AZO Sample

L Gebhardt · Jun 22, 2004

I have been hearing about the wonders of Azo for quite some time. I was wondering if anyone has a sample image printed Azo that they could send to me. This does not need to be a final print, but I would like to see a print that shows off the benefits of Azo. I guess this should also be developed in Amidol from what I have read. Even better would be the same negative printed on both Azo and a conventional paper such as Ilford Multigrade or Forte.

I am willing to pay for postage and a few bucks for the paper, but I don't want to invest in a whole pack of paper and Amidol just to see what it looks like.

Thanks,

Larry

philldresser · Jun 22, 2004

Larry

I know where you are coming from. This is something on my wish list too. Maybe we need to get one or two sets in circulation and post them to members in a rota fashion.

Maybe Michael A Smith could be persuaded to donate one as a form of advertising/promo for AZO as he is the principle stockist

Phill

bmac · Jun 22, 2004

Holy smokes, where did my reply go???

From time to time you can get Azo prints on eBay. Do a search under "Azo Print"

Brian

Alex Hawley · Jun 22, 2004

Larry, Phill,

I would like to help you out with this but I'm afraid there is still as much subjectiveness in making an Azo print as there is with an enlarged print. It still depends on the photographer and the printing skills.

My suggestion is the same as Brian's; go to the auction site and buy a print from George Provost or Bill Bartells or anyone else who may be selling there. The price is still far less than one has to put out for a box of Azo and the Amidol chemicals. George Losse has his own website and offers a Print of the Month at a reduced price.

The main reason I say this is because I got to see some Smith/Chamlee prints first-hand a few weeks back. Their's are great and mine are pretty tepid in comparison.

mobtown_4x5 · Jun 22, 2004

Alex probably has a good point, but if you guys do get something going around I would love to check it out.

I wonder if we could get M Smith to put together something to demonstrate the superiority of the AZO print, I understand this is something he feels strongly about.

May make some new converts! I'm sure we could guarantee that the
sample(s) would make it back to him...

Matt

(Brian- I also lost a followup post on my Shen-Hao thread, first it was there, now it's gone......maybe an issue for Sean)

Alex Hawley · Jun 22, 2004

OK, you guys twisted my arm enough. I've been wanting to do this anyway. I will take one of my 8x10 negatives and contact print it on Azo and Ilford MG IV fiber. Both will be printed in Smith's amidol, using the Azo formulation and the enlarging paper formulation. I will make every attempt to make the best print I can using both methods.

How about two sets, then you guys can exchange them as desired? It will take me a few weeks as I had planned on photographing this next weekend vice printing. I will contact Larry an Phill by private message for addresses when I'm ready to send them out. I will also post a scan of each here in the Technical Gallery although I don't expect the scans to reveal any subtle differences. Anyone who sees the prints can feel free to comment/critique as desired on any aspect of the prints.

Mind you, I'm not a Master in the Michael Smith league, so please don't expect a masterfully executed landscape. How's this sound?

Jorge · Jun 22, 2004

Alex Hawley said:
OK, you guys twisted my arm enough. I've been wanting to do this anyway. I will take one of my 8x10 negatives and contact print it on Azo and Ilford MG IV fiber. Both will be printed in Smith's amidol, using the Azo formulation and the enlarging paper formulation. I will make every attempt to make the best print I can using both methods.

How about two sets, then you guys can exchange them as desired? It will take me a few weeks as I had planned on photographing this next weekend vice printing. I will contact Larry an Phill by private message for addresses when I'm ready to send them out. I will also post a scan of each here in the Technical Gallery although I don't expect the scans to reveal any subtle differences. Anyone who sees the prints can feel free to comment/critique as desired on any aspect of the prints.

Mind you, I'm not a Master in the Michael Smith league, so please don't expect a masterfully executed landscape. How's this sound?

Alex, when some guys wanted to see some pt/pd prints, I asked them to e mail me their address and I put the list with the prints in the order they should be mailed, this way there is no chance of getting confused. It worked pretty well, they meandered their way all the way up to Canada....

Alex Hawley · Jun 22, 2004

Good suggestion Jorge. Thank you. I'll do that.

L Gebhardt · Jun 23, 2004

Alex Hawley said:
OK, you guys twisted my arm enough. I've been wanting to do this anyway. I will take one of my 8x10 negatives and contact print it on Azo and Ilford MG IV fiber. Both will be printed in Smith's amidol, using the Azo formulation and the enlarging paper formulation. I will make every attempt to make the best print I can using both methods.

How about two sets, then you guys can exchange them as desired? It will take me a few weeks as I had planned on photographing this next weekend vice printing. I will contact Larry an Phill by private message for addresses when I'm ready to send them out. I will also post a scan of each here in the Technical Gallery although I don't expect the scans to reveal any subtle differences. Anyone who sees the prints can feel free to comment/critique as desired on any aspect of the prints.

Mind you, I'm not a Master in the Michael Smith league, so please don't expect a masterfully executed landscape. How's this sound?

Alex, thanks alot for offering to do this for us. I am looking forward to seeing them.

Jorge said:
Alex, when some guys wanted to see some pt/pd prints, I asked them to e mail me their address and I put the list with the prints in the order they should be mailed, this way there is no chance of getting confused. It worked pretty well, they meandered their way all the way up to Canada....

I was one of the ones who got to see Jorge's prints this way. The prints were truely exquisite and made me want to try pt/pd printing. I still plan on trying it, but for the time being I don't have the darkroom space to handle the light source - some day. Jorge, did the prints ever make it back to Mexico?

philldresser · Jun 23, 2004

Alex

That would be greatly appreciated.

Phill

Jorge · Jun 23, 2004

Actually L, Eric was the last to view them before sending them to the last participant and he was kind enough to try and get in touch with the last person before sending the prints. Since he could not get in touch with him, he asked me what I wanted to do and we agreed on a little exchange. I am soon getting a very nice print from him..

mobtown_4x5 · Jun 23, 2004

I would like to see them as well if that would be OK with you guys.

One thing Larry and I discovered during the Group Print Exchange: an actual box with sides a few inches high seems to protect prints much better than any type of flat mailer, just a suggestion.

matt

Ole · Jun 23, 2004

Another way to see AZO prints is to join the Traveling Portfolio. It now has (at least) platinum, Azo, and "regular" silver/gelatin. There's also the F32 Travelling (it's British) Portfolio, containing regular, dig*tal, azo, cyanotype and van Dyke (the latter from me )

Of course, that would require sending a print off into the great unknown, hoping to get it back in a year or so

c6h6o3 · Jun 23, 2004

L Gebhardt said:
I am willing to pay for postage and a few bucks for the paper, but I don't want to invest in a whole pack of paper and Amidol just to see what it looks like.

Larry-

I just sent you a private message. Please check your inbox.

-Shanesy

Alex Hawley · Jul 1, 2004

We had rain last weekend so I printed instead of going shooting. The Azo and Ilford prints are ready. I will send them out as soon as I get everyone's address and e-mail. I have sent a PM to everyone that signed up.

The image I chose is posted on APUG; its the Yates Center Elevator. The Azo version is printed just like the one posted in the Standard Gallery on grade 2 Azo. The Ilford version is printed on MG IV. It was exposed under the enlarger light. I used a grade 2 multicontrast filter to get the contrast as close as I could to the Azo print.

Both were printed using Michael A. Smith's Amidol formulas. I added an extra couple shots of bromide to get a slight warmtone. For the Ilford prints, 60 ml of BB compound were added per Michael's formula for enlarging paper.

All the prints received identical post-development processing which included 4 minutes in selenium toner, 1:100 dilution.

To keep this fair and "blind", I am not making any judgements of my own as to which version I like best. I have asked to hear back from the participants what their individual judgement is. If none of the participants object, I will post their opinions without names in this thread.

Looking forward to seeing what transpires.

Alex Hawley · Jul 1, 2004

Forgot one technical detail. All the prints were made from the same negative. It was shot and developed to the density necessary for Azo printing. Film was J&C Classic 200. It was developed in ABC Pyro, 1:1:1:7, by inspection.

L Gebhardt · Jul 23, 2004

I recieved the prints a few days ago from Alex and I am sending them on to poco. I am not going to post my opinions here untill everyone else has seen them.

sanking · Jul 23, 2004

L Gebhardt said:
I recieved the prints a few days ago from Alex and I am sending them on to poco. I am not going to post my opinions here untill everyone else has seen them.

Just a suggestion but if you really want to see a print that shows off the AZO process you might consider contacting Michael or Paula and acquiring one fof their prints. They are really the great masters working today with AZO and anything you get from them show off the process to its maximum, and is almost surely going to appreciate in value as well over the years.
So you get a great print and have the pleasure of knowing that it will likely go up in value over time.

Sandy King

AZO Sample

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