Re: Developing sheet film in open-ended PVC tubes

Gagliani's negatives were quite dense. His method was a DEEP TANK
development. He used a D23 formula with additional addition of undeveloped
paper. The residual silver halides out of the sliver gelatin emulsion
caused a 'redevolpment' to render very sharp white, or highlight detail. He
exposed for the shadows.

His negatives sort of compressed the range with high acutance in the shadow
detail and great highlight detail.

In the deep tank D23 standing development process (D23 100 g SOD sulfite and
7.5g Metol per liter water for a working solution) the development from 4
hours to 28 hours goes and goes and stops when the negative is done.
Period. With Gag. it continued to over develop and flake off, and was
neutralized, replenishing the emulsion with the free floating halide
solution from the addition of silver gelatin paper.

Rather than open tank development, his was a deep tank development. Friends
have found his technique gave them excellent negatives for either Pt/Pd
prints or silver printing.

Steve Shapiro, Carmel, CA
----- Original Message -----
From: "William Laven" <wmlaven@platinotype.com>
To: <alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca>
Sent: Wednesday, March 31, 2004 3:37 PM
Subject: Re: Developing sheet film in open-ended PVC tubes

> I never saw Gagliani's negatives, but did see his prints. If the negs
> were unevenly developed, he sure as hell beat that in the printing. I
> think he may have used a nitrogen burst system, but I don't know how
> often it bubbled. Unfortunately, a Google search reveals nothing of
> his technique.
>
> >Bill,
> >
> >I have done stand development, and a lot of it.
> >
> >Unfortunately there is no way to get completely even development
> >with stand development.
> >
> >For some recent discussions on forms of minimal and stand
> >development to to http://www.michaelandpaula.com/mp/index_skip.html
> >and look at some of the topics under film development on stand and
> >minimal agitation.
> >
> >Sandy
> >
> >
> >
> >>Sandy,
> >>
> >>IF you want really minimal agitation, why not consider stand
> >>development. You need tanks for the film, but many report it's a
> >>great technique. Oliver Gagliani swore by it. I used to develop
> >>4x5's in hangers and tanks and people always said they got
> >>agitation marks and I got none. Paul Caponigro showed me a very
> >>gentle technique of lifting the hangers out for very minimal
> >>agitation. Worked great. Of course, all these techniques require
> >>more hardware than a simple tube in a tray.
> >>
> >>Bill
> >>
> >>Bill
> >>
> >>>Bill,
> >>>
> >>>>
> >>>>BTW, I do all my film work (and print work with Pt/Pd) in Jobo
> >>>>drums. While I have a Jobo machine one can use (most of) their
> >>>>drums on a plain old Beseler rolling agitator. I don't see the
> >>>>advantage of open tubes in trays (in the dark) if one can easily
> >>>>use tubes in the light unless there's something I'm missing.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>Yep, that is exactly what I though when I read that article years
> >>>ago. Why bother with open-ended tubes when you can just put caps
> >>>on the tubes and have the advantage of daylight processing? But
> >>>time passes and we learn. The advantage to the open ended tubes is
> >>>that you can cover them with developer (they sink in developing
> >>>solution) and develop with minimal agitation procedures.
> >>>
> >>>It is also an extremely simple solution for those who do not get
> >>>even development with tray development and/or who have a
> >>>proclivity for scratching or gouging their negatives with shuffle
> >>>development.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>Sandy
> >>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>>Oh, I think I know the article you are referring to. I have also seen
it
> >>>>>very long time ago but can't remember either. I think it might be in
> >>>>>Darkroom Technique (or the name before that), but I thought for
> >>>>>Bibliography, you only need to cite the original idea rather than the
> >>>>>variations afterward.
> >>>>>
> >>>>>If I come across it I will let you know.
> >>>>>
> >>>>>Dave S
> >>>>>
> >>>>>----- Original Message -----
> >>>>>From: "Sandy King" <sanking@clemson.edu>
> >>>>>To: <alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca>
> >>>>>Sent: Wednesday, March 31, 2004 12:00 PM
> >>>>>Subject: Re: Developing sheet film in open-ended PVC tubes
> >>>>>
> >>>>>> Dave,
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> It was not Phil Davis. Phil introduced the BTZS type tubes in his
> >>>>>> book Beyond the Zone System but in this type of development the
tubes
> >>>>>> are capped on each end and and development is carried out in a
water
> >>>>>> bath with the lights on.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> In the article to which I refer the author recommends placing the
> >>>>>> film in open-ended PVC tubes and then developing the films in a
tray
> >>>>>> containing the developer, with the lights off of course.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> Sandy
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> >Sandy,
> >>>>>> >
> >>>>>> >If I remember correctly, it was Phil Davis. The procedure should
be
> >>>>>> >described in one of his book "Beyond The Zone System." While
> >>>>>>this is from
> >>>>>> >memory, I think it is correct since the tubes are also known as
BTZS
> >>>>>> >(abbreviation from the title of the book) tubes.
> >>>>>> >
> >>>>>> >Dave S
> >>>>>> >
> >>>>>> >----- Original Message -----
> >>>>>> >From: "Sandy King" <sanking@clemson.edu>
> >>>>>> >To: <alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca>
> >>>>>> >Sent: Wednesday, March 31, 2004 11:26 AM
> >>>>>> >Subject: Developing sheet film in open-ended PVC tubes
> >>>>>> >
> >>>>>> >
> >>>>>> >> A number of years ago someone wrote an article that was
published in
> >>>>>> >> one of the national magazines that described how to develop
sheet
> >>>>>> >> film in open-ended PVC tubes in trays. This procedure offers
some
> >>>>>> >> advantages over normal tray development in that it gives
> >>>>>>1) very even
> >>>>>> >> development with no edge hot spots, and 2) minimizes the
possibility
> >>>>>> >> of scratching that many experience in shuffle agitation.
> >>>>>> >>
> >>>>>> >> I am describing this procedure in a current writing
> >>>>>>project and would
> >>>>>> >> like to give credit to the person who originally suggested the
> >>>>>> >> procedure but I am unable to locate it. Can anyone on the list
> >>>>>> >> provide any details to help me locate the article.
> >>>>>> >>
> >>>>>> >> Sandy
> >>>>>> >>
> >>>>>> >>
>
>
Received on Sun Apr 4 15:31:19 2004