Ho to get it BW on prints? Really BW.

Ko.Fe. · Oct 28, 2015

I haven't done 3200, but 1200.
Thanks for helping me. It looks like it isn't so helpless. But I have to pay extreme attention for exposures of prints to have them accepted by my wife.
If negative is right and exposure is right I'm getting it developed like it should and I'm keeping it sometimes for five minutes in developer to get as much as possible. It doesn't happen every time, but with information you gave me here I know what to check and try.

frank · Oct 28, 2015

Good luck Konstantin! Printing is a challenge. If you're running into difficulties, remove as many variables as possible by using fresh materials. (Hope you get that lens board soon.)

John Koehrer · Oct 28, 2015

IMO the shots look a bit flat. Eh! it's an opinion and a I've got a cheap monitor but if you'e not getting black with a #5 paper it's time to do a little testing and that starts with the negative.
I've used diffusion and condenser enlargers with full range prints from both types. So my two cents worth
would be that you establish a base film speed.
There are a slug of howto's on line and in print.
My personal favorite are David Vestal's books "The craft of Photography" and "The Art of Black & White Photography".

He writes in PLAIN english that's even understood by the likes of me. Provides examples of the same scene with prints from each negative at each different exposure.

I struggled through two of the highly recommended Ansel Adams books and the only thing they did for me was cut down on sleeping pills.

*Agfa Brovira was made in a grade 6 in the early 70's,

mklw1954 · Oct 28, 2015

Also make sure you're not fogging your paper with stray light coming out of the enlarger (e.g., from the negative stage); check by capping the lens with the enlarger on and no safelight. Also eliminate any light reflecting off walls (e.g, tiles and shower door metal and glass) if you happen to be using a bathroom for a temporary darkroom. I made these corrections and minimize safelight use even though it tested OK and my prints have better contrast and good whites and blacks.

RobC · Oct 28, 2015

if you have bought old paper cheap from the auction site then don't expect it to perform properly. It's likely lost a lot of contrast and may be fogged too.

Sirius Glass · Oct 28, 2015

RobC said:
if you have bought old paper cheap from the auction site then don't expect it to perform properly. It's likely lost a lot of contrast and may be fogged too.

I avoid the auction site for photographic supplies. I buy from the APUG sponsors directly.

Peter Schrager · Oct 29, 2015

Get the zone vi book by Fred picker...that's allllll folks

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

Ko.Fe. · Oct 30, 2015

I'm not using #5 paper and not buying old paper from e-bay. I get it locally for the e-bay shipping cost.

Thanks for the hint on checking enlarger light and reflections.

My setup is far from ideal.

Got yesterday D5 into the basement and made it works with some improvisation and drilling for missing part which holds M39 lenses on the lens board. And had my first prints from 4x5 this night. They aren't ideal, but stable on FB and RC 8x10 .
I need deemer to get longer exposure times for 4x5 negatives. It is 3-7 seconds without it.

DREW WILEY · Oct 30, 2015

Hope I'm not repeating what someone else already mentioned. But Brovira hasn't been made for aeons, and it never produced a rich black
to begin with. RC papers never do. And while premium papers with the appropriate developer will help (and that is a very involved subject),
getting a print to psychologically handle an impression of depth and range takes some experience. Beginners are always prone to what we
call "soot and chalk". It's really command of the grays in between that gives the extremes their vitality.

Nige · Oct 30, 2015

John Koehrer said:
IMO the shots look a bit flat. Eh! it's an opinion

I was surprised to see this comment as on 3 monitors (none calibrated) I've view the pic on, they look fine. Just another opinion

Ko.Fe. · Oct 30, 2015

DREW WILEY said:
Hope I'm not repeating what someone else already mentioned. But Brovira hasn't been made for aeons, and it never produced a rich black
to begin with. RC papers never do. And while premium papers with the appropriate developer will help (and that is a very involved subject),
getting a print to psychologically handle an impression of depth and range takes some experience. Beginners are always prone to what we
call "soot and chalk". It's really command of the grays in between that gives the extremes their vitality.

I only printed on FB SG Brovira #2 and #4. I have RC from Agfa to try for later.

Ho to get it BW on prints? Really BW.

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