Bergger Analog Photography Prize 2025

[mcfitz]

Berrger Analog Photography Prize 2025

 

[Alex Benjamin]

Thanks for this.

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

 

[retina_restoration]

Thanks for this.

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

I have used the FB Warmtone quite a bit. It is nearly identical to Ilford's Warmtone FB paper. (The Bergger papers are manufactured by Harman, I believe)

 

[mcfitz]

Well, I, for one do.

 

[Alex Benjamin]

Well, I, for one do.

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]

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.

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.

 

[mcfitz]

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]

@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.

 

[mcfitz]

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.

 

[chuckroast]

Thanks for this.

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

I just loved their VC NB, but it is essentially unavailable in the US.

Their 200 speed sheet feel was pretty great too.

 

[DREW WILEY]

How does one routinely use a paper that's seldom available?

 

[retina_restoration]

How does one routinely use a paper that's seldom available?

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!