_ snip, snip -
>The ability to print down till there is no white in sight and get a
>stunning print that has an intense feeling of light sometimes makes me
>think I should specialize in working with very thin negs. Yet the beauty
>of the intense black on stark white paper with a long gradation of greys
>somewhere in the print makes me think I should be certain to have enough
>density and contrast to fully print a paper without much restrainer and
>retain some near blank white. In truth I think I personally am better off
>always working with a sense of technical experiment and taking some of my
>own control out. And then there is the fact that I forever have my bellows
>racked out and my exposures in the minutes and reciprocity calling in sick
>for the day and it all becomes a exercise in intuition.
>
> Dennis
We're talking about an 'alt-silver' now. This means chemical alternatives.
Using a restrainer like Benzotriazole brings out extreme whites with intense
shadows and detail. I have a powder available through the Photographers'
Formulary called "Shap's Bal. Bitz" which is an aid for just what you
experiment to get. Brett Weston's 'secret' was Dupont's BB, which is
EXACTLY what Shap's Bal. Bitz is, in fact.
S. Shapiro, Carmel, CA
Received on Sat Oct 1 09:46:45 2005
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