Re: Paper negatives
Thaddeus Holownia (tholownia@mta.ca)
Mon, 15 May 1995 21:57:03 -0300
In the 1970's I used paper negatives as a working material for making portraits.
At first I used fibre based paper (Grade 1 Portriga if my memory serves me
correctly), the images from my 12x20 and 8x20 cameras were very sharp and
detail was beautiful except for a bit of the paper fibre being evident, I
then switched to RC , Ilford Grade 1 and had very fine results. I even used
Kodak in a pinch on a road trip to Kansas and found that the Kodak name on
the back of the negative print did not show up in the positive.
I contact printed them wet at first for good contact and later and today
use a Nu Arc Vacuum frame to print both paper and film negatives.
I abandoned paper negatives for film largely for speed concerns and for
full tonal representation.
I occasionally return to paper for the fun of long exposures and my student
use paper negs in their pin hole cameras with great success.
Regards Thaddeus
Professor Thaddeus Holownia
Mount Allison University
Sackville New Brunswick
Canada E0A 3C0
506-364-2499