Alt-Photo processes from small negatives

bluejeh · Jan 26, 2013

My largest negatives are too small to use for contact prints (4" x 5"). Purchasing a larger format camera is not possible right now.... Which alt photo processes could I print using my enlarger? Thanks.

sehrgut · Jan 27, 2013

Would you object to using sensitizing dyes (only compounds appropriate to early photography) for hybrid processes that would be still "alternative", though only "period-possible" rather than "period-correct"?

removed account4 · Jan 27, 2013

you can make a print ( with your enlarger ), the size you want your final alt process print to be ...
and contact print it onto a sheet of fiber paper. then WAX the paper and use that as your alternative process negative.
the "internegative" can be hand coated paper if you want, or a sheet of xray film or lith film or even
a sheet of pan film ... just make test strips and make your print ... you could also make a xerox
of the negative and wax that ...

nsurit · Jan 27, 2013

Using your enlarger, you could make an enlarged negative. There are other, easier technologies to produce enlarged negatives however you will just have to use your imagination to figure that out.

Michael W · Jan 27, 2013

The only one I know where you can make direct enlarged prints from a small negative is liquid emulsion.
Otherwise, making enlarged negs is not hard. You can use the enlarger to project the image onto ortho sheet film and tray process - all under red light. This will give an enlarged film positive which you can then contact to another piece of sheet film for a negative which you then use for the alternative process.

nicholai · Jan 27, 2013

I second the last three posts;
Use either paper or film and enlarge on that! You could even save a step and use Harman Direct Positive and enlarge your negative on that. Its not going to be cheap, but youre not "wasting" materials on interpositive.
If you dont wanna buy new things, you just sandwich your negative with another strip of film and expose that to light, to make an interpositive, i cant say for certain how much, so just test. Ortho is good, this way you can do developing by inspection. After that, enlarge your interpositive unto either film or paper and develop accordingly. If using paper, wax/oil it to get it more translucent, and then you're good to go for contact printing. I would use Maco's geniusfilm, but Rolleis lith/graphic films would work as well! Go ortho, and be safe.

sly · Jan 27, 2013

4x5's make lovely little contact prints. Even MF contact prints can be pretty cool. If you are just venturing into alt printing, why not use them? I've made cyanos , platinums, and carbon prints from 4x5. Found myself wondering the other day why I've not made gums from 4x5. You might find you like their intimacy. If not, well you've tried it, become more familiar with alt printing, and can go forward with the enlarged neg thing. (I fiddled around for over a year wasting time and money trying to learn how to make D****** negs, then decided it was easier, and I got more satisfactory results just using the film negs I had, in the size I had them.) I've got an 8x10 now, but there's no way I can hike with it, so my landscape alt prints continue to be little ..... A significant cost saving when platinum printing....

Jerevan · Jan 27, 2013

You could do Bromoils from prints from prints for example, or as been said above, just about any process if doing enlarged negatives.

brucemuir · Jan 27, 2013

I know a dude who does platinum/palladium from 6x6 negs.

nicholai · Jan 27, 2013

sly said:
I fiddled around for over a year wasting time and money trying to learn how to make D****** negs, then decided it was easier, and I got more satisfactory results just using the film negs I had, in the size I had them.

Really? I had success with my first d-neg, and every subsequent one since.

Vaughn · Jan 27, 2013

I'll agree with Sly about small prints. 4x5 alt prints can be exceptionally beautiful. I have also made 6x6 and 6c7 (120 film) carbon prints and platinum prints -- as well as from a Diana camera.

That said, I have a couple 11x14 carbon prints in the wash right now (and a couple 4x10 and 8x10's).

Another possibility -- panoramas made of two, three or four 4x5 negatives (either vertically or horizontally placed).

eddie · Jan 27, 2013

Jerevan said:
You could do Bromoils

I've recently started doing Bromoils. It's been a lot of fun, if not a bit frustrating (but what worthwhile isn't?).
I also love 4x5 contacts. Smaller ones, too.

sly · Jan 27, 2013

nicholai said:
Really? I had success with my first d-neg, and every subsequent one since.

Yeah, sure, but then you must be way smarter than me.

I know digi negs work well for lots of folks - not that we're going to discuss them here. I'd just rather spend my time breathing fix fumes than frustrated, annoyed, with an expanding waistline, sitting in front of the computer. That's just me.

P.S. I've posted some cyanotype Xmas cards I made this year with 4x5 negs in the gallery

paul_c5x4 · Jan 27, 2013

Michael W said:
The only one I know where you can make direct enlarged prints from a small negative is liquid emulsion.

The liquid emulsion can be on almost any surface - I have done a few small orotones (prints on glass and gold on the back), you can cheat and use a bronze powder, but if you use real gold, small is best.

5x4 contact prints are useful for getting to grips with a particular process without spending large amounts of money on materials. They also make wonderful gifts.

Andrew O'Neill · Jan 28, 2013

I'd just rather spend my time breathing fix fumes than frustrated, annoyed, with an expanding waistline, sitting in front of the computer

Know how you feel and what you went through. Almost gave up, but...

Renato Tonelli · Jan 29, 2013

ORTHO film - what is the largest size it comes in? I see nothing bigger than 8x10.

Just wondering - Thanks.

paul_c5x4 · Jan 29, 2013

Regular ortho film, 10x8 is the largest I've seen that is regularly available (Ilford may do larger as part of their ULF programme). If you consider Xray films under the same heading, then 18"x24" would appear the largest, with 14"x17" being faily common.

Alt-Photo processes from small negatives

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