Printing a sky - What would you do?

[Sirius Glass]

Once I learned split-grade printing, I never turned back. It is the only way I print now.

Ditto. It was a great leap forward for me.

 

[oxcanary]

Yes after years of irritating test strips I went to split grade printin. I use a combination of Ilford exposure meter and dividing the calibration time between grade 5 and grade 00 filters, remembering to double the exposure for the grade 5 exposure. Might then tweak either of these exposures slightly and choose dodge and burn accordingl.

 

[warden]

View attachment 326847

I think the less sky crop is an improvement, and agree with those suggesting split grade printing could be useful here. Plus it's just fun.

As for the paper white sky, if you decide to keep it I prefer a thin black line to define the rectangle when the entire top edge of the image is paper white, and I'm happy to draw it with a pen. Personal preference of course, but I like the rectangle to be anchored.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Yes after years of irritating test strips I went to split grade printin. I use a combination of Ilford exposure meter and dividing the calibration time between grade 5 and grade 00 filters, remembering to double the exposure for the grade 5 exposure. Might then tweak either of these exposures slightly and choose dodge and burn accordingl.

A form of split grade printing.

 

[Daniela]

So thankful for your suggestion to do split-grade printing!
Why in the world isn't this taught from the very beginning?! It makes the process so much more manageable and easy to figure out what the next step is!
Here are the prints in chronological order:

And here is a comparison between the "happy" print from last week and from today:

The crappy cellphone photo doesn't really show it, but there's a bit of gray in the sky, enough to define the edges, and I like it. I'm not finished printing it yet, I want a bit more contrast in the lion.
So, I really love how much I can control and opening up shadows or changing the highlights a bit without having to sacrifice one or the other. Early on, I was told I'd have to make a choice on which one to sacrifice, and that may be the only option sometimes, but it's nice to know it doesn't have to be the norm. I also like the subtlety and range of grays I can get.
I'll keep practicing and learning about split-grade printing for sure! Any thoughts or suggestions?

 

[Daniela]

I had to change enlargers to do the split grade printing because the one I usually use is all wobbly and changing filters moved the thing all over the place/messed the focus. I tried to use this one and I couldn't for the life of me figure it out...even with the instructions at hand LOL Where the heck is the timer in this thing?! If I needed an external one, I couldn't find anywhere to plug it in either...


The knob on the left looks like a timer, but it didn't seem to do anything...

 

[koraks]

I think on that one you're supposed to plug the transformer (the one with the switch on it) into the timer of your choice.
Sorry, I don't know what the dial on the left side of the head does. A friend of mine has a couple of Kaisers, but I never used them.

 

[warden]

So, I really love how much I can control and opening up shadows or changing the highlights a bit without having to sacrifice one or the other.

Yes! It's a satisfying way to print for sure. It's good to see a little sky tone defining those upper edges.

 

[cowanw]

I tried to find a manual for your enlarger but failed. The manual you have is for a larger format model.
Here is the manual for the Straight Black and White version which shows the filter drawer and the colour head accessory but does not show this head but mentions it as multigrade head on page 9.

https://www.kaiser-fototechnik.de/default-wAssets/docs/anleitungen/4401_2.pdf

This is also not your enlarger but is very helpful

Vorstellung Kaiser Vergrößerer System-V

Hier stelle ich den Kaiser System V Vergrößerer vor mit Multigrade-Kopf und Farbkopf für Kleinbild bis zum Mittelformat 6x7.

analoge-fotografie.net

This is not a colour enlarger as it does not have three colours, magenta, yellow and cyan. It is a multigrade enlarger (which is fine) which has a one dial for moving between filter grades, moving between yellow and magenta.
It also looks like it has a filter drawer below the front dial for using filters such as Ilford filters.
For split printing you would normally dial the wheel between Zero all the way to 5 for each type of exposure.
The knob on the left side is a variable gray filter, which changes the intensity of the lamp and therefor the time of exposure required.
The knob on the right side moves between white light and the filter setting.
You do need to plug the enlarger into a timer which then plugs into the wall.
I think this model may be for 35mm only ( I could well be wrong on that)
Kindest Regards

 

[MattKing]

Does adjusting the wheel on the left change the brightness of the light?

 

[MattKing]

The information on the colour head for that enlarger - which has the same sort of dial on that side - has this:
" Continuously adjustable, illuminated density aperture up to 60 densitometric densities (= two aperture settings). "
So I think I might be right

 

[jeffreyg]

I wouldn’t worry about the sky but I would crop the bottom eliminating the diagonal part of the wall It will give the lion more impact and the sky will be negative space not needing clouds.

ABOUT | JEFFREY GLASSER

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[Daniela]

I think on that one you're supposed to plug the transformer (the one with the switch on it) into the timer of your choice.
Sorry, I don't know what the dial on the left side of the head does. A friend of mine has a couple of Kaisers, but I never used them.

Thing is, the transformer didn't have any hole to plug anything else into it! I meant to take a picture of the bottom and back, but I assure you, there was nothing there!

I tried to find a manual for your enlarger but failed. The manual you have is for a larger format model.
Here is the manual for the Straight Black and White version which shows the filter drawer and the colour head accessory but does not show this head but mentions it as multigrade head on page 9.

https://www.kaiser-fototechnik.de/default-wAssets/docs/anleitungen/4401_2.pdf

This is also not your enlarger but is very helpful

Vorstellung Kaiser Vergrößerer System-V

Hier stelle ich den Kaiser System V Vergrößerer vor mit Multigrade-Kopf und Farbkopf für Kleinbild bis zum Mittelformat 6x7.

analoge-fotografie.net

This is not a colour enlarger as it does not have three colours, magenta, yellow and cyan. It is a multigrade enlarger (which is fine) which has a one dial for moving between filter grades, moving between yellow and magenta.
It also looks like it has a filter drawer below the front dial for using filters such as Ilford filters.
For split printing you would normally dial the wheel between Zero all the way to 5 for each type of exposure.
The knob on the left side is a variable gray filter, which changes the intensity of the lamp and therefor the time of exposure required.
The knob on the right side moves between white light and the filter setting.
You do need to plug the enlarger into a timer which then plugs into the wall.
I think this model may be for 35mm only ( I could well be wrong on that)
Kindest Regards

Thank you. I briefly tried to find something online, but I had limited time there. Yes, the dial was indeed for the filters and I could see the color change in the light as I moved it, so I was excited to try it without moving too many things around...As for plugging the into a timer...I saw now other socket/hole anywhere on the thing and I looked everywhere.

The information on the colour head for that enlarger - which has the same sort of dial on that side - has this:
" Continuously adjustable, illuminated density aperture up to 60 densitometric densities (= two aperture settings). "
So I think I might be right

Well....this is not a color head enlarger, but the manual called that knob "density aperture", yet nothing seemed to happen when I moved it. However, I didn't test it with a negative in and the room light off, so you might indeed be right! I'll have to wait until next Monday to see!

Thank you all!

 

[Pieter12]

Thing is, the transformer didn't have any hole to plug anything else into it! I meant to take a picture of the bottom and back, but I assure you, there was nothing there!


Thank you. I briefly tried to find something online, but I had limited time there. Yes, the dial was indeed for the filters and I could see the color change in the light as I moved it, so I was excited to try it without moving too many things around...As for plugging the into a timer...I saw now other socket/hole anywhere on the thing and I looked everywhere.


Well....this is not a color head enlarger, but the manual called that knob "density aperture", yet nothing seemed to happen when I moved it. However, I didn't test it with a negative in and the room light off, so you might indeed be right! I'll have to wait until next Monday to see!

Thank you all!

l am not familiar with this enlarger, but if you are able to connect it to the mains, that is the cord you would plug into a timer.

 

[cliveh]

Well if you don't like the sky, you could always convert to digital photography and produce a file of a hundred different sky images to combine with what ever image you want.

 

[Pieter12]

Well if you don't like the sky, you could always convert to digital photography and produce a file of a hundred different sky images to combine with what ever image you want.

"Produce a file of a hundred different sky images"? How so? Go out and take them (digitally, I assume)? That can take a while if you want a true assortment to choose from. Buy royalty-free stock? Inserting a sky into an existing scene is not as simple as some may make it. First, you need some basic photo retouching software and the skills to use it. Second (and the one most overlooked by neophytes), the lighting and sometimes the angle of the shot need to match your scene. And some cloud formations are not that common in some areas and seasons. Don't forget to add grain to the digital sky to match your image!

 

[MattKing]

For clarity:
1) very few enlargers have built in timers;
2) for enlargers that have separate power supplies, usually the enlarger is plugged into or directly wired into the power supply, and then the power supply is either
a) plugged directly into the AC wall socket, or, much more commonly,
b) plugged into the AC socket on the timer, which itself has a cord that is plugged into the wall socket;
3) the "density aperture" control might be bypassed by a white/light switch or lever intended for use when focusing - most colour or variable contrast light sources have such a lever or switch. If that light source has that, when it is engaged, changing the contrast setting wouldn't change the colour of the light, but with the switch or lever is not engaged, the colour will change and, possibly, moving the "density aperture" control will change the brightness.

 

[cowanw]

As I said in post 34
The knob on the left side is a variable gray filter, which changes the intensity of the lamp and therefor the time of exposure required.
The knob on the right side moves between white light and the filter setting.
You do need to plug the enlarger (voltage stabilizer main and only plug with no other openings) into a timer which then plugs into the wall.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

Just printed this one this week. I'm happy with the sky just being white and merging into the margins, even if I know that's not really technically correct.*
I'm wondering what you'd do in regards to the sky if this was your picture. There's info in the negative, some static, amorphous gray clouds...
Also, as a viewer, how do you perceive the picture with a borderless sky? Do you notice it? Does it bother you?

*As a side note, I notice I've been printing crisp white skies a lot recently and I know it's heavily influenced by the endless stretches of gray days we've been having. I miss sunlight!

View attachment 326460

blank skies look boring but, having white puffy clouds in every picture is unrealistic and can get boring too. Often, skies are just not worth the effort to print them down. I use a yellow filter and live with the results because it looks more realistic that way.

 

[MattKing]

As I said in post 34
The knob on the left side is a variable gray filter, which changes the intensity of the lamp and therefor the time of exposure required.
The knob on the right side moves between white light and the filter setting.
You do need to plug the enlarger (voltage stabilizer main and only plug with no other openings) into a timer which then plugs into the wall.

My apologies Bill.
I mistook your comment about the "variable gray filter" as being a reference to the model referred to in the instruction manual you linked to.

 

[Sirius Glass]

blank skies look boring but, having white puffy clouds in every picture is unrealistic and can get boring too. Often, skies are just not worth the effort to print them down. I use a yellow filter and live with the results because it looks more realistic that way.

I agree. I will also use an orange or Red32a or Red 25 filter on occasion and will use split grade printing. I have never added clouds to any photograph. The sky is the way it should be, some people cannot deal with that.

 

[Daniela]

Looking up, it's a featureless cloudy sky...looking down, you have a tens of thousands of square miles soft box overhead

Want to really thank you for this. It's been on my mind since I read it and it has gotten me out the door to shoot...turn your negatives into positives, indeed!

Well if you don't like the sky, you could always convert to digital photography and produce a file of a hundred different sky images to combine with what ever image you want.

Blasphemy!

For clarity:
1) very few enlargers have built in timers;
2) for enlargers that have separate power supplies, usually the enlarger is plugged into or directly wired into the power supply, and then the power supply is either
a) plugged directly into the AC wall socket, or, much more commonly,
b) plugged into the AC socket on the timer, which itself has a cord that is plugged into the wall socket;
3) the "density aperture" control might be bypassed by a white/light switch or lever intended for use when focusing - most colour or variable contrast light sources have such a lever or switch. If that light source has that, when it is engaged, changing the contrast setting wouldn't change the colour of the light, but with the switch or lever is not engaged, the colour will change and, possibly, moving the "density aperture" control will change the brightness.

As I said in post 34
The knob on the left side is a variable gray filter, which changes the intensity of the lamp and therefor the time of exposure required.
The knob on the right side moves between white light and the filter setting.
You do need to plug the enlarger (voltage stabilizer main and only plug with no other openings) into a timer which then plugs into the wall.

In regards to the right side, there's indeed a lever labeled "in/out". In the "in" position, the filter colors show up. So, I'll try to see if moving it engages the one on the left.
As for plugging the stabilizer into a timer, the timers I saw didn't seem to have the opening for that type of plug, but I'll look again. There was no Kaiser timer available, that's for sure.

Thank you again!

 

[cowanw]

The Europlug that comes out of the voltage stabilizer ( under the white wall plug in your first picture, post 31 goes into a European timer.
Like this

Kaiser Digital Timer - Electronic Exposure Timer for Enlargers

The Kaiser Electronic Exposure Timer is perfect for exposing prints in the darkroom quickly and easily with the necessary accuracy. For enlargers up to 500W.

www.retrocamera.be

 

[RalphLambrecht]

Ditto. It was a great leap forward for me.

I don't see how that would help in this case.

 

[MurrayMinchin]

Want to really thank you for this. It's been on my mind since I read it and it has gotten me out the door to shoot...turn your negatives into positives, indeed!

One of the hardest lessons I had to learn (took many years in fact) was to not let my expectations regarding weather or subject matter ruin a day of photographing.

There were so many times where I'd want sunshine and it would rain, or I'd want fresh snow on the trees and it would drop off first thing in the morning. One of my best photographs was taken on a day I didn't want to go because of forest fire smoke. My reward for forcing myself out the door that day is a forest image which everyone misinterprets as being taken on a foggy day...hey...who am I to tell them what to think!??!

Congratulations are on order for your determination; it'll lead you to many unforeseen discoveries