A modern tintype dilemma

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jlee81@sbcglobal.net
Date: 10/07/03-09:00:52 AM Z


After lurking in this list for quite some time now I finally have a question. I am working with the modern tintype process (w/ photo emulsion not collodion). I have been following the directions I have read but to little avail. My problem is that I'm having trouble finding a great deal on this subject. I have both Jill Einfeld's book and Christopher James' book. I am mixing up my own developer (2:1 dektol w/ "a little" exhausted fixed fix) which I feel may be the main problem. Also I'm not sure of the range of exposure times I should be using. In James' book it says 20 sec. intervals for a test strip, but at the same time he recommends using a UV light rather than an enlarger. So is that 20 sec. under the uv or the enlarger? My early results have good detail but were very dark and totally brown. My second attempt was much lighter and had all the pretty colors I wanted (greens, blues, browns..) but were so light there was very little detail. Also upon dry-down they lost all of their glimmer. So my question is (finally) if anyone is working in, or has worked in, this process could you please explain your way of doing it and what works, or doesn't, for you. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I have an entire senior years worth of work to do and I'm feeling a little lost.

thanks,

Jordan

P.S. I am using roofer's shims, spray painted matt black, coated w/ vc emulsion from the formulary, exposed under a uv for 1-5mins, or the enlarger for 5+, and developing in dektol 2:1 plus an amount a fix ranging from 100ml to 1L.


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