Re: Why use cyanotype in-camera?

 
 
I thought that your e mail was from Loris as it was so similar in its
argumentation, although it was not clear why you thought Loris was female !
 
I am sorry but I really do not think that you have understood what I said...
 
>Throughout your reply, I understand that you are predetermined to
choose cyanotype as the best process, in terms of such vague notions
as inefficiency of production, slowness of operation, and your
subjective judgement of fine qualities such as "subtle tonality."<

 
As this paragraph bears no relation to what I did say, it is difficult to
give you a helpful reply. Just as one example, I said nowhere that cyanotype
was 'the best' process. Any observations that you base on that contention are
invalid. .

I should also point out that, silver-gelatin process has 135 years of
history
 
No-one is disputing that.
 
> and "people work hard to find solutions to problems which
arise from their personal inefficiencies rather than any inherent
fault in the process.." as you said.
 
Making silver gelatin emulsion is
time consuming and requires great degree of intellectual
curiosity.<
 
Again no-one is disputing that. Did you read what I said about paying Ilford
for FP4 and what I would do if it went off the market ?
 
>And you can coat the emulsions on paper or any other
suitable substrate of any texture you like. You can also intentionally
lower the Dmax if that's your taste. And you can make emulsions of a
very wide range of contrast, speed, and curve shapes<
 
 All these things are possible with most processes.
 
>Silver gelatin process is capable of very good gradation<
 
Of course it is ! The discussion is about the qualities of printing out
processes, which could include silver gelatine in the guise of POP or other
silver processes such as salt printing or iron processes such as platinum. The
printing out processes were displaced by silver gelatin as it is faster. But we
lost qualities inherent in the printing out processes.
 
> I often find
that people who are used to processes with long toe or strong shoulder
find modern commercial enlarging paper to be too crisp when overall
contrast is the same. It's just that modern commercial papers are made
with that type of sensitometric design goal. Many old silver gelatin
papers had longer toe and more pronounced shoulder, and they are
actually easy to reproduce in homemade emulsions<
 
I am sure that you are right. But some of us want something more. That is
why we work with platinum, gravure or gum..
 
Terry

 
Terry King FRPS

RPS Historical Group (Chairman)

_www.hands-on-pictures.com/_ (http://www.hands-on-pictures.com/)

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Received on Fri Feb 17 16:23:15 2006