6X9 for alt processes?

Soeren · Jun 1, 2007

Im realizing its gonna take a while before I get a LF camera so I dusted off my old Clack. Its no great picturemaking machine but it produces 6X9 negs so I figured I could get aquainted with Saltprinting and maybe Argyrotype using those. What do you guys/gals think? A little small? yeah I know
Should I make a contactprinting frame for that size or a bigger one for when I move up in format?
Kind regards
Søren

ann · Jun 1, 2007

go for it, i have seen some lovely small prints with vdb and palladium.

Mark Fisher · Jun 1, 2007

I'd say use the Clack for now and have fun. If you can get a printing frame (4x5 would work great), that would work. Otherwise, you can just as well use heavy, double weight glass (like for tabletops) from your local glass dealer.

Ole · Jun 1, 2007

I might have a spare 6.5x9cm contact printing frame somewhere...

juan · Jun 1, 2007

I've made a number of 6x9 contact prints. I think they work well, but I've found the subject matter needs to be less cluttered.
juan

Akki14 · Jun 1, 2007

I use my Brownie No.2 to produce nice big 6x9 negs for contact printing all the time. It's a bit better than using plain 6x6 but 6x6 still can be used, in my experience.

Richard Boutwell · Jun 1, 2007

No , I don't think 6x9 is too small at all. Several people are doing what you are thinking of, including myself. I have a 6x9 Ikon that I want to use for a series of nudes printed in platinum.

In fact, I was at The Print Center here in Philadelphia this morning, and I saw a series of 6x6 platinum prints that were just gorgeous.

I wish you the best of luck.
__________________
www.RichardBoutwell.com

keithwms · Jun 1, 2007

I too have seen some very nice 6x9 and 6x12 contacts.

You could also enlarge slightly by the digital neg method, which I guess we won't discuss here

Something I am playing with: enlarging smallish chromes (6x7 or so) to ~5x7" or 8x10". For some purposes I think it's perfectly fine, assuming of course that you started with a very fine chrome. E.g. I've done 6x6cm scala -> 8x8" paper neg and I like that a lot. Enlarging to polaroid for transfers also seems to work quite nicely in many cases. It all depends, of course, on how much detail the composition demands.

Anyway small is a nice way to start, you can try a lot of different thigns at low cost using roll film.

Soeren · Jun 1, 2007

Ole said:
I might have a spare 6.5x9cm contact printing frame somewhere...

If you do I might be interested Just PM me with price etc.
Thanks Ole.
Kind regards Søren

Soeren · Jun 1, 2007

Wauv I didn't realize small contacts were so popular. I was thinking about the enlarging to a more "decent" size but Im still without a proper darkroom though I do have both a 35mm and 6X7 enlarger now. The shed still needs to be converted. Ill go and shoot some 6X9 negs.
Cheers
Søren

Akki14 · Jun 2, 2007

I forgot to add that I find 6x9 negs quite nice for postcards with an appropriate amount of white border around the negative/sensitised area. I have a bunch I have to send out to my family.

Salmonoid · Jun 2, 2007

I use a Ikonta 6x9 as a travel camera and make little postcards with it. I works OK, but as mentioned before the composition will need to be simplified. I feel this way about my 5x7 as well!

A Clack, now that's an interesting camera...

Soeren · Jun 2, 2007

Salmonoid said:
I use a Ikonta 6x9 as a travel camera and make little postcards with it. I works OK, but as mentioned before the composition will need to be simplified. I feel this way about my 5x7 as well!

A Clack, now that's an interesting camera...

Calling it at Camera might be pushing it a bit
Its Called Clack because thats the sound the shutter makes and its just a fixed focus bakelite holga. The filmplane is curved to make for the fieldcurvature of the singleelement GLASlens. It has two shutterspeeds 1/30sec and bulb, two Apertures and a kind of closefocus lens which is replsed by a yellow filter on some models. there is a later 6X6 model called Click II.
Kind regards
Søren

Joe Lipka · Jun 2, 2007

Go for the 6x9 contacts. You have received good advice so far. A contact print that size is a very personal experience, it's just you and the photograph, so as one person pointed out, they composition must be appropriate for the size. If you are just starting with alt processes, cyanotype is probably the easiest (and least expensive) to start.

Should you consider the digital (gasp) negative, the hybrid photo site, an offshoot of this site is full of good information and people as nice as you will find here.

Jerevan · Jun 2, 2007

If Ole doesn't find his 6.5x9 printing frame I also got one, for the postage. I've used it for 6x6 cyanotypes... now that's small.

6X9 for alt processes?

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