Carbro Described - Websites?

MurrayMinchin · Mar 20, 2005

I've been Web-wallowing on and off all day and have not yet found a website that gives anything close to a good description of this process...anybody know of any? I've found that there are several books, but I want to find out a bit more about it before I spend any money.

Murray

MurrayMinchin · Mar 23, 2005

Still searching for information on and off on the Web...no luck...

Two days on APUG...only 66 views...no replies...

Nothing of substance on photo.net et all...

Could this actually be a topic for which there is no real information on the Internet..?

If I ever find anything with some meat to it, I'll post a link to it here...

Murray

Aggie · Mar 23, 2005

well considering one of our new sponsors is an expert at carbro, I think you are ust a click away. Go to the home page and click on the carbro sponsors link at the bottom fo the page.

roy · Mar 23, 2005

Aggie said:
considering one of our new sponsors is an expert at carbro, I think you are just a click away.

Yes Aggie, you also get an audio interview too ! I must say that the pictures featured on the site are impressive and I was very interested for myself but there are so many things I want to do that I have to be realistic.

m. dowdall · Mar 23, 2005

Murray

It's not the most detailed description, but it does go through the basics.

http://www.alternativephotography.com/process_carbon.html

Michael

MurrayMinchin · Mar 23, 2005

Thanks for the tips guys...Mac at carbromac.com told me his new website should be up and running in a couple days, and that an 8x10 sample print is going to be $100.00.

I have a sinking feeling in my gut...if the image quality matches the hype and it works with my images, I'll have no choice but to start groveling around at the bottom of the learning curve...OH NO!!!!!!!!!!!!

sanking · Mar 23, 2005

m. dowdall said:
Murray

It's not the most detailed description, but it does go through the basics.

http://www.alternativephotography.com/process_carbon.html

Michael

I should point out that the process described at the above site is carbon, not carbro. Carbon is a contact printing process that requires a same-size negative. Carbro, on the other hand, uses a bromide print (preferably made on a paper that is not super-coated) and a special senstizer to transfer the image.

Compared to carbon, carbro has certain advantages and disadvantages. Among the advantages are the fact that you don't need a large negative and you can dodge and burn on the bromide, which is easier than dodging and burning in contact printing.

Among the disadvantages the primary one is that for really highest quality work you must make a new bromide for every print, while in carbon the same negative can serve to make an indefinite number of prints.

Another big difference between the two processes is the fact that carbro has more or less a finite point of development, whereas a carbon print will continue to lose density the longer it is developed, within reason. This makes it somewhat easier to make exact duplicates of prints with carbro than with carbon, and this is the primary reason it was preferred in the old days for color.

I worked primarily carbro for many years and describe the working procedures very fully in my manual on carbon and carbro printing. However, I eventually switched to carbon because I like the ability to control density in development and on the whole I have found the chemistry of the carbon process is more reliable than the chemistry of carbro. However, Carbro is probably somewhat easier to work today than it was some 10-15 years ago as non super-coated papers, which had disappeared from the market, are now available from at least two different manufacturers.

In any event the final result is the same, i.e. a pigmented gelatin print, and Mac is a master of carbro printing who has obviously found ways to take full advantage of the process.

Sandy

carbromac · Mar 23, 2005

Sandy,

Thanks for your kind words and great discription of the carbro process. Am starting to see your work in lots of places - about time.

Please tell me who makes the non super coated paper ?

Keep in touch and call me if you like 951-659 2752

Best

Mac

carbromac · Mar 23, 2005

as I do carbro printing, ask me what you need to know.

Mac

Aggie · Mar 23, 2005

I also want to add, that Mac has popped into the chat room, and we all had to scramble to check out his website. A very nice guy. He is also going to be doing a demonstration at Freestyle in LA soon. BTW, neither Mac or Freestyle asked me to say a thing about this.

sanking · Mar 23, 2005

carbromac said:
Sandy,

Thanks for your kind words and great discription of the carbro process. Am starting to see your work in lots of places - about time.

Please tell me who makes the non super coated paper ?

Keep in touch and call me if you like 951-659 2752

Best

Mac

Hi Mac,

I still have the sample print that you sent me many years ago, same as the one you have up here on apug.org. Fabulous relief. It took me a long time and a lot of work before I learned to get that much relief in carbon.

Kentmere is making a non super-coated paper that one can purchase from Freestyle. The other non super-coated paper is made in eastern Europe and is available as either Forte or Foma from JandC Photo. It is marketed as a paper for bromoil. I have not done any carbro printing for quite a long time so have have not actually used either of these papers, and AFIK they are both available only in grade #2, which may be somewhat limiting.

Thanks for the telephone contact number. Will plan to give you a call in the next day or so.

Sandy

carbromac · Mar 23, 2005

Aggie- Thanks for the plug, I will be doing a dog and pony show at Freestyle on the 2nd of April at 2pm. Happy to meet everyone and I hate talking to an empty room

sanking · Mar 23, 2005

carbromac said:
Aggie- Thanks for the plug, I will be doing a dog and pony show at Freestyle on the 2nd of April at 2pm. Happy to meet everyone and I hate talking to an empty room

Mac,

Will you be attending APIS in Santa Fe this July? I assume you know about it? If you don't, APIS stands for Alternative Photograhic International Symposium, or something like that, and has been in existence since the early 1990s, alternating in venue between Europe and the US. For alternative photography it is *the* place to show your work to a very wide audience from both the US and abroad.

Best,

Sandy

MurrayMinchin · Mar 23, 2005

Thanks Sandy for your comments, and thanks Mac for your offer to field questions. I won't bother you with any right now...they would just be basic things I can dredge up on my own...like by ordering Sandy's book for example.

Carbro appeals to me as I chose to go with 4x5 years ago instead of a larger format, and to enlarge rather than contact print. The 4x5 allows me to roam unencumbered (compared to 8x10 or bigger) through the thick forests where I live, and to photograph in any weather conditions except for bellows shredding winds. Having to make more enlargements to make more carbro's isn't a problem as repeatability is important to the way I work.

I've never seen a carbon or carbro print; all my instincts are pretty much screaming for me to investigate...if I don't I'll always be haunted when looking at my work, wondering if they could have said *more*. This Internet thing sucks BIG TIME! Last time my radar was buzzing like this I lost a year to Radeka's masking system...carbro may suck 2 years out of my life before I get my legs under myself again...aint photography great!!!

Murray

m. dowdall · Mar 24, 2005

sanking said:
I should point out that the process described at the above site is carbon, not carbro. Sandy

OOPS!

Read the article I posted the day before and I guess theres a little too much carbon between my ears right now.

Michael

sanking · Mar 24, 2005

sanking said:
Mac,

Will you be attending APIS in Santa Fe this July? I assume you know about it? If you don't, APIS stands for Alternative Photograhic International Symposium, or something like that, and has been in existence since the early 1990s, alternating in venue between Europe and the US. For alternative photography it is *the* place to show your work to a very wide audience from both the US and abroad.

Best,

Sandy

Information about APIS can be found on the B&S website, athttp://www.bostick-sullivan.com/main/index.htm

Sandy

carbromac · Mar 24, 2005

Murray,

Take the challange, it is worth the effort and it won't take two yers, Sandy and I can lead you through the process, just don't count on getting any sleep.

Best, Mac

MurrayMinchin · Mar 24, 2005

carbromac said:
Murray,

Take the challange, it is worth the effort and it won't take two yers, Sandy and I can lead you through the process, just don't count on getting any sleep.

Best, Mac

Step two is for me to get my hands on an actual print to see if it's appropriate for my work...step one is getting my hands on some cash!

Murray

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