Washed Out
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Washed Out
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akfotog

Washed Out

My first attempt started to look good, until it hit the bath where it failed miserably. It was a 20 minute exposure, on an overcast day (not much sun this week), about 60 degrees F.

Exposed from a 4x5 negative on Canson watercolor 140lb paper using B&S Cyanotype kit.

The mountains and most of the foreground disappeared in the wash leaving only the tree areas (which are darker), and while I did wait until the blue started to reverse, I think it could have been exposed longer.

Thoughts are welcome, I'll try again tomorrow.
Click to expand...
Equipment Used
Cambo SCX 4x5, 210 Caltar II
Film & Developer
TMax 400, D76
Paper & Developer
Canson Watercolor, B&S Cyanotype Kit
Toffle
You might get a little more detail from this if you tone it in black tea, but your best bet is to give it more exposure. Twenty minutes seems long, but I am not familiar wit the B & S kit. Keep it up, you're going to get a print that you love soon enough.
 
sly
Check the alkalinity of your wash water. My well water is alkaline, and my cyanos all faded in the wash. Now I soak them in successive trays of water acidified with vinegar. The other possibility is that the paper is alkaline - I've not used Canson. Stonehenge is my preferred cyano paper.
 
akfotog
Thanks Toffle, the temperature, I think, may also require a longer exposure. Will give it my best tomorrow (and hope for sunshine).
 
akfotog
Thanks Sly, I have some Stonehenge on the way. Also have a Ph checker somewhere for the garden. What ratio of vinegar do you use?
 
sly
The pH of my water varies with the water table - also work off a winter well and a summer well. I use my pH sticks to get the pH just under 7. Usually something between 50 and 150ml vinegar per litre.
 
akfotog
sly said:
The pH of my water varies with the water table - also work off a winter well and a summer well. I use my pH sticks to get the pH just under 7. Usually something between 50 and 150ml vinegar per litre.
Click to expand...
Thanks again Sly. I'm at the mercy of the city water system. Will have to experiment with balances.
 
Simon Howers
This does look remarkably like an alkalinity problem. I treat most papers I use with oxalic acid 2% solution before coating to prevent this. Typically, a nice image forms but fades as you clear and wash. If you have underexposure problems then you never get a nice image in the first place. Good lick Simon
 

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Date taken
Thu, 12 June 2014 8:00 PM
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