RE: update on lumen prints

(for some reason I never got Darryl's email)

My fear here is that the print is not adequately fixed, which begs the
question, "How do you know that your fixing has been adequate?" A one minute
fix with ammonium thiosulfate is adequate for many papers, but I am thinking
that a diluted version of a weaker fixer for that amount of time would not
suffice.

I tried toning before fixing without successful results, as I lost most of the
colors rather quickly. Perhaps there is another way of doing this?

One thing that did help somewhat was bleaching following the fix. I did get
the return of some colors, though nothing like the vibrant colors seen on the
other website.

In showing what I was doing to some other photographers, and lamenting the fact
that the colors go away with fix (I showed one nice image that had not been
fixed), one of the comments was that perhaps this could be looked upon in a
similar vein to the work on Andy Goldsworthy
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Goldsworthy), which is probably the best way
to approach things.

Cheers -

george

--- Marek Matusz <marekmatusz@hotmail.com> wrote:

> Darryl,
> I view of the very short fixing time with a dilute fixer, do you think that
> the print is fixed? Would it bleach further on longer foxing and more
> important, would it go dark upon further light exposure. It seems like a
> step in the right direction in preserving the nice colors of the exposed
> print.
> Marek, Houston
>
>
> >From: "Baird, Darryl" <dbaird@umflint.edu>
> >Reply-To: alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca
> >To: alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca
> >Subject: RE: update on lumen prints
> >Date: Thu, 15 Sep 2005 14:05:14 -0400
> >
> >ok,ok something new to report on the lumen/lumin prints...
> >
> >after a week or so of dark storage I fixed one of those prints from
> >the previous link and the results are promising
> >
> >Fixing Steps:
> >- a short tap-water presoak
> >- a 1% sodium thiosulphate bath for one minute with agitation
> >- five miute wash
> >
> >when the print first came out of the fix, it had lost most of the
> >reddish hues, deep yellow hues replaced them. BUT upon drying the
> >reddish color is returning -- only in areas that were previously more
> >bluish, (mainly the background areas). this mirrors many of
> >Burchfields images 'look.'
> >
> >I'm trying a longer, but not stronger, fix bath and will have a print
> >to checkout in a few hours. I'll try to get this posted if I have time
> >
> >still it is a step towards more color... yippee
> >
> >George, if you get a chance to tone before fixing I'd like to know the
> >results.
> >
> >later
> >
> >-Darryl
> >
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: George L Smyth [mailto:glsmyth@yahoo.com]
> >Sent: Thu 9/15/2005 12:13 PM
> >To: alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca
> >Subject: Re: update on lumen prints
> >
> >Christina -
> >
> >Thanks for the information. I think that this process is all over the
> >place.
> >Many of mine retain some color following fix, but not enough to be
> >interesting.
> >
> >In a previous message I mentioned that I tried 10% sodium (as opposed
> >to
> >ammonium) thiosulfate and within 10 seconds most of the color had been
> >lost, so
> >I tossed it into the wash. I diluted the fix to 1% and fixed for
> >several more
> >minutes without seeing a change (the fixing effect was probably doing
> >nothing).
> > I placed the prints in the wash and went on to something else in the
> >house.
> >About 5 hours later I remembered that I still had prints in the wash.
> >When I
> >pulle dthem out they were primarily white, which was a new one.
> >
> >I did a quick 30 minute exposure yesterday under my lights so that I
> >would have
> >something to show a group of people, and indeed the colors were not
> >nearly as
> >intense as the others I had created (1-6 hour exposures in the sun).
> >I did not
> >fix the print so I am going to see what happens if I tone then fix it.
> >
> >Fortunately, I was given a box of old paper that will offer me the
> >chance to
> >try that out.
> >
> >Cheers -
> >
> >george
> >
> >
> >
> >--- "Christina Z. Anderson" <zphoto@montana.net> wrote:
> >
> > > Hi all,
> > > My student wrote Burchfield and he was very accessible in answering
> >her
> > > questions, and seems a very nice man. More info he shared with her
> >is this:
> > >
> > > He says some of the images are enhanced a bit digitally **only** to
> >print
> > > properly for the book, but color was not changed.
> > >
> > > The originals are scanned on a high end flatbed scanner and then he
> >makes
> > > edition prints on Fuji Crystal Archive/light jet prints.
> > >
> > > He said out of date paper comes out differently than the same paper
> >fresh.
> > > No paper was better than another, as they are all unique. And his
> >fave
> > > paper was made by PAL, long outdated (25 yr) and he has found
> >nothing like
> > > it.
> > >
> > > He uses regular Kodak fix without hardener and says all images will
> >bleach
> > > in the fix, but it'll have minimal effect as long as the image is
> >strong to
> > > begin with.
> > >
> > > He suggests exposure times of 5 or more hours and he even has done a
> >94 DAY
> > > one!
> > >
> > > My student is having troubles getting anything more than a flat
> >image yet,
> > > and I thought it might be nice to scan it before fixing, as Darryl
> >did, and
> > > do that print digitally, as well as having a fixed original of a
> >different
> > > color.
> > >
> > > I have been having students in Experimental Class this week develop
> >a print
> > > fully, stop bath it, and then bring it out into the light (what I
> >call in
> > > the workbook "Painting With Light") and watch it change colors.
> >With that
> > > process, I have observed some incredible deep reds, which, of
> >course,
> > > disappear to dark ambers and such in the fix. However, again, they
> >would
> > > make for good scans and prints digitally. Even the fixed amber
> >color is
> > > intriguing. I only mention this as another chemical variable to
> >dry.
> > > Chris
>
>
> ><< winmail.dat >>
>
>
>

Handmade Photographic Images - http://www.GLSmyth.com
DRiP Investing - http://DRiPInvesting.org

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Received on Mon Sep 19 14:11:46 2005