From: Richard Knoppow (dickburk@ix.netcom.com)
Date: 07/17/02-09:27:31 AM Z
At 10:48 PM 07/16/2002 -0700, you 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
>
D-76 is not a particularly high contrast developer. You might have better
results with Kodak DK-50. Start at 1:1 dilution. Its a medium grain
developer, about like T-Max RS, that should make no difference for 8x10.
For higher densities you might have to go to T-Max 400, which is capable
of higher contrast and density than HP-5. Even with D-76 T-Max 400 will
reach log densities of 3.0.
---- Richard Knoppow Los Angeles, CA, USA dickburk@ix.netcom.com
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