Lodima Fine Art Paper--Official reports and Member Responses

I got it also this week. Never tried Azo like before, wanted to have a look and also give support to this project.
Need to get used to to see exactly what makes it so different. Don't see it yet but it looks very nice.

Few things to consider :

- New logo on box :"Store in dry cold place - Open in darkroom light only - Keep away from dogs"

- Paper too curly.

- Different size. 8.5x11 and 12x16. I really don't like an 8x10 negative on a 8x10 paper. I like and need borders around the negative, this way it doesn't look right for me.

Thank you anyway for bringing a new paper to life.
G.

c6h6o3 said:

Did you guys grind up dog biscuits or something and put it in the emulsion?

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So THATs the secret ingredient! Perhaps you should rename the paper Enob Klim....that's Milk Bone spelled backwards

Do dogs like dried gelatin on paper?

Matt

This dog thing made me laugh. About 10 years ago I had a mostly full 500 sheet box of G2 Azo DW in a storage room with a bunch of other darkroom supplies. Our Golden Retriever got into the room, and the only thing he chewed up was the box of Azo. He had lots of other choices, but, like Michael, Paula, and so many of us, he preferred the Azo.

No UPS again today, maybe the Seattle area shipments have not been sent out yet. I did get the BW book a couple of weeks ago and it is excellent.

Got mine today.

Curt said:

No UPS again today, maybe the Seattle area shipments have not been sent out yet. I did get the BW book a couple of weeks ago and it is excellent.

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Curt,

MAS posted on the Azo forum that due to the weather in the North West, UPS was having delays in delivering the paper....

Yes, I posted it there, the weather is blowing up a snow storm here, I was keeping a watch out so the package doesn't get soaked on the front porch or taken off by some squirrels to pad their nests.

Do squirrels like gelatin? If so, don't slip on the Lodima squirrel pearls.

Guillaume,

We know the paper is curly. That will not be the case with the large run. We mentioned this on the Azo Forum, which is where we will see most comments.

Sizes: we can make 8.5 x 11, 12x16, pretty much whatever size you want. If enough orders are in for a particular size, there will not need to be a "special order" charge. But we'll deal with and explain all of that when we are ready to take orders for large run.

Michael A. Smith

Thank you for the update Michael.
G.

David A. Goldfarb said:

Must be the gelatin. They can smell those tasty beef bones.

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One of our cats will do anything to get to my prints in order to lick them. I've never been able to figure it out.

Guillaume Zuili said:

- Different size. 8.5x11 and 12x16. I really don't like an 8x10 negative on a 8x10 paper. I like and need borders around the negative, this way it doesn't look right for me.

Thank you anyway for bringing a new paper to life.
G.

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Guillaume,

Sounds like a 12" roll might just be the perfect solution for you. You could cut your own 12x16 or 8.5x12 sheets. Just something to mind when it comes time to place the large order.

Good luck,

Anywhere on the web where one can see a direct comparison between printing the same negative on the old and new paper, and perhaps between something like amidol vs Dektol as a developer, selenium-toned vs. untoned, etc.?

Lodima Print

It seems several people in this thread do not have access to the galleries so here are a few scans.

The Ledges abstract and Stone Stairs and Tree were exposed on TMY-2 and given much light, developed in Rodinal semi-stand 1:150 . The third, Neshanock Creek, was was exposed on FP4+ and also given plenty of light., developed in Rodinal semi-stand 1:100.

All 6x6cm contacts and each was printed last night on Lodima G2 using MAS amidol with extra KBr (2 grams in 500ml), and selenium toned at 1:50 for 4 minutes.

The color seems SLIGHTLY warmer/saturated on my monitor at home than the prints, I'll have to compare them on my calibrated monitor at work.

Sorry Joe, no direct comparison to Azo yet. Soon.

Here is a link to the same print on Azo and on Lodima Fine Art.

http://www.michaelandpaula.com/mp/lodima_fine_art_scans.html

Dektol vs. Amidol. The differences are so readily apparent, and so many people, besides myself, have commented on the differences, that no visual comparison should be required. If you are wondering what the difference is, however, I suggest you try it yourself.

Toning in selenium vs. non-toning. The way we tone our prints 1:128, the difference is in the color--a slight bit of the green is removed--too subtle, in my opinion, to show up on a screen with the necessary low-res scan.

There is a serious problem with looking at scans on the web as opposed to looking at the real print. It is impossible, really, unless the differences are gross differences, to properly evaluate a print through the Internet. There is the issue of subtle tonalities, print color (which, I am told, can be modified in a heartbeat in PhotoShop), sharpness (something, I am also told, that can be readily modified in PhotoShop), but PhotoShop or not, and let's assume "not," there is no substitute on any monitor for the feeling of "presence" in the actual photograph. And anyone who thinks there is, is just kidding themselves.

Take for example, the two prints in the link above. The differences are so subtle (yes they can be seen, but they are subtle), but can you really have any idea of what the actual prints look like. When I compare the prints to the image on the monitor, to me, they are worlds apart, giving only the faintest idea of what the actual physical object is like.

the only way to really know what the differences are between many variables, is to try them all yourself.

Michael A. Smith

Michael,

Is the expected delivery date for the first production scale batch still 'early 2009'?

Tom.

Since Azo is no longer available and since I know how to print on the remaining sheets of it that I have, I couldn't care less how Lodima compares. I only care about how it prints.

BTW, I use a dilution of 1:64 for selenium toner. Comes out nice and warm.

I took a print that I made on it down to Scott Davis today and he will scan it for me. I'll post it here. He'll be careful to try and preserve the color.

c6h6o3 said:

Since Azo is no longer available and since I know how to print on the remaining sheets of it that I have, I couldn't care less how Lodima compares. I only care about how it prints.

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Ahhh. That's the salient point isn't it?

Exactly, Smieglitz. So don't worry about the comparison.

Michael A. Smith

Is anyone having problems with the edges of the emulsion coming off. I am and after printing and drying them on a screen, I found that the black pieces where in the sky of two of my prints and I hope rewetting will remove this. I can feel it on the paper so i know it is from the edges that floated onto my print.

Michael Andersen

Yes, that happened with mine. I have the same issue with Kentona so I'm used to it. I've learned to simply be careful when laying them out and no problems. Shawn

michael9793 said:

Is anyone having problems with the edges of the emulsion coming off. I am and after printing and drying them on a screen, I found that the black pieces where in the sky of two of my prints and I hope rewetting will remove this. I can feel it on the paper so i know it is from the edges that floated onto my print.

Michael Andersen

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I've just got the mine...... I hope to try it these Holidays...

Best

Stefano

I just uploaded two Lodima prints on my gallery

I've done some prints, tomorow I'll try to put on the gallery, maybe with a comparision between Azo and Lodima.
The paper is very good, the tone are good, deep black, nice midtone and clean white, and long scale, for me more and less 40-50% faster than Azo, works perfectlly on Amidol, also with water bath. This is my first impression, in the next days I'll put more of them, but so far the impression is very very good, M&P did a very good work....
Stefano