Re: HP5+ and LONG development times

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From: Shannon Stoney (shannonstoney@earthlink.net)
Date: 07/17/02-09:16:19 AM Z


Thanks for this info. I'm not quite ready to use pyro as I am very
sensitive to photographic chemicals and I'm afraid it's too toxic for me.
Maybe if I ever get a jobo processor and don't have to deal with splashing
developer too much...I will look at Sandy's article though for future
reference.

Maybe I should switch back to Tri-X, my old favorite, although I would have
to buy it in boxes of 50.

--shannon

----------
>From: Clay Harmon <wcharmon@wt.net>
>To: alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca
>Subject: Re: HP5+ and LONG development times
>Date: Wed, Jul 17, 2002, 4:55 AM
>

> Shannon:
>
> Hp-5 is notorious for reaching so-called 'gamma infinity' quickly. That is
> where at some point, additional development does not increase the contrast,
> but only adds additional base+fog density (not desirable!) . You may need to
> use a staining developer such as PMK, rollo pyro or Pyrocat-HD, which will
> give a proportional (to silver density) UV blocking stain in the highlights
> and behaves like additional density when printing UV sensitive processes.
>
> I use HP-5 with pyrocat-HD all the time in my big cameras and it works fine
> with a density range of about 1.3-1.4. The stain actually makes the
> effective density range more like 1.8-1.9. Pyrocat times for the density
> range you're looking for would be about 11-13 minutes at 75 degrees. Check
> out the Sandy King article at www.unblinkingeye.com for all the info. It
> also is one of the cheapest developers around, and is pretty easy to mix.
>
> Staining developers are about the only way to go with HP-5 for alt-photo
> density ranges, unless you only shoot really high contrast scenes. The
> pinhole may be making your efforts a little harder also because of internal
> flare.
>
> Clay
>
> on 7/17/02 12:48 AM, Shannon Stoney at shannonstoney@earthlink.net wrote:
>
>> I am shooting HP5+ in the 8x10 format in a pinhole camera for cyanotypes. I
>> am having trouble getting the highlights dense enough. I am up to a 20
>> minute development time now, and still the highlights only have a density of
>> 1.71. I would like a density range of about 1.6, starting at 0.35, say, in
>> the shadows. (I have to shoot it at like 3200 to get the shadows this
>> thin!) Should I keep increasing the development times? Is it "bad" to go
>> over 20 minutes? I process in straight D-76 in a homemade BTZS-style tube,
>> at 68 degrees. I am thinking maybe I should make the temperature warmer
>> rather than making the times longer. But, then what will I do if I ever
>> have to increase the development time further for a low-constrast scene?
>> (Excuse the cross posting if you read
>> the pinhole and alt-process lists.)
>>
>> --shannon
>>
>
>
>


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