TMY-2 with POTA developer?

Paul Verizzo · Jun 23, 2015

As they say, jus' wondering.

Actually I'm pondering along the lines of using POTA for night photography and then finishing into a conventional two bath.

I don't like reinventing wheels, I'm happy to hear what anyone might say. I know that Tri-X excels in, say, Diafine, but TMY is what I have a lot more of.

MDR · Jun 24, 2015

I believe the highlights will suffer some meaning they will be less brilliant, the dark parts will be flatter as well but this might give your photographs an interesting/different look. Try it out and good luck.

24k-aurum · Jun 24, 2015

Hi Paul,
Some years ago I´ve created a special developer formula for very high contrast and night photography situations- it´s called Beutler Pyro. Ok, another Pyro formuly you might think but it´s a tricky one with an uncommon additive used - AmmoniaThioCyanat (ATC). It´s a Kind of silver solving Agent that conventionally was used in reverse developing formulas.
In Beutler Pyro it raises the filmspeed to aprox. twice the nominal Speed and also preserves the working solution from Aerial oxidation .

http://www.academia.edu/8592722/BEUTLER_PYRO_-_Advanced_Pyrogallol_Film_Developer

For high contrast I always use the Sol II mix, for conventional situations the Sol. I

Negatives show fine balanced tonalities with proper shadow Detail but exceptional Highlight Detail up to Zone X-XII (citylights etc..)

I use Ilford Delta 100 in 5x7" and 8x10"

good luck - good process

MDR · Jun 24, 2015

Thank you Harald. Danke.

David Allen · Jun 24, 2015

A straight forward two-bath developer will do fine for night photography - as you said, no need to reinvent any wheels.

Simply meter the shadows where you want to retain detail, take this reading and stop down 2 stops, apply any reciprocity if needed and shoot away. The shadows will then have detail and the two-bath will stop your highlights (even if they are bare bulb street lights) burning out.

Bests,

David.
www.dsallen.de

Rudeofus · Jun 24, 2015

Michael R. created very (there was a url link here which no longer exists) which give easily adjustable contrast. Look especially at his combo with Ascorbic Acid, which gives fully speed, straight curve, excellent choice of contrasts and is easily available locally.

24k-aurum · Jun 24, 2015

of course there are different solutions, just give you one example ...

data: Ilford Delta 100 (200ASA), Symmar 180mm, f 8, Exp.5min
process: Beutler Pyro , sol II, 8min rotation

For me the internal contrast is always an issue, for my taste the POTA type developers on conventional film produce a too flat expression (of course they are thought to manage very high contrast films not high contrast light situations...)

keep it simple

Gerald C Koch · Jun 24, 2015

24k-aurum said:
Hi Paul,
Some years ago I´ve created a special developer formula for very high contrast and night photography situations- it´s called Beutler Pyro. Ok, another Pyro formuly you might think but it´s a tricky one with an uncommon additive used - AmmoniaThioCyanat (ATC). It´s a Kind of silver solving Agent that conventionally was used in reverse developing formulas.
In Beutler Pyro it raises the filmspeed to aprox. twice the nominal Speed and also preserves the working solution from Aerial oxidation .

http://www.academia.edu/8592722/BEUTLER_PYRO_-_Advanced_Pyrogallol_Film_Developer

For high contrast I always use the Sol II mix, for conventional situations the Sol. I

Negatives show fine balanced tonalities with proper shadow Detail but exceptional Highlight Detail up to Zone X-XII (citylights etc..)

I use Ilford Delta 100 in 5x7" and 8x10"

good luck - good process

Thiocyanate can cause dichroic fog with some films. Test thoroughly before using this developer.

24k-aurum · Jun 25, 2015

Gerald C Koch said:
Thiocyanate can cause dichroic fog with some films. Test thoroughly before using this developer.

This chemical "pre-exposure" is the key to the advanced filmspeed but you are right in saying that testing is important. The formula is only needful for normal and pull processing where it gives Maximum Performance with minimal base fog only - otherwise one can add some drops of a potassiumbromid solution for keeping base fog down.

Paul Verizzo · Jun 25, 2015

Thiocyanate was a standard silver solvent before D-76 came on the scene. Very powerful, will usually redeposit the silver on the film. I played with this some years ago and all I ever got was the dichroic fog for my efforts. And a loss of film speed.

TMY-2 with POTA developer?

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