Two-solution development

[P Sanders]

While researching water-bath and two-solution development (I prefer to learn from other people’s mistakes not just my own) the principle is to allow developer to soak into the emulsion while agitating and then transfer the negative to a bath of either water or a mild alkali without agitation - Adams p229 The Negative. There is also some mention of modern emulsions being too thin to hold enough developer.

Barnum takes this idea one step further by making both solutions of developer: the first a solution of stronger developer dilution and the second a “compensating” much weaker solution - p169 The Art of Photography

Now while Adams writes he would use the two-solution for N - 2 or more, Barnum states he now uses process this in place of single solution developer.

Does anyone have experience with either method, and if in fact Barnum’s method is so flexible that the Adams method is obsolete?

Thank you

 

[farpointer]

There’s an earlier thread (much earlier) where someone mentions Barnbaum’s two/bath approach:


https://www.photrio.com/forum/forum/threads/barnbaums-hc-110-two-solution-process.57156/post-834067

 

[djdister]

While researching water-bath and two-solution development (I prefer to learn from other people’s mistakes not just my own) the principle is to allow developer to soak into the emulsion while agitating and then transfer the negative to a bath of either water or a mild alkali without agitation - Adams p229 The Negative. There is also some mention of modern emulsions being too thin to hold enough developer.

Barnum takes this idea one step further by making both solutions of developer: the first a solution of stronger developer dilution and the second a “compensating” much weaker solution - p169 The Art of Photography

Now while Adams writes he would use the two-solution for N - 2 or more, Barnum states he now uses process this in place of single solution developer.

Does anyone have experience with either method, and if in fact Barnum’s method is so flexible that the Adams method is obsolete?

Thank you

You mean Bruce Barnbaum...

 

[P Sanders]

yes, bruce barnbaum

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

I find that Thornton 2- Bath works well with modern, thin emulsion films. Contrast can controlled by the film's time in bath A. The film is agitated constantly in both baths. For bath A, it's constant for the first 30sec, then 5sec/30sec; Bath B the same but with very gentle agitation.

 

[Raghu Kuvempunagar]

Taking this idea (of using a low contrast developer as the second bath) further, if a low contrast monobath developer is used as the second bath, then one is saved from an additional fixing step. Maybe Quall's monobath (which is also based on HC-110) can be adapted for this.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

While researching water-bath and two-solution development (I prefer to learn from other people’s mistakes not just my own) the principle is to allow developer to soak into the emulsion while agitating and then transfer the negative to a bath of either water or a mild alkali without agitation - Adams p229 The Negative. There is also some mention of modern emulsions being too thin to hold enough developer.

Barnum takes this idea one step further by making both solutions of developer: the first a solution of stronger developer dilution and the second a “compensating” much weaker solution - p169 The Art of Photography

Now while Adams writes he would use the two-solution for N - 2 or more, Barnum states he now uses process this in place of single solution developer.

Does anyone have experience with either method, and if in fact Barnum’s method is so flexible that the Adams method is obsolete?

Thank you

Both methods sound like having merit but I must admit that I was always happy enough with my one-bath developer to shy away from the extra effort.

 

[P Sanders]

It's time to shoot a bunch of 4x5 film and give it a go

 

[pentaxuser]

yes, bruce barnbaum

Whew! Thank goodness for that. I was worried for a moment that someone who used to be referred to as "Barnum" on this site might have branched out into photographic processes

pentaxuser

 

[MattKing]

Whew! Thank goodness for that. I was worried for a moment that someone who used to be referred to as "Barnum" on this site might have branched out into photographic processes

pentaxuser

From what I can tell from other people's direct experience with Mr. Barnbaum, his mode of expression would not be out of place beside someone names "Barnum" .