From: Rod Fleming (rod@silversalt.co.uk)
Date: 01/01/01-04:34:09 AM Z
Happy New Millenium!
----- Original Message -----
From: "Sandy King" <sanking@hubcap.clemson.edu>
To: <alt-photo-process-l@skyway.usask.ca>
Sent: Monday, January 01, 2001 2:27 AM
Subject: Re: First kallitype
> >On Sunday, 31 Dec 2000, Judy Seigel wrote:
> >So, why do you do salt prints?
>
To Which Sandy replied
> I am not Joe but I will try to answe your question. First, since you use
> the VDB as an object of comparison I am going to assume that your question
> is, "what is the advantage of salt prints over the plain VDB?" I am not an
> expert on either salt printing or VDB but I have made a few nice prints
> with both processes. For me the violet umber (untoned) or purple-violet
> black (gold-toned) of color (either untoned or gold-toned) of the salted
> paper print is a more beautiful and interesting color than the almost
> lifeless brown of the VDB.Some VDBs seem to pick up a little maroon and I
> like these more but I have not been able to get any color with VDB but
dead
> brown.
And to which I would add my agreement. Salt prints are far more pleasing
than VDB, in my opinion, because they have better tonality, better colour
and better Dmax. Salt also responds beautifully to toning. However, the
slver nitrate used in the sensitiser will react with everything, including
some papers, tap water, dust, you name it, so great care has to be taken
with the process. Absolute consistency and attention to technique are
important, at least if consistent results are the goal. Having said that I
would be surprised if anyone who sticks with salt was not a little excited
every time they make a print to see exactly what they'll get this time!
Serendipity does work, and anyone who thinks salt is unpredictable really
ought to try lith printing.
So I think for a beginner VDB is far better as the learning curve is much
less steep and a reasonable print can be achieved very quickly. Salt is no
more difficult than true DOP kallitype, and certainly involves a lot less
chemistry.
Unfortunately most of the books which I have read, and that includes most of
the titles commonly referred to on the list, treat salt as if it was dead
easy, perhaps mistaking historical precedence for simplicity. It ain't
necessarily so, and I am sure that this has caused a good deal of
frustration. However if one perseveres, the quality of salt, as Sandy says,
is well worth the effort.
BTW I was quite amused to hear Randy Webb questioning Richard Farber's
authority on DOP Kallitype. I don't think Farber's work is by any means
exhaustive, but nevertheless he manages roughly 5000 words of well
researched and informative copy on the subject, whereas in "Spirits of
Salts" Randy dismisses DOP Kallitype as not worth the effort in 500 words
which do not even mention the need for a separate clearing stage.
Rod
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : 02/05/01-11:45:20 AM Z CST