Re: printing with light bulbs; Swiffers

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From: shannon stoney (sstoney@pdq.net)
Date: 09/11/02-06:08:17 AM Z


Steve wrote:

>First: For silver Gelatin contact prints use the FROSTED refrigerator 7 1/2
>watt bulb at 36 inches.

This makes sense. I got the bare bulb because on the azo forum
somebody said that a bare bulb is required. Maybe that's true for
azo paper, and pyro negatives.

> It is exactly 1/2 foot candle of light to the galss
>on the print frame. BTW you only get newton rings if there is any amount of
>moisture on the glass. From there you make the time work with that light.
>If your exposures are too short, your negatives are too thin.

At first I was printing a step tablet. Then I printed a negative
that was slightly thin in the shadows, which I was dodging a bit.

> Raise the
>light in incriments of 12 inches at a time. (Please don't make me go into
>the Coloumb quantim or the Hall effect) Take my word for it.

What if I threatened you with a long discussion about the ethics of
making photographs of nude sharecroppers and putting them on a
calendar?

>
>Second: Using Azo paper ALWAYS use a 300 watt bulb, 36 inches from the
>paper. Sometimes my exposures (that actually average from 12 secs on Grade
>4 to 24 seconds on Grade 2) are as long as 124 seconds, but that's rare.
>Some negaties made for L O N G platinum print times go as long an average of
>104 seconds; and then I lower the 300 watt bulb to 24 or 18 seconds and
>halve the time. Again, it's a principle in physics I can go into if your
>having problems and wish to send me a print, but it's too much to write out.

What kind of negatives are you using? Some people say that pyro
negatives take more wattage than a negative developed in say D76.

>Using Amidol formulas, and I recommend the Weston Kit from the
>Photographers' Formulary to begin with . . . . What formula do you plan to
>use, Shannon? . . .

Michael's formula, but I'm open to suggestions.

> remember Amidol brings up the image in from 15 secnds to
>half a minute and is a 3 minute average developer at 68- 75 degrees. The
>strange effect of Amidol is that the longer the print is imersed, the
>clearer the highlights.

How strange!

>
>Both the light bulb and that 36 inch distance along with the 3 minute
>emersion in Amidol developer are consistant, constants. Any adjustments can
>be made with the time of esposure or an intermediate water bath while
>developing. It is important to begin with the light constant described and
>the emersion time for the first prints. Make a step tablet and derrive from
>there.

OK, thanks.

>
>Let me know. It's sooooo gratifying to make contact prints.

Indeed. The crispy little details and all that.

--shannon

>
>Steve Shapiro
>sgshiya@redshift.com

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