General criteria for graded paper calibration?

[Juan Valdenebro]

Dear members:

Soon I’ll be printing on graded paper for the first time, so I’d appreciate all kinds of general comments: in the past I’ve used multigrade fiber papers by Ilford and Bergger, only.

I’ve already bought most of the things I need for my new darkroom, (third time, third city, third decade!) and chosen papers were Fomatone and Art300 (Warmtone Multigrade) for less than perfect negatives, and Galerie 2&3 for future/older precise work.

I need advice from the point of view of a valid general scheme for efficiency with graded papers for different types of photography... For my first question I’ll explain my plan: I will calibrate Delta100 for common overcast light, making it my tripod work film for great contrast on graded paper #3 (Galerie).

Indeed all my Delta100 calibration strips (six strips, half stops) are done: the scene was a poster size portrait with a kodak gray card in front of it (the card includes black, white and middle grays too): 5 frames each strip, at 25, +1.5, 50, +0.5, and 100 (N), after sekonic reflected metering on gray card.

I used six 35mm rolls: after the strip, every time I shot the rest of the roll repeating that strip to have the whole roll exposed, and in the end I developed D100 using 6 different times: 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18 minutes... The six strips go from a bit pale for condenser, to a bit dense for diffusion, so I guess I got everything there...

First question:

I’ll contact print the strips together, reaching pure black in base+fog... In that print I’ll see a few frames I’ll consider the best ones, and possibly a single preferred one: the printed frame that represents reality in the cleanest and most precise way tonally speaking, so:

1) Should I consider that frame’s negative, the best negative for 8x10 printing on grade 3, and also the best negative for 16x20 printing on grade 3? Is there any change in contrast, etc., when you print big? Will I get exactly the same photograph (if I use the picked negative) but just with a different size? I have never printed with 16x20 paper...

So this first question is about how to judge a 35mm contact print to pick the best negative for final 16x20 prints...

Maybe printers know something like “the best negative is not the best one in the contact print, but one that’s a little more contrasty / a little overesposed / a little overdeveloped, in that contact print...”, or anything like that...

Second question:

For many years I have imagined galerie in grades 2 and 3 only, offer us a very limited situation, but recently I thought, what if it is not a limited situation? What if Ilford do it that way bacause it can be well done to make those 2 grades enough? So I decided to give it a try inside this way of thinking: for planned/tripod work, I’ll use Galerie 3 and Delta100 for soft light, and I'll also use that for sun, with more exposure and less development. For street, I’ll continue using HP5+ @1600 but I’ll recalibrate it for Galerie 2, as those are higher contrast negatives.

2) Is this way of thinking, grade 3 for soft light, and grade 2 for pushed/higher contrast scenes’ negatives, efficient? Are forum members doing it? Is it common?

Finally, 2b) how do you printers handle direct sun: do you prefer to control your negatives for grade 3, or for grade 2 when there’s a direct sun scene?


Thanks!

 

[ic-racer]

If you are doing hand-made fine art printing, it is very reasonable to use trial-and-error to locate the appropriate paper contrast for each rollfilm negative frame.

 

[Bill Burk]

Sure the contact print is pretty close, when you use a diffusion enlarger. Otherwise, just use the contact print to pick the ones that you want to print.

I find having two choices very easy to work with. If a negative is contrasty, full sun daylight with normal development, I'll try a test strip on grade 2.

If the negative is flat, I'll try a test strip on grade 3. If the result isn't any good, then I'll get out the multigrade paper.

For my test strips I use "1/3 stop" increments in between steps. These increments make noticeable differences between steps for Galerie 2 and 3.

As a result I can almost always find the main time with one test strip.

For the dodges and burns, I look at the test strip sections next to the main time. I try to pick immediately adjacent steps because that little difference can easily be dodged and burned without creating halos.

I find that I can accommodate almost all of my negatives with Grade 2 and 3 Galerie.

 

[Juan Valdenebro]

Bill, thank you very much!!!

 

[Juan Valdenebro]

Sure the contact print is pretty close, when you use a diffusion enlarger.

By the way, I use a Kaiser condenser enlarger: did you imply the contact print will be less close to the large print if a condenser enlarger is used?

 

[jeffreyg]

The developer can make a difference as you can make half grade differences by partially developing in soft chemistry and then in say Dektol. Years ago I used to go that route having used condenser and diffusion light sources but switched some time ago to multigrade first with filters and then with an Aristo variable grade light. Much easier especially with split printing. Also more economical needing only one paper in different sizes and one developer. I make test prints to establish shadow and highlight contrast and exposure time. I generally print on 11x14 or 16x20 paper but will make the test print on different sections of the negative at the magnification level of the final print. I don't like to get hung-up on process and prefer to trust my eye. Don't forget there are also dry-down issues. So what looks great in the tray may may look different the next day.

My advice is that after thirty years of printing on multigrade, why switch?

http://www.jeffreyglasser.com/

 

[Juan Valdenebro]

Hi Jeffrey, thanks for your help...
I have not printed for thirty years... In my 20's I learned how to print in an amateur way, and in my 30's I had a second darkroom while I cursed my career (that was six years), but I have not printed for nearly a decade... Now I'm starting my third darkroom because I need to print a lot! I guess most of my time will now be used in the darkroom instead of the streets, at least for one or two years...
You ask, why switch?
1. Tone: graded paper has a different tone, sometimes MUCH better than multigrade paper, which is muddier than graded paper in the low register.
2. I'm not switching: I'll use a better material for my best negatives from a technical point of view. I'll use MG for the rest of my negatives,
Do you have any opinion on any of my three questions?

 

[Bill Burk]

I want to say that a photo that looks overexposed on a contact sheet might make a beautiful print.

So use contact sheets as an index to the shots you took, but don’t rule out pictures based on exposure from a contact sheet.

 

[Peter Schrager]

You want to end the confusion?? Get a copy of FTC pickers zone vi manual...do the tests and you'll know more than 99% of photographers out there. I just wing it because I know how how to make great negatives...but really you should try forma 132/132 it is a great paper

 

[Peter Schrager]

Sorry that's fred picker

 

[Bill Burk]

Yeah but Fred Picker thought Galerie looked like print paper covered with Vaseline.

 

[Tor-Einar Jarnbjo]

Dear members:
For many years I have imagined galerie in grades 2 and 3 only, offer us a very limited situation, but recently I thought, what if it is not a limited situation? What if Ilford do it that way bacause it can be well done to make those 2 grades enough?
Thanks!

It is not just Ilford and I think it is obvious that the reason is simply that there is no market for fixed grade photo paper anymore. Most manufacturers of b&w photo paper have ceased production completely and the few companies left have reduced their product catalogs significantly over the last 10-20 years.