Bergger Analog Photography Prize 2025

Alex Benjamin

Subscriber
Joined
Aug 8, 2018
Messages
2,652
Location
Montreal
Format
Multi Format
Thanks for this.

I wonder, are there people on Photrio that regularly use Bergger papers? I've never tried any.
 

Alex Benjamin

Subscriber
Joined
Aug 8, 2018
Messages
2,652
Location
Montreal
Format
Multi Format
mcfitz said:
Well, I, for one do.
Click to expand...

How do you like them? How different are they from the Ilford and Foma papers? I've been curious, and I know I can order some from B&H, but I won't if there isn't that much difference with the others.
 

retina_restoration

Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2023
Messages
1,304
Location
Wilammette Valley, Oregon
Format
35mm RF
Alex Benjamin said:
How do you like them? How different are they from the Ilford and Foma papers? I've been curious, and I know I can order some from B&H, but I won't if there isn't that much difference with the others.
Click to expand...

As I said, the Bergger papers are nearly identical to the Ilford papers, because both are manufactured by Harman.
The Foma papers are very different. I only use warm tone papers, and the Foma Warmtone is much more like the old Portriga Rapid, whereas the Ilford and Bergger Warmtone is barely a warm color at all.
For my style of printing, I much prefer the Foma paper.
 
OP
OP

mcfitz

Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2006
Messages
158
Format
Multi Format
I've used the different iterations, off and on, over the years.
The one I liked the best is no longer available, sadly. It was the Variable Contrast Neutral Satin.

Recently I acquired the Variable Contrast Semi-Mat Warm and love it. I've used it Berrger Warm Tone developer. The results are not too warm, which is an aspect of warm tone papers I am not always happy with.
The semi-mat is quite rich, the black deep, velvety. The fine details the paper gives are excellent.

BERGGER Papier Prestige Variable CM Chaud semi-mat

Papier baryté semi-mat à ton chaud Émulsion chlorobromure Base blanche Possibilités de virages
labo-argentique.com

I have not used Ilford papers much, for many years. I worked with Agfa papers for a long time, stocking up on them when Agfa went bankrupt some 20 years ago. From that, it was the glorious Adox papers I used, now sadly not available.
Running out of my stock of Adox left Foma and Berrger, for my choices. Here in France, the Ilford papers are increasingly expensive since Brexit, which decided me against trying them. For the moment, at least, with one exception.

The Berrger semi-mat has more depth and gives finer details than the Foma papers, and the Foma warm tone papers I approach with caution, depending on the negative to be printed. They can be too warm and without selenium toning, have a strange greenish cast to them. I systematically tone with selenium anyway, but it can be disarming to see the results before toning.

The Foma glossy neutral is my go to for a glossy neutral paper, due to its availability and price right now.

I printed the same negative on Berrger semi-mat warm, and Foma glossy neutral. On the Foma, the image is highly contrasted and somewhat dramatic, while on the Berrger, it has a depth of detail and more subtelty than the Foma could offer, which was what I wanted for that particular image.

I do not know if I have a scan of that print, I'll look. Correction : I do have a scan, I am not sure which device it is on., will look.

à suivre ...
 

Alex Benjamin

Subscriber
Joined
Aug 8, 2018
Messages
2,652
Location
Montreal
Format
Multi Format
@retina_restoration & @mcfitz Thanks for the answers. I'll probably end up getting some Bergger just to compare (even if it ends up being very similar to Ilford)

Sorry for derailing the thread.
 
OP
OP

mcfitz

Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2006
Messages
158
Format
Multi Format
You're welcome, I hope you get satisfactory results from some Berrger papers.
I don't see the thread's been derailed!
We're still talking about Berrger papers, and maybe someone will feel inspired to take part in this competition.
I like the fact that one of the rules for participating is to have been doing analogue printing for less than ten years. More power to them to motivate people now coming to the analogue world, especially the darkrrom part of it.
 

retina_restoration

Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2023
Messages
1,304
Location
Wilammette Valley, Oregon
Format
35mm RF
DREW WILEY said:
How does one routinely use a paper that's seldom available?
Click to expand...

Ironic that Bergger would open a competition at a time when most of their products are unavailable, anywhere. Sheet film Pancro 400? Aside from a few boxes that occasionally show up with a June 2025 expiration date, that product hasn't been available since pre-pandemic!
 

MattKing

Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Apr 24, 2005
Messages
53,463
Location
Delta, BC Canada
Format
Medium Format

Perhaps the unavailability is due to retailer or distributor unwillingness, rather than a lack of manufacturing capacity.
Nothing like promoting something scarce to increase demand and, thereafter, supply.
 

retina_restoration

Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2023
Messages
1,304
Location
Wilammette Valley, Oregon
Format
35mm RF
MattKing said:
Perhaps the unavailability is due to retailer or distributor unwillingness, rather than a lack of manufacturing capacity.
Nothing like promoting something scarce to increase demand and, thereafter, supply.
Click to expand...

Matt,
Not even Bergger on their own web site has ANY of the film formats available. Surely that's not about distributor issues.
 
  • mcfitz
  • Deleted
  • Reason: at poster's request

Alex Benjamin

Subscriber
Joined
Aug 8, 2018
Messages
2,652
Location
Montreal
Format
Multi Format
mcfitz said:
I like the fact that one of the rules for participating is to have been doing analogue printing for less than ten years. More power to them to motivate people now coming to the analogue world, especially the darkrrom part of it.
Click to expand...

Agreed. I shared the link with the younger members of my photo group. None of them are experienced enough to enter this year, but it does serve as encouragement and motivation to know that there are such competitions out there.
 
OP
OP

mcfitz

Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2006
Messages
158
Format
Multi Format
Thank you, Alex!
That is great. Maybe the overall idea of it could be used as a group theme or project, to stimulate ideas and to try new things.

i appreciate you understand what I had in mind.
 

MattKing

Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Apr 24, 2005
Messages
53,463
Location
Delta, BC Canada
Format
Medium Format
retina_restoration said:
Matt,
Not even Bergger on their own web site has ANY of the film formats available. Surely that's not about distributor issues.
Click to expand...

It can be.
Consider the following scenario:
Production isn't happening because they can't get enough wholesale customers to justify a production run. And they can't get wholesale customers interested, because they can't get enough orders to be able to raise the capital in order to increase production and supply product.
AKA the classic "Catch 22".
It often turns on whether or not there is any money around to pay for stuff.
The same applies to all the participants in the photographic materials market, including the big ones, like Eastman Kodak. The capital requirements determine many availability issues.
Sometimes, the way to "prime" that is to be able to show to investors or lenders that there are signs of pent up demand.
Kodak Alaris' observations about demand, plus similar observations from the motion picture film people at Eastman Kodak, is what resulted in the re-introduction of Ektachrome - the powers that be at both entities were convinced to share in the provision of needed capital.
 

DREW WILEY

Member
Joined
Jul 14, 2011
Messages
14,182
Format
8x10 Format
I wouldn't count on that pent-up demand hypothesis, Matt. Not many people even know about Bergger papers, let alone an oddball sheet film. It's the whole timing that seems off. Too risky right now.

No NB (neutral tone) paper on their own website right now either, only warmtone. Everyone is out of it because it's apparently not even being coated. Why would it be, given the financial risk? Costs are at an all time high; silver is at an all time high; the whole tariff situation is an unresolved mess.

This is a very nice paper because it can be coaxed into either a cold or warmish tone, depending on how you develop and tone it. The same cannot be said for Ilford "Classic" neutral, which always retains some warmish bias. Besides, Bergger is more of a premium product, on par with MGWT in that respect.

The whole "contest" idea of this seems strange to me. One supposedly comes up with wonderful images using Bergger products; but then part of the prize is to have someone else, an alleged expert service in Paris, print it for you? Are they implying, therefore, only a film contest? That seems to be the case, because original negs are being requested. But the whole point is to promote their paper. Elliptical; but I hope it turns out well for someone.
 
Last edited:

Alex Benjamin

Subscriber
Joined
Aug 8, 2018
Messages
2,652
Location
Montreal
Format
Multi Format

Seems pretty clear to me:


Nowhere does it state that the photographer must already be using Bergger products.

And it's clear that the reason part of the prize is to have someone else print with you — not for you (prize list says "Darkroom printing of the 25 images series with Fred Goyeau," not "by Fred Goyeau) — is that this competition is for film photographers with little darkroom experience (part of the prize is also a printing workshop).

There should be more of these. Although, if they could put a 20-year experience limit instead of 10, I'd be able to enter .
 

DREW WILEY

Member
Joined
Jul 14, 2011
Messages
14,182
Format
8x10 Format
So how are the going to select the negatives? Gotta invert them somehow. Then it turns into a digitized theme contest. Pretty much a Euro thing anyway - gotta pay your own way to Paris. I'm for anything that promotes darkroom work, and hooks new practitioners. But all the contests I enter are in competition with myself - always striving to print better.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn more…