Re: POP process

Donna

I have very recently started using POP paper, here are a few observations:

1. Toning is (near) vital with this paper. Without toning the result is a strong orange/brown which does not suit too many images, and exposure times may be excessive due to bleaching in the fixer.

2. Very different results, particularly in image colour, but also in contrast range, exposure requirements and possibly tonality can be obtained using different toning strategies. This is a benefit (wide range of possible results) but also may be the paper's achilles heel (difficult to achieve consistency due to toner exhaustion).

3. The "classic" toning involves gold toning before fixing. This reduces the bleaching effect, so keeps exposure times short. I have found it to give cool tones in the highlights and brown midtones and shadows at short toning times, up to overall cool tone with longer exposure times. Dmax with this toning is around log 2.1.

4. I have tried palladium toning but wasn't happy with the results (some prints failed to clear in the highlights, and it was hard to achieve a high Dmax).

5. Selenium toning (using dilute toner) after fixing works quite well, giving a more neutral colour (slightly warm highlights, slightly cool shadows). The bleaching effect in the fix is more significant, so exposure seems to be three times that required for gold toning before fixing, this does still give a good Dmax however.

6. Care needs to be taken not to handle the paper, I use cotton gloves and process in one tray to avoid handling during processing.

7. The only strategy for contrast control is to change the toning. This may be a problem for you if your nagatives are fixed, the negative contrast and characteristics might not suit the paper. The only thing to do is to try it!

Dave
  ----- Original Message -----
  From: DHTalman@aol.com
  To: alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca
  Sent: Monday, November 08, 2004 3:16 AM
  Subject: Re: POP process

  Hello Shannon,

  Thanks so much for responding to my question. You are the only one who responded Perhaps that means few people use POP paper.

  You mentioined Azo paper. From the web, I see that it's a paper Kodak makes and that it comes in #2 and #3 contrasts. It is glossy?

  What can you recall about the problems of exposing the POP paper? I recall you said that it had been a couple of years since you have used it. And also, you mentioned that you had problems toning it, What were the problems?

  Why did you begin to use the POP paper and what made you stop using it?

  I'll be very grateful for your help.

  Donna
  www.donnahamiltalman.com
Received on Mon Nov 8 00:03:43 2004