Sun light for contact print

[marciofs]

Is direct sun light too bright for contact print?

 

[pdeeh]

What kind of contact print?
If "alt process" (cyanotype, salt, platinum etc.) then clearly not.
If using ordinary enlarging (or even slow contact) papers, almost certainly yes.
That is, unless you are willing to build some sort of diffuser-cum-ND-filter which reduces the amount of light falling on the paper, otherwise the exposure times will be impossibly short.

However, in the early years of photographic enlarging, enlargers were built which used sun or sky light as the light source, so it is possible, but perhaps not in this day and age very practical.

Practicality though is not everything, and it might be interesting to try and so the answer to questions like this is, most usefully, "try it and see".
(and report back)

 

[marciofs]

What kind of contact print?
If "alt process" (cyanotype, salt, platinum etc.) then clearly not.
If using ordinary enlarging (or even slow contact) papers, almost certainly yes.
That is, unless you are willing to build some sort of diffuser-cum-ND-filter which reduces the amount of light falling on the paper.

However, in the early years of photographic enlarging, enlargers were built which used sun or sky light as the light source, so it is possible, but perhaps not in this day and age very practical.

Practicality though is not everything, and it might be interesting to try and so the answer to questions like this is, most usefully, "try it and see".
(and report back)

I may try. I am thinking about a better way to make contact print without the need of a enlarger and a darkroom. Instead just a dark bag and sun light. Or atleast a small lamp inside a darkbag (that produces no heat for safety reasons).

I am impressed how nobody invented it yet. A box with a red window where we can make small contact prints.

 

[removed account4]

what sort of negatives are they you are contact printing ?
you can certainly make contact prints in the sun with regular photographic paper,
you will be making lumen type contact prints, and it will take a few hours.
and to fix them follow these instructions: (there was a url link here which no longer exists)
you can also toss the fixing and just electrify the image with your skkanmaachine, ive done that more than fixing them
good luck !
john

 

[pdeeh]

Of course what John said too.
I have tried that and it can make for some very cool effects

 

[juan]

Edward Weston used an ordinary light bulb. I've used the same in a bathroom at night. You could make a bag with a frame of some kind to hold a build at a consistent height. You could possibly use an led array if the beam is wide enough.

 

[Jon Shiu]

Contact printers used to be fairly common. A small metal or wooden box with light bulbs inside and a glass top with a lid that lifts up to put the paper and negative on top. Some had switches to turn on different lights if needed for different areas of the negative. Also had some way of masking off the light area with blade or masks.

 

[Bob Carnie]

I may try. I am thinking about a better way to make contact print without the need of a enlarger and a darkroom. Instead just a dark bag and sun light. Or atleast a small lamp inside a darkbag (that produces no heat for safety reasons).

I am impressed how nobody invented it yet. A box with a red window where we can make small contact prints.

Thousands of head shot labs around the world had contact boxes for headshots and type. You can find them online.

 

[wiltw]

'printing out paper'...we used it half a century ago, in my high school newspaper, to see photos submitted by staff photographers for consideration to be in the next edition of the newspaper.

http://www2.archivists.org/glossary/terms/p/printing-out-paper#.V7CT-PkrIUE
http://cameo.mfa.org/wiki/Printing_out_paper
http://www.alternativephotography.com/wp/pop-printing-out-process/printing-out-processes

 

[NedL]

...
I am impressed how nobody invented it yet. A box with a red window where we can make small contact prints.

Afghan box cameras... the box forms the camera and is also a traveling darkroom box with a red window.
Joe VanCleave made a version with a rubylith window.
I think there are also developing "tents" with a red window! Nothing new under the sun!

 

[marciofs]

what sort of negatives are they you are contact printing ?
you can certainly make contact prints in the sun with regular photographic paper,
you will be making lumen type contact prints, and it will take a few hours.
and to fix them follow these instructions: (there was a url link here which no longer exists)
you can also toss the fixing and just electrify the image with your skkanmaachine, ive done that more than fixing them
good luck !
john

Film negative.
So...
If I make a constact print that takes a few hours, I just follow this system, by just using the developer solution described in the link?

Edward Weston used an ordinary light bulb. I've used the same in a bathroom at night. You could make a bag with a frame of some kind to hold a build at a consistent height. You could possibly use an led array if the beam is wide enough.

I used to do it too. Now I do in a tent. But I want a more convenient way to do it inside a box on a table.

I can't find a place to live on my own where I can use the bathroom or kitchen as darkroom. So if I find a way to make my prints in my room or kitchen, inside a darkbox that fit on a table. It would be perfect for me.

Contact printers used to be fairly common. A small metal or wooden box with light bulbs inside and a glass top with a lid that lifts up to put the paper and negative on top. Some had switches to turn on different lights if needed for different areas of the negative. Also had some way of masking off the light area with blade or masks.

I have never seen one. I will look for it.

'printing out paper'...we used it half a century ago, in my high school newspaper, to see photos submitted by staff photographers for consideration to be in the next edition of the newspaper.

http://www2.archivists.org/glossary/terms/p/printing-out-paper#.V7CT-PkrIUE
http://cameo.mfa.org/wiki/Printing_out_paper
http://www.alternativephotography.com/wp/pop-printing-out-process/printing-out-processes

Nice!
But we don't find it in stores now a days, right?

Afghan box cameras... the box forms the camera and is also a traveling darkroom box with a red window.
Joe VanCleave made a version with a rubylith window.
I think there are also developing "tents" with a red window! Nothing new under the sun!

This Agfa box thing is a good idea. But too small for my 6x17 film negative frames.

 

[bdial]

At one time contact printing boxes were made that held a light bulb with a piece of glass on top and a platen that would press a sheet of paper against the negative placed on the glass. Kodak made various amateur kits that included a small contact printer, some Velox contact speed paper, trays and chemistry.
Building one wouldn't be especially difficult.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Earlier this year I watched Russian documentary about village photographer.

He mentioned how in fifties he was enlarging from 6x6 and 6x9 by self made enlarger in the house without hydro.
He used small window light in the basement as light source.
He also didn't have developing tank in fifties and used kitchen pots and manual counting.

 

[marciofs]

Earlier this year I watched Russian documentary about village photographer.

He mentioned how in fifties he was enlarging from 6x6 and 6x9 by self made enlarger in the house without hydro.
He used small window light in the basement as light source.
He also didn't have developing tank in fifties and used kitchen pots and manual counting.

Thanks... I love such history stories.