Very large contact print... Is it possible? Am I just crazy?

jcc

Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2012
Messages
489
Location
Norman, Okla
Format
Multi Format
So I had this concept for an art piece, to have uncut rolls of film on a light box. Lined up, the strips of film would form one image. Dandy idea. Except, I shot B&W negatives instead of slide, and a conversion effort (from negative to slide) proved to be futile. So I'm left with making a contact sheet to show the work.

Turns out that 29 rolls of film make for about 42x54" image on a contact print. I had to distribute the print between nine 16x20" sheets. Consequently, The film strips don't always line up correctly and somehow the density on the sheet sometimes varied (image 2).



Is there a trick to contact printing for such a large image?
What can I do to minimize the film strips from shifting from one sheet to the next?
Is there a way to scan a 135 film strip, in its entirety, from edge to edge — sprocket marks and all? (ok, this part might be for another forum)
 

Bob Carnie

Subscriber
Joined
Apr 18, 2004
Messages
7,731
Location
toronto
Format
Med. Format RF
Are the jpegs the final print or just on a scanner?
If a final print I double the WOW, If you can make this work its an absolutely incredible piece

good luck .. You will need some mural paper laying flat, a very large sheet of plexi to hold the film flush and considerable patience and flexibility to lay the film in position and not curl and move around on you.
I may think this would take you a whole day just with the set up ..
 

Bob Carnie

Subscriber
Joined
Apr 18, 2004
Messages
7,731
Location
toronto
Format
Med. Format RF
You could also scan High rez and set up in PS and send it to me to print as one large silver gelatin print.
 

JohnRichard

Member
Joined
Apr 27, 2008
Messages
261
Location
Lexington, K
Format
4x5 Format
So you already made a contact print using the 16x20 paper.

If density varies, its either the light source, or the emulsion on the paper.

What is your light source? All things being equal? No?
 

removed account4

Subscriber
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Messages
29,833
Format
Hybrid
thanks for posting your image, .. this is mindblowing !

probably not much help but...
burning / dodging the individual 35mm frames sounds
like something that might be insane, but a long wire - lollypop and a paper with a hole
might work, do it in stages with rubylith covering the stuff you have worked on
and are going to work on and do the varied exposures one at a time
and THEN layer on the complimentary light that will cover the whole image
(not sure if that makes sense )
.... if the exposure of the whole image is 15 seconds but the denser frames need 1-2 seconds less more, and the
thinner frames need 1-2 seconds less light do all of that 1 at a time .. then do the light they all have in common ( 13-14 seconds )
 

Truzi

Member
Joined
Mar 18, 2012
Messages
2,627
Format
Multi Format
I don't know... looks kinda pixelated to me

I have to echo the WOW! That is quite impressive.
 
OP
OP

jcc

Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2012
Messages
489
Location
Norman, Okla
Format
Multi Format

I finally found a (somewhat decent) scanner that will take the whole 16x20" without creasing it. So I scanned the 9 contact sheets, and digitally pieced them together.
 
OP
OP

jcc

Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2012
Messages
489
Location
Norman, Okla
Format
Multi Format
JohnRichard said:
So you already made a contact print using the 16x20 paper.

If density varies, its either the light source, or the emulsion on the paper.

What is your light source? All things being equal? No?
Click to expand...

Light source is a Beseler 45MXT — total exposure was equal for all the prints.
It took me about 11 solid hours to print the nine contact sheets, so I'm guessing the difference in print density is due to chemistry. I had to remake the developer after a few hours.
 
OP
OP

jcc

Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2012
Messages
489
Location
Norman, Okla
Format
Multi Format
jnanian said:
burning / dodging the individual 35mm frames sounds
like something that might be insane
Click to expand...

"Normal" dodging and burning is fine... But balancing density of all 1044 frames , I'd probably end up in the looney bin before it's completed!
 

Newt_on_Swings

Member
Joined
Mar 30, 2011
Messages
2,147
Location
NYC
Format
Multi Format
It looks like the density problems might be from the film itself? If you look at the second or perhaps 3rd row(it hard for me to see as im on my phone) it is lighter than the rest (maybe one or two more rows near the bottom also exhibit this). Maybe those rows were a bit thicker in density than others. Maybe copy them with a camera frame by frame again, or make some type of holder to do two contact prints.

As for registration maybe a simple setup of finishing nails evenly spaced on a board about 5.5 or 6 feet apart to latch onto sprocket holes at either end may help you line it up easier. You could slide your papers under and place a large plexi piece over it.

Very cool and very impressive by the way!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
OP
OP

jcc

Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2012
Messages
489
Location
Norman, Okla
Format
Multi Format

I taped the film onto glass, but the finishing nails might work better. I just have to be more careful as to not damage the film.
 

anikin

Member
Joined
Nov 16, 2009
Messages
935
Location
Capital of O
Format
Multi Format
Holy Moly! This is one beauty of the project. Please tell us how did you take all of these shots? Did you shoot sequentially? Then how in the world did you make the model stand such a long time?

For the contact print, I would get a piece of clear glass (shower door, etc), tape the film to it, put paper on top of it, then 1-2in foam sheet, then plywood and slide everything into a vacuum seal bag like this: http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/sto...-reg-bedding-storage-bags-set-of-4/1016738735, seal with a vac, put up against a wall, take a portable flash and flash it at slightly different angles from some distance away. I have never done it though, so take it as a speculation on my part Please please please show us the final result!

Another alternative is to forget about evenness across the whole print. Do a bunch of contact prints onto say 8x10 sheets and intentionally vary exposure by some random amount. When there is variation across the print, it will look really cool.

Eugene.
 

Bob Carnie

Subscriber
Joined
Apr 18, 2004
Messages
7,731
Location
toronto
Format
Med. Format RF
I have 30 inch by 15 ft if you want.

If you have a monster budget... I have 50 inch by 15 ft.
Monster means in the thousands as I would tag up with a sister lab who has a larger exposing unit than mine.

Both are Silver Gelatin fibre paper.
 

cliveh

Subscriber
Joined
Oct 9, 2010
Messages
7,492
Format
35mm RF
OP
OP

jcc

Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2012
Messages
489
Location
Norman, Okla
Format
Multi Format
anikin said:
Holy Moly! This is one beauty of the project. Please tell us how did you take all of these shots? Did you shoot sequentially? Then how in the world did you make the model stand such a long time?
Click to expand...

You assume that the featureless human form is a model. ;-) A magician never reveals his secret!

Though, I will say that the shoot took days. Prior to shooting, it took weeks (maybe a couple of months) of planning and choosing the right set up. I'm not even sure I can do it again if I tried!
 
OP
OP

jcc

Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2012
Messages
489
Location
Norman, Okla
Format
Multi Format
Ultra large fiber (or fibre) paper. Wow. The cost alone is probably why I've never seen them.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn more…