The Fate of Ilfochrome

Nathan Potter · May 15, 2009

Chris Burkett has to be considered THE master printer of Ilfochrome. I've probably seen the bulk of his prints at one gallery or another. If you're interested in what can be achieved with the medium see some of his actual work. Of course as his web site shows his operation has become very highly sophisticated and quite high tech. The imaging equipment is of the highest quality and it shows in the enlarged prints which are as often as not simply astounding.

His best work technically is done using 8 X 10 chromes a number of which he masks using Tmax (per the last time I spoke with him). I think he has developed a pretty good talent for not overdoing the masking so the effect is rendered in a subtle fashion.

Virtually all his work is nature oriented and to some would appear quite static. But his work is a celebration of the natural scene in form and color and shows a kind of religious reverence for the subject that is doubtless derived from his background in the ecclesiastical community.

On another note - to anyone interested in having an Ilfochrome print made from their transparency I would say choose the supplier very carefully and get a pretty much custom job. That may involve having a mask made if the original exceeds about a 1.8 to 2.0 Dmax. By The Way Ilfochrome comes in a backlit product CC.F7 (clear display film) which can be quite spectacular when backlighted.

Another impressive use for the print paper or film is to expose it directly in a Large Format camera then simply process it as normally. The filtration is of course rather tricky but I'd say move the color temperature to say 3400K and use the filter pack on the box and you'll get close.

Nate Potter, Austin TX.

Removed Account · May 15, 2009

Nathan Potter said:
Another impressive use for the print paper or film is to expose it directly in a Large Format camera then simply process it as normally. The filtration is of course rather tricky but I'd say move the color temperature to say 3400K and use the filter pack on the box and you'll get close.

Nate Potter, Austin TX.

I remember reading a French website (through Google Translator) where a guy modified his Sinar to use a 16x20 back. He shot colour ULF exactly the way you describe, using Ilfochrome to create one-off in-camera originals.

Poisson Du Jour · May 16, 2009

L Gebhardt said:
It looks like his newest images are $750 for a 20x24. Not a bad price for an Ilfochrome of that size, and I assume of the highest quality (I haven't seen one in person).

I'd say he is undercharging!!
You can have one of mine for $1200, 30x50cm finished with MGCF.

Poisson Du Jour · May 17, 2009

Iwagoshi said:
So you have seen Christopher Burkett?

Yes. The Autumn Tempest, Utah is my favourite, reminiscent of Galen Rowell's highly saturated visual palette.

Burkett's work is artfully abstract in places; it works well. And so it should carrying that monster camera around! The shots of Aspens are much favoured by B&W photographers and he appears to have nailed what is sometimes a difficult subject (to arrange visually) in colour; they are very appealing. At the moment in autumn (Fall!) there are poplars about an hour's drive away; I am hoping to get the B&W out and photograph these as the wind blows, bring the leaves down. Just something a little different, and more still: as a double exposure. I hope it rains!! Rain+Cold+Fog+Breeze=A-T-M-O-S-P-H-E-R-E !

shootpositive · Jun 11, 2009

curious about this as well... I'm in love with slide film and I picked up a color enlarger with two lenses for $5. I would like to give it a try.

PKM-25 · Jun 16, 2009

I am going to try a small test, then ultimately a 40x40 Ilfochrome of the first one in the set which is dr5 to see if black and white will play nice with color material:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23585735@N06/sets/72157619811572752/show/

If it works well, I will do a limited edition set of the dr5 / Ilfochromes in a show to launch the book. The non-dr5 to be printed by me of course.

I suppose I could try my hand at the Ilfochrome process too since I have a Jobo....

Steve Smith · Jun 16, 2009

Justin Silber said:
I remember reading a French website (through Google Translator) where a guy modified his Sinar to use a 16x20 back. He shot colour ULF exactly the way you describe, using Ilfochrome to create one-off in-camera originals.

British eccentric 'mad scientist' and broadcaster Tim Hunkin has made cameras which shoot direct to large sheets of Ilfochrome.

He incorporates a mirror so his images are not reversed.

http://www.timhunkin.com/61_cameras.htm (the whole site is worth looking at).

Steve.

Colin Corneau · Sep 22, 2009

I've got a bunch of Kodachrome back, from a trip to China, and at the risk of sounding like an egotistical knob (I'm not, really) I'm pretty excited about the images.

Any chance I'd have to make prints directly, as opposed to scanning and output digitally, would be something I'm interested in.

Poisson Du Jour · Sep 22, 2009

Ektagraphic said:
Hello
I have just been getting into Ilfochrome prints...The first prints I have had made should be back from the lab on Tuesday. I used Visual- Imaging as they were the best price I found. I just have some unanswed questions....How many people are still using Ilfochrome? How much time does it have left? I am not worried...just curious. I have heard amazing things about it and I will soon see for myself. Why have you not had Ilfochromes made of your slides? Cost? I think it is important to try to keep Ilfochrome around to be able to still print slides by hand...Maybe we need to have an Ilfochrome Project division of the Kodachrome Project....What are your thoughts about Ilfochrome?

Patrick

Ilfochrome is alive and well down here in Australia with many large, medium and 35mm format professionals still ordering huge runs of 'chromes from beautiful Velvia (predominantly) or Provia trannies. Then they frame the chromes. Marvellous under gallery spots! As a working photographer, I have scant interest in cameras and lenses as objects of desire. My real joy is capturing an image on film and producing an exhibition print on Ilfochrome.

I agree an Ilfochrome Project would be a good idea, maybe as a salute to Ilford but, despite its equally legendary high cost, Ilfochrome is not going to disappear any time soon (it first made an appearance in 1963!) given its the first and only choice for ultra-long life exhibition quality prints.

Note that digital images (from c. 300Mb files) are also now commonly produced to Ilfochrome.

Martin Reed · Sep 23, 2009

Sounds like there's more going on with Ilfochrome in Australia than the UK, maybe you've got a go-ahead distributor there. I reckon something other than us lot is keeping Ilfochrome alive, there must be industrial & governmental applications that need that colour permanence - (dare I say military?)

Maybe as you say it's time to refresh it's image, NPI. Maybe a starting point would be to give it some airing to pinhole camera users, plenty of them around now.

Ian Grant · Sep 23, 2009

Martin Reed said:
I reckon something other than us lot is keeping Ilfochrome alive, there must be industrial & governmental applications that need that colour permanence - (dare I say military?)

I think you're partially right, but I'm sure I read somewhere that it's due to it's archival "colour" properties and used by museums etc for documenting valuable paintints & artwork.

Ian

Poisson Du Jour · Sep 23, 2009

Surprising to learn that musuems would go to the expense of Ilfochrome.
There are some very big spenders here in Australia printing pano-landscape and large format printing through the Ilfochrome model, and as my printer said, smaller job users (like myself) must wait until the bigger jobs have gone through (something about 1200x1800mm panoprints on Ilfochrome costing a fortune, and "they are what pay the bills", he says). My wait was 3 months until a bottleneck was cleared due a raw materials supply glitch with Ilford (UK I think). I only print to 30x40cm as print+frame-up for each one costs AUD$305; any more than this is economic suicide, as the market has a bigger take-up of beautifully finished (and framed) Ilfochrome panoprints, usually marketed at truly astronomical cost (as much as a small second hand car, really).

Ian Grant · Sep 23, 2009

Poisson Du Jour said:
Surprising to learn that musuems would go to the expense of Ilfochrome.

When the paintings are worth millions of £'s/$'s costs begins to pale rather in significance. Many museums are also privately owned and outside Europe cash rich, moneys not an issue.

Ian

ozphoto · Sep 23, 2009

In Adelaide we have a lab that produces wonderful Ilfachromes/Cibachromes. They aren't cheap, but they sing so much more than regular positive prints.

They do the lot regardless of whether you are a small printer or large. Each one has a mask made and printed to perfection. 1st one costs you - subsequent copies are cheaper as they already have the mask and details from the original.

Next time I head home, I might just have to get some nice chromes printed up!

Poisson Du Jour · Sep 23, 2009

ozphoto said:
In Adelaide we have a lab that produces wonderful Ilfachromes/Cibachromes. They aren't cheap, but they sing so much more than regular positive prints.

They do the lot regardless of whether you are a small printer or large. Each one has a mask made and printed to perfection. 1st one costs you - subsequent copies are cheaper as they already have the mask and details from the original.

Next time I head home, I might just have to get some nice chromes printed up!

You will indeed get some "nice chromes printed up": the stuff memories of good times abroad or special places are made of. And that's at Chromacolour in Kent Town.

Yes, masks are the costly bit for first-runs, the big saver for follow-ons; they still use the masks created in 1997.

ozphoto · Sep 23, 2009

You got it in one!
And yes - they are great for those very special memories!!!

Ektagraphic · Sep 23, 2009

I have a darkroom now and I would really like to get into Ilfochrome but the start up is so expensive.

kraker · Sep 23, 2009

Ektagraphic said:
I have a darkroom now and I would really like to get into Ilfochrome but the start up is so expensive.

Why? Sure, using it is more expensive than B&W, but why would the start up be expensive?

(Said he, who spent the first set of Ilfochrome chemicals and 20 8x10" papers to try and get the very first print right...)

Start up cost? The first set of paper, the first set of chemicals and a development tank...

(But then again, maybe I haven't yet been able to get the first print right because I'm not doing anything about *exact* temperature control. That would make starting up more expensive indeed...)

Ektagraphic · Sep 23, 2009

Because you can only order a minimum order of sheets. If I could only but 8 or 10 at a time I would prefer that.

Iwagoshi · Sep 23, 2009

Ektagraphic said:
Because you can only order a minimum order of sheets. If I could only but 8 or 10 at a time I would prefer that.

It may take you 8 sheets just to color balance the paper to the enlarger. But once everything is synced I want as much paper of that batch as economically possible.

Ektagraphic · Sep 23, 2009

At $5, and 8 sheets to get things balenced, I think I will just keep sending out for now. I send out for $28 per sheet.

Iwagoshi · Sep 23, 2009

We choose to use Ilfochrome... "in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too." Paraphrase of JFK's We choose to go to the moon speech.

Ilfochrome is definitely not for the faint of heart, but the rewards once mastered are immeasurable. But also note that Ilfochrome cost pale in comparison to tri-color carbon printing, an endeavor I wish to try thanks to Sandy King (via the Inside Analog Photo).

Poisson Du Jour · Sep 23, 2009

If you get to know pro labs making custom Ilfochrome prints for clients, any printer will tell you it's not really economically viable as a DIY darkroom job. As other posts in this thread mention, there will be a lot of material waste, frustration, angst and money spent just getting colour balance and contrast right. Oh, and masking: consider a few years of honed skill and judgement are prerequisite to masking. Used chemicals disposal is subject to very strict environmental regimes; even pro labs have problems with the cocktail of chemicals (typically 3% sulphuric acid in waste). Consider what happens if this stuff is belched from a lose hose!

You are really much better off saving yourself grief by seeking out a pro lab with reputation — and working with them to fine tune the chrome you desire 'just so' — in fact, you'll be expected (invited into the lab) to guide the printer to the final print in terms of localised density, clipping, dodging, burning, masking, cropping, etc. In the end you will have a print that both you and the printer are proud of and happy with.

mark · Sep 23, 2009

Not for those with any degree of color blindness either.

I really envy you folks who can print color.

hrst · Sep 23, 2009

I'm afraid that Ilford is killing Ilfochrome with too high pricing . That's a shame because I like Ilfochrome printing and would like to do it more, but now it seems to be more expensive than ever before. Now I just project my slides and if I need a print I make Reversal RA-4 that's over ten times cheaper than Ilfochrome.

It would help much if there was a working recipe for Ilfochrome bleach. The official chemistry is very expensive.

The Fate of Ilfochrome

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