info has been supplied
before.
I am thinking of making a pin hole camera and while looking up info on the
subject, came across salt prints.  What attracted me was the fact that it is
a direct print process not involving negatives, (hence no darkroom needed as
I am low on space) and produces very nice images.  I searched the web high
and low for recipes and how to develop the picture but to no avail.  Is this
type of information available on the net and are there any other process
available that are direct print ?

I would be most grateful for all information.

Stephen Gray