Showcase for Your HCWP's

[Rolleiflexible]

You gotta take a picture of that wall though!

Here you go.

 

[Patrick Robert James]

Thanks Sanders. That is a lot of beautiful images which is why I wanted to see it! It is almost a work in itself. Are those mostly Kallitypes?

Curious where you got the metal chalkboard. Maybe I should upgrade.

I do something similar but on the organizing side. I print "contact sheets" after culling images in Lightroom then cut them out. I have a 3x4 galvanized sheet on the wall and use the same little magnets for the images. Great way to organize things. I've been doing it that way now for a couple decades. I can just put my finger on the images and slide them around for sorting and sequencing. I have to organize images that way otherwise I forget about them.

This is what I am talking about. Minox images from the last few years from my Schlimkimmelfitzen project. I should probably do something like you are doing. Much nicer to see finished prints on the wall than in a box...

 

[Patrick Robert James]

About 20 years ago I shot a bunch of images in the Musée Méchanique in San Fran. I never did anything with them in all this time but I thought they might make decent cyanotypes. I don't think these are successful though so I was wrong. I think the second image says it all. El Stinko. Lol. These might work better as salt prints or Kallitypes. I believe I used Canson XL Bristol which has become my "cheap" paper.

 

[fgorga]

About 20 years ago I shot a bunch of images in the Musée Méchanique in San Fran. I never did anything with them in all this time but I thought they might make decent cyanotypes. I don't think these are successful though so I was wrong. I think the second image says it all. El Stinko. Lol. These might work better as salt prints or Kallitypes. I believe I used Canson XL Bristol which has become my "cheap" paper.


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Well, I'm not sure I go so far as "El Stinko", but there is certainly room for improvement. Clearly, the highlights need some work.

You say the images were made 20 years ago. Thus, I assume they are film negatives... true? If so, you could scan the negatives and adjust the contrast to suit cyanotype with a curve.

You could also try a shorter exposure and then develop in 1-2% vinegar. The shorter exposure should help get to near paper white in the highlights. Vinegar development would help with contrast in the midtones.

Or, as you say, you could try a different process... I'd suggest salt prints (given their long scale) but I haven't seen the negatives.

The images are interesting so I think it will be worth investing some effort.

 

[koraks]

. I'd suggest salt prints (given their long scale) but I haven't seen the negatives.

If the negatives don't have enough contrast for cyanotypes, there's no hope at all for salt prints.

 

[nmp]

If the negatives don't have enough contrast for cyanotypes, there's no hope at all for salt prints.

Yep. I would also go to the opposite and wash in tap water (neutral or slight alkaline even, not enough to form iron hydroxide though) for longer period (try different lengths.) Sure it will bring the Dmax down, but do a much better job on the highlights as well. I guess it depends on what part of the print one wants to accentuate.


:Niranjan

 

[Patrick Robert James]

You guys crack me up.

 

[fgorga]

If the negatives don't have enough contrast for cyanotypes, there's no hope at all for salt prints.

Yes, of course.

I am not sure what I was thinking... probably wasn't, thinking that is!!!

 

[fgorga]

I think that Sanders and I must be on the same track.

Back on 7 Sept, I made the largest salted paper prints I have attempted to date. I was not as bold as Sanders though.

My images are 10 x 12.5 inches on 11x15 inch Hahn. Pt Rag paper. I buy most of my paper as large sheets when available. HPR and many other papers are available as 22x30 inch sheets. Thus, these sheets cut down to four 11x15 inch sheets with no waste.

Additionally a 10 x 12.5 inch image (125 square inches) is a bit over twice the area of my typical print (6 x 7.5 inch, 45 square inches on 8x10 paper) which, in turn, is a bit over twice the area of my smallest prints (4x5 inches, 20 square inches on 6x7.5 inch paper). It makes a nice progression!

Here are photos of the three prints, hanging via magnets on a stainless steel strip. I have a number of these strips (both 24" and 36") hanging in different spots in my studio and dim room. I wish I had the space for a large sheet of steel.

Those of you who participated in the recent print exchange will recognize
this one...



Here is a gold/bicarbonate toned version...


And another gold/bicarbonate toned print...

 

[Patrick Robert James]

Very nice Frank.

One of the main reasons I like alt prints is I can make larger prints. I have a small darkroom so I am pretty much limited to 8x10, but my contact printer is 14x17 and I can wash prints anywhere. It makes larger prints much easier to do. I'd bet we all share the same sentiment to some degree.

 

[awty]

14X17 Vandyke Brown contact print on a3 art paper. Sun exposure, wash and toned in gold and selenium.
Home made 14 x17 camera with fuji 250mm lens, f64, xray film in pyro hd

 

[Rolleiflexible]

Thanks Sanders. That is a lot of beautiful images which is why I wanted to see it! It is almost a work in itself. Are those mostly Kallitypes?

Curious where you got the metal chalkboard. Maybe I should upgrade.

I do something similar but on the organizing side.

Yes, they are nearly all kallitypes. A few old silver gelatin prints too, but mostly kallitypes from the past several years.

Search "magnetic chalkboards" on Amazon. I got 3x4-foot boards there for under $50.

I like your idea as well. Part of creating, for me, involves marinating in past work. I shoot in fits and starts -- I need an organizing idea to get me shooting. Sometimes the idea grows from past work. Sometimes the past is a hindrance. That's the problem with organizing ideas -- they give you structure but they box you in.

 

[Rolleiflexible]

My images are 10 x 12.5 inches on 11x15 inch Hahn. Pt Rag paper. I buy most of my paper as large sheets when available. HPR and many other papers are available as 22x30 inch sheets. Thus, these sheets cut down to four 11x15 inch sheets with no waste.

I do the same thing with Revere Platinum, which also ships in 22x30 sheets with deckled edges on the 30-inch sides. For the books, I cut each down to six 10x11 sheets. For these bigger prints, I am cutting the sheets down to two 15x22-inch sheets, onr one 17x22 sheet with the rest chopped up for smaller prints.

I would like to get to the point where I print one 16x24 image on a 22x30 sheet. But I will need ginorous trays for that, and a bigger vacuum frame. Not impossible, but scaling up is not so simple. As it is, the 17x22-inch sheets are a half-inch too long for my current trays. I am reluctant to cut them down because I like the deckled edges so I manage with the paper sticking out of the tray at the end. One big help has been to dig out an old JOBO expert print drum from storage -- it's plenty big enough to process 17x22 sheets on an old Beseler roller base. I develop in a 22-inch Nikor steel canoe tray, then rinse and clear in the JOBO tank, then tone and fix in a 17x22 Cesco metal tray, then rinse in a huge tray with a siphon. The JOBO expert tank is a huge help with processing prints at these sizes.

 

[Rolleiflexible]

14X17 Vandyke Brown contact print on a3 art paper. Sun exposure, wash and toned in gold and selenium.
Home made 14 x17 camera with fuji 250mm lens, f64, xray film in pyro hd

View attachment 350309 View attachment 350310

Lovely work. I see you've been watching Woody's Roundup again.

 

[Rolleiflexible]

One of the main reasons I like alt prints is I can make larger prints. I have a small darkroom so I am pretty much limited to 8x10, but my contact printer is 14x17 and I can wash prints anywhere. It makes larger prints much easier to do. I'd bet we all share the same sentiment to some degree.

Patrick, you should consider using JOBO tanks to conserve space. Since you have a 14x17 print frame, you could easily move up to 11x15 or 12x16 prints. The basic 2500/2800 JOBO tanks are 5.3" (inner diameter) across, so will accommodate paper up to 16 inches without overlapping. A basic 2551 multitank works for 8x10 prints. The 2840 gives you plenty of room for a 12x16 print. Stack a 2593 extension onto the 2840, and you have plenty of room for a 15x22 print, or even a 17x22 if you don't mind the one-inch overlap.

 

[awty]

Lovely work. I see you've been watching Woody's Roundup again.

Had to look up to see who Woody was.
Was based on Australian icons, people who grew up here in the seventies would understand.

 

[Vaughn]

Something a little different -- volunteered to photograph a local band on the porch of the drummer's brother...nice roses!

Platinum/palladium print from a 5x7 negative, printed last week.

 

[Patrick Robert James]

Patrick, you should consider using JOBO tanks to conserve space. Since you have a 14x17 print frame, you could easily move up to 11x15 or 12x16 prints. The basic 2500/2800 JOBO tanks are 5.3" (inner diameter) across, so will accommodate paper up to 16 inches without overlapping. A basic 2551 multitank works for 8x10 prints. The 2840 gives you plenty of room for a 12x16 print. Stack a 2593 extension onto the 2840, and you have plenty of room for a 15x22 print, or even a 17x22 if you don't mind the one-inch overlap.

Funny you should mention that Sanders because I do have JOBO tanks, but the 1500 series. I don't use them anymore since I switched to stainless. I also have a few Beseler? print drums, the biggest is for 16x20 I think. I haven't looked at them in years. The biggest drawback with those and fiber paper is the print will probably collapse in the drum. I can't say for sure because I haven't tried it of course (have you?). I should give it a go because I'd love to know if it works. I also like to look at the print while it is developing and apply any voodoo to it if it needs it. I kind of forgot about the print drums until you mentioned it. I bought them for color but I've never used them.

Speaking of bigger prints, I kind of wish I would have made my UV light larger. I think the leds cover an area about 15x23 inside. I should have just made it 20x30. I'm limited with my stinkjet printer though at 13", which is really more like 12" to be safe. So with my contact frame the max I can do is about 12x16. That should be big enough for most purposes I think. I'd only ever print that size on occasion. Most of my prints are small since I am the only one that ever looks at them. Plus I just do alt prints for fun really and to do something different and new.

 

[Patrick Robert James]

Yes, they are nearly all kallitypes. A few old silver gelatin prints too, but mostly kallitypes from the past several years.

Search "magnetic chalkboards" on Amazon. I got 3x4-foot boards there for under $50.

I like your idea as well. Part of creating, for me, involves marinating in past work. I shoot in fits and starts -- I need an organizing idea to get me shooting. Sometimes the idea grows from past work. Sometimes the past is a hindrance. That's the problem with organizing ideas -- they give you structure but they box you in.

I am the same. Sometimes ideas stem from the images and sometimes they just pop into my head. Aside from the board, I also use Lightroom to organize things as a preliminary step. Any time I get the twinkle of an idea I'll create a collection for it. The vast majority go nowhere of course, but that is ok. I agree that structure boxes you in, but I think also that you can have a lot of different boxes. Images can move from box to box and can be in many different boxes too. Sometimes I think boxes are just good so other people can understand what is going on.

I tend to look at all the photographs I've made as a tree. Any image could possibly produce a new branch. The older I get the more possibilities appear. Without some type of organization it would be a big mess.

 

[Patrick Robert James]

I do the same thing with Revere Platinum, which also ships in 22x30 sheets with deckled edges on the 30-inch sides. For the books, I cut each down to six 10x11 sheets. For these bigger prints, I am cutting the sheets down to two 15x22-inch sheets, onr one 17x22 sheet with the rest chopped up for smaller prints.

I would like to get to the point where I print one 16x24 image on a 22x30 sheet. But I will need ginorous trays for that, and a bigger vacuum frame. Not impossible, but scaling up is not so simple. As it is, the 17x22-inch sheets are a half-inch too long for my current trays. I am reluctant to cut them down because I like the deckled edges so I manage with the paper sticking out of the tray at the end. One big help has been to dig out an old JOBO expert print drum from storage -- it's plenty big enough to process 17x22 sheets on an old Beseler roller base. I develop in a 22-inch Nikor steel canoe tray, then rinse and clear in the JOBO tank, then tone and fix in a 17x22 Cesco metal tray, then rinse in a huge tray with a siphon. The JOBO expert tank is a huge help with processing prints at these sizes.

Not sure if you are aware, but if you like deckled edges there are rulers with rough edges that are made for tearing paper to give a deckle-like edge.

I am curious about the canoe tray. I've thought about getting one of those but how do you pour the chems out? Seems like it would be a mess. Wondering how you do it.

 

[MattKing]

Something a little different -- volunteered to photograph a local band on the porch of the drummer's brother...nice roses!

Platinum/palladium print from a 5x7 negative, printed last week.

Heavy metal?

 

[koraks]

Heavy metal?

We've yet to see uranotypes in this thread.

Very metal.

 

[Vaughn]

Heavy metal?

Catch them live this Saturday at the Apple Harvest Festival in Fortuna, CA!!
(11:15am to 3:30pm)
But not too bad with available light. Exposed 4 sheets here -- only negative with everyone still enough.

 

[Rolleiflexible]

I am curious about the canoe tray. I've thought about getting one of those but how do you pour the chems out? Seems like it would be a mess. Wondering how you do it.

There are holes at the corners for pouring solutions out. You waste a few mls, which is okay for me when it’s developer. But I tone in a Cusco tray to avoid wasting platinum.

 

[Rolleiflexible]

I also have a few Beseler? print drums, the biggest is for 16x20 I think. I haven't looked at them in years. The biggest drawback with those and fiber paper is the print will probably collapse in the drum. I can't say for sure because I haven't tried it of course (have you?).

That has not happened to me yet. I am using a 300+ GSM paper, Revere Platinum. It clings a bit to the tub wall, and the 17x22 sheet held its shape well when wet. I would imagine a single-weight paper like Arches Platine 145g might present this problem.