Traveling negative anyone?

NedL · Apr 10, 2017

Bert, what size are those prints? I like all of them but I think somehow the albumen fits really well

darkosaric · Apr 11, 2017

Wow Bert ! Great work, one better than another !

TheToadMen · Apr 11, 2017

NedL said:
Bert, what size are those prints? I like all of them but I think somehow the albumen fits really well

Hi Ned,
The image itself is about 12 x 18 cm (4.8 x 7,2 inch. The printing paper is 18 x 24 cm (7.2 x 9.6 inch).

I have printed other negatives as well, so I didn't have the time to redo the Paris bridge as an Albumen print. In total I made 15 prints from 7 negatives on 6 different types of paper this weekend. All roughly about the same size. Two fine days of making papers suitable and printing these negatives. It was fun!! I even made a double exposure with a sandwich of this negative and a negative of the cityskape of Deventer on rather thin Japanese rice paper (Masa). I'll scan and post that one later - as an other "free" interpretation of this negative.

TheToadMen · Apr 11, 2017

darkosaric said:
Wow Bert ! Great work, one better than another !

Thanks Darko,
Which one do you like best (if ignoring the smudge marks in the last print)?

TheToadMen · Apr 11, 2017

And here is the salt print from the sandwich with two negatives (a bit under exposed):

It's very thin Masa paper, thus the wrinkling after drying. I'll soak it and dry it again taped to glass to straighten it. I got a decent print with this paper. The others got all kind of problems: they all got blisters all over the prints. Probably due to bad and uneven coating with the silvernitrate. They also did it on a newspaper and I'm guessing the newspaper also sucked the silvernitrate straight through the Masa paper. I placed mine on glass and then coated with heavily a brush.

I used the traveling negative and a negative from the cityscape of Deventer, overlooking the river IJssel. I positioned it thus that it looks like there is a village upon the bridge. I gave it an exposure of 2.5 minutes in the full sun but it could have used up to 4 minutes. Anyway, my free interpretation of the Travelling Negative (while testing the Masa paper).

This is a normal albumen print made from the other negative (to compare):

darkosaric · Apr 11, 2017

TheToadMen said:
Thanks Darko,
Which one do you like best (if ignoring the smudge marks in the last print)?

Hard to say, but if I must choose , then salt print on Van Beek paper I like best, it has nice contrast, and in the same time details are clear, all in all very pleasing effect with nice color.

kraker · Apr 18, 2017

I'm just about finished with my turn printing the negative.
I've received it from howardpan, since he didn't get any response from walbergb. I've checked with Howard; he still hasn't heard from walbergb, so I guess he is off the list for now (or at least has lost his position).
I'll try to get in touch with Brian L, to see if he's still ready to be part of this.

13) howardpan
14) walbergb
15) kraker
16) Brian L
17) StephenT

kraker · May 22, 2017

I realise I've not kept you all updated. In my defense, I've a lot on my mind; my father-in-law passed away last month. But somewhere in this sad and hectic period I got in touch with StephenT (didn't get a reply from Brian L, so I suppose he's off the list for now, or at least moved to the bottom), and about a week ago I sent the negative to him. Only now do I realise I do not have any tracking number to share, so it is all in the hands of the various mail companies. In Dutch Post and US Post We Trust! Let's hope the negative makes it to Stephen.
As for my prints, I'm sure they are somewhere around the house, I will scan and post them when things have calmed down a bit.

kraker · Jul 1, 2017

Hmmm... that was about 5-6 weeks ago, and I have not yet heard from Stephen that he has received the negative. I'm starting to worry that it is lost in transit... if so, it happened "on my shift". Feeling unhappy about that...

darkosaric · Jul 1, 2017

No worries kraker, whatever happens - already it is more than success thread .
Still waiting for your scan upload .

kraker · Jul 1, 2017

Thanks, Darko. And yes, I still have to scan and share my interpretation... I'm first going to get the postcards for the postcard exchange written and addressed, then I will get on it!

darkosaric · Oct 8, 2017

BUMP!
Something new here ?

darkosaric · Oct 19, 2017

Another BUMP !

kraker · Oct 19, 2017

Negative still lost as far as I know. Scanning and posting my interpretation(s) is still on my TODO list, but the list is just too big at the moment... Someday, it will happen.

Siompa · Oct 22, 2017

If the negative turns up I would be happy to take the last place if it’s still available?

darkosaric · Oct 23, 2017

Hi Siompa,

Let wait and see if the negative is lost or not. If we find it - sure, why not .

bence8810 · Oct 23, 2017

darkosaric said:
Hi Siompa,

Let wait and see if the negative is lost or not. If we find it - sure, why not .

Didn't someone at one point make a copy of the negative?

Ben

BHuij · Oct 25, 2017

Shame if it got lost. If so... does the OP have any similar negs? We could pick up where we left off; I'd still love to print it.

kraker · Dec 23, 2017

Many months after printing, I'm here to share my interpretation, long overdue, but better late than never.

All prints on Ilford Multigrade fiber base warm tone glossy, developed in Harman Warmtone developer. Almost-straight scans from prints with only a few (and certainly not all) specks of dust retouched and a bit of sharpening (local contrast).

After a test strip, I started off with a straight print:

I thought the lower left could use just a bit of dodging, and was curious to see the effect of burning the sky/clouds. Second print, lower left -1/6 stop, sky +1/2 stop:

I liked the look of the darker sky, so for the third and last print, I went a bit further with burning (lower left -1/6 stop, sky + 5/6 stop):

So there you have it; depending on the mood I'd want to convey I'd choose the second or the third print. Or, if it weren't a travelling negative, I might by now revisit it and print it differently.

LarsAC · Dec 23, 2017

I like the third one. Good to see, things are moving.

Lars

dburian · Dec 29, 2017

Kraker, Nice work. The burn really brings up the exceptional cloud detail.
So many neat interpretations, thanks to Darko for starting this thread.
DB

NedL · Jul 14, 2021

rknewcomb said:
I know this is an old thread and I'm slow on the uptake sometimes but..
The print in post #233 - it was made from an in camera paper negative ? Of what size? and, what size it this positive print?
I's lovely.
Thanks,
Robert

Hi Robert, and thanks!

It was made from a 35mm film negative that Darko sent around.

The basic process was:

Enlarged part of the negative onto 5x7 paper to make an "inter-positive"
Contact printed the inter-positive onto another sheet of 5x7 paper to make a paper negative.
The paper negative was then used to make the print onto a piece of printing paper.

If I remember correctly, the paper is 9.5x7 inches, and I probably used a mask to get the clean border.

If you read the following links it's going to make it seem a lot more complicated than it really is... there's nothing very difficult.
Probably the only difficult part is knowing what a good paper negative for this process looks like, and that just takes a little practice.

Here is a link to the process for making the paper negative
and
Here is a link to the process for making the print

Cheers!
Ned

Traveling negative anyone?

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