Re: Pyro Schmyro

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From: Jeff Buck (jeffbuck@swcp.com)
Date: 09/22/02-09:50:01 AM Z


Sandy: Disadvantages: (1) Toxicity. I believe I have this well under
control in my work environment, but I don't think it can be discounted
completely. And I do have a cigar pretty much every evening (for crying
out loud). (2) The difficulty of determining the density range of pyro
negatives. I don't want to spend hundreds on a densitometer and, even if I
did, I've heard a range of opinions on the point of doing so (I guess the
blue channel of a Mantis is supposed to be pretty good ...). Still, it
would be really nice to be able to use the simple/elegant method described
by Weese & Sullivan (two cards with holes -- one goes over the negative,
the other goes over a Stouffer strip, etc.), but this ain't going to work
with a pyro stained negative. (3) Long exposure times printing w/ pt/pd
due to the UV-blocking pyro stain. I believe this sacrifices smoothness in
the image. Now, I've covered this to a large extent by changing to a
powerful metal halide light printer (1000W, 5200K). I haven't seen a
printing time over 13-14 minutes, which would be a VERY much longer
printing time under black lights (for instance). Also, I've learned to
minimize general stain. Still, I get quite puzzled sometimes. On the one
hand, a guy is comparing my pyro neg to his and saying, "See how yours has
so much more dang image stain?!" Well, I thought getting strong image
stain was the whole point of the stuff. If it isn't, then what is? This
is all in the context of pt/pd printing, mind you. I'm not commenting on
silver. Anyhow, a 12-15 minute exposure under my metal halide printer
represents a LOT of UV exposure, and if I print the brush marks beyond the
borders, I start to see solarization. Now, that's OK in that I'm not
printing the borders (rather masking w/ rubylith), but I think there is
some sacrifice of smoothness in the image at the same time. This is
connected to another phenomenon: As I apply plus, plus-2 and/or plus-3
development with WD2D or PMK on FP4+, I get the desired density in the
highlight areas (quite predictably) but I also get more and more aggressive
image stain. -jb

At 10:31 AM 9/22/2002 -0400, Sandy King wrote:
>Jeff Buckels wrote:
>
>>I tried something like this inquiry a month or so ago and got no
>>response. Perhaps on this occasion some of the more indulgent members of
>>the list are checking their email:
>>
>>Let's say that I don't give a flying flip (note the carefully-crafted
>>euphemisms, Gordon) how my negatives would work for silver printing
>>(hence, I don't care whether my negatives will work both for silver and
>>pt/pd)..... In that case, what is the justification for bothering with
>>pyro? Assume as well that I reject the Great Separation in the High
>>Values justification (Dick Arentz seems to reject it; surely I know no
>>better than he) and that, while I appreciate the economy of pyro, I doubt
>>that the economy alone offsets the disadvantages of pyro. So, there then
>>-- Why use pyro?
>>
>>Jeff Buckels
>
>I resisted comment the first time around on your inquiry because threads
>on pyro tend to become something of a quagmire. Some attribute almost
>magical qualities to pyro developers while others are perfectly satisfied
>with the results they get with the traditional developers they have used
>since they first started doing photography and apparently see no need to
>change. Nothing, and I repeat *nothing* we say here is going to change
>any of that for these people. However, I am curious as to what you see as
>the disadvantages of pyro? As someone who uses both traditional and pyro
>developers I have some thoughts of my own on this, but wanted to first see
>what you, or others, perceive as real disadvantages with pyro.
>
>
>Sandy King
>
>
>
>
>--


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