Thank you Koraks! Great ideas as always!I'd start with development by inspection. Departing from the developer, dilution and time in the datasheet will result in full development which is typically not what you want with paper negatives as the contrast will go through the roof. So start with a more dilute developer and watch progress during development; once you've figured it out you can of course standardize on a set of development times for different contrast situations.
The Ilford’s website says the multigrade rc has iso 3-6 but this may vary. Trial and error is in the game so I’ll give them a go and will see.hi laci
what ISO are you exposing your paper negative ?
depending on the light you are photographing (in)
photo-paper negatives can have sort of a variable ISO... as low as iso6 and as high as iso24 you might keep a note pad and keep track of your exposure times, time of day, time of year &c and always develop to completion so the full 1:30seconds, and agitate your tray so you get FULL and even development. so when you encounter bright sunlight no clouds mid day you'll know from experience its iso24, and for open shade, overcast light it will be iso6. another thing that might be helpful if you are encountering crazy contrast paper negatives is the use of a yellow (enlarger) contrast reduction filter. seeing you are using variable contrast paper you might use that to your advantage
FYI it can sometimes increase your exposure time by 1.5, for example if you are doing a 20second exposure you might think of like 35 seconds as a starting point.
have fun! i would rather shoot paper negatives than film, i find it to be more fun + easier...
good luck !
john
ps. old expired paper sometimes works great as paper negatives because the fog cuts down some of the contrast, and think about using a coffee or low contrast developer for difficult situations. caffenol ( and caffenol spiked with a small amount of your favorite print developer ) are fantastic to develop paper negatives....
Basically I’m looking for full range of tones but at the same time I do lith printing so it might result interesting on the final print in case I will pull the paper.Unlike films, papers are designed to be developed to completion; i.e. to the point beyond which further development has no effect. If you 'pull' paper development you'll get greyish blacks (whites in print), poor highlights (shadows), and you won't get a full range of tones in your negative, and subsequent contact print. Of course, it's possible that's the effect you're looking for.
yeah, i know !The Ilford’s website says the multigrade rc has iso 3-6 but this may vary. Trial and error is in the game so I’ll give them a go and will see.
I think I also will try caffenol as I’m playing with the thought for a while and I love to experiment.
Thanks for your thoughts!
I don't follow you here, to be honest. When making paper negatives, the main challenge is to harness contrast. If you expose the paper negative in such a way that it can be developed to completion, contrast will be through the roof as the density range/contrast will be that of a print, which is far beyond that of a usable negative, and it will be extremely challenging (or even impossible) to make an acceptable print from the paper negative. The solution to this is to treat the paper just like film, and expose more liberally while reducing development in order to achieve a paper negative that has a printable contrast range while also containing the desired amount of shadow detail. In this scenario, development until completion will only work for scenes that have a ridiculously low contrast range to begin with (think of 2 stops or so).Unlike films, papers are designed to be developed to completion; i.e. to the point beyond which further development has no effect. If you 'pull' paper development you'll get greyish blacks (whites in print), poor highlights (shadows), and you won't get a full range of tones in your negative, and subsequent contact print. Of course, it's possible that's the effect you're looking for.
When printing under an enlarger, yes, so with a color temperature of around 3200K or thereabouts. Grade 2 will be somewhere around ISO R 100, which means it'll capture a 1.0 logD range, or a little over 3 stops. Filter for grade 00 or ISO R 160 or thereabouts and you get a useful range of 1.5 logD = 5 stops, which is just enough for a fairly low contrast scene you'd typically encounter outdoors - with the caveat that daylight or shade will be not 3200, but rather much higher, think of 5000-6000K for daylight, so a larger portion of blue = higher contrast = lower usable contrast range. Hence the necessity in virtually all cases to expose longer and develop shorter (not to completion) as the paper simply doesn't work that way for making paper negatives, and the difficulty of interpreting paper specs (such as grades 'without filter') for this kind of application.Fair enough. Ilford Multigrade will give about Grade 2 without a filter
Thanks John! Yes, way too many nice thoughts, ideas, suggestions and what not to choose from. I definitely will try a few to have fun!hi laci
as you can see like with film photographer there are many ways to expose and develop negativespick one and run with it, if that doesn't work well in your situation, pick another, and then tweak to fit your needs
good luck ( don't forget to have fun! )
john
Thanks! Great stuff!Borut has a video about paper negatives, he uses ID-11 as developer:
I’d like to use rc papers instead of film negatives in a pinhole camera, so then to make contact print. Is the developing time determined by inspection or can I use the given time which is on the datasheet let’s say 1.30min as a basic? Okay, it depends on several factors and tastes but still. It’s hard to see the dark areas in safelight and I might over or underdevelop it.
Within 60 seconds.I’d like to use rc papers instead of film negatives in a pinhole camera, so then to make contact print. Is the developing time determined by inspection or can I use the given time which is on the datasheet let’s say 1.30min as a basic? Okay, it depends on several factors and tastes but still. It’s hard to see the dark areas in safelight and I might over or underdevelop it.
You did well there Mike. I'm not sure (on screen anyway) if I could have picked out the paper negatives from the film ones.Again, lots of testing was done! Examples here, though some of the work was shot on Ilford Ortho 5x4. Paper negs were images 1, 2, 4, 6, 7 and 8.
http://www.mike-crawford.co.uk/portfolio/collaborative_portraits/atkinson-crawford-one.html
Within 60 seconds.
RC-papers have fully developed. I would start with that and modify it to taste after inspection.
Thanks! Great stuff!
Okay, thanks! I give it a try.Within 60 seconds.
RC-papers have fully developed. I would start with that and modify it to taste after inspection.
I use the new one. The site says it’s 1.30min in multigrade developer if the dilution is 1+14. As it would be the negative, I might give 60s a try and check 1.30min and make a comparison.Except Ilfords new V paper needs 90 seconds for max dMax.
I use the new one. The site says it’s 1.30min in multigrade developer if the dilution is 1+14. As it would be the negative, I might give 60s a try and check 1.30min and make a comparison.
And also I will try it with a more diluted developer as well.I use the new one. The site says it’s 1.30min in multigrade developer if the dilution is 1+14. As it would be the negative, I might give 60s a try and check 1.30min and make a comparison.
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