You favorite paper for paper negatives

[EASmithV]

I'll start with Ilford MG IV RC

Please post example images!

These were developed in T developer




I wanted to see how it's turn out if I shot some red flowers... Well it didn't, of course...



Note the Jason Brunner Bellows compensatory device


*Edit*
BTW these are 8x10 paper negs

 

[EASmithV]

Damn it, can someone fix it to say "your"?

 

[himself]

those look great and I'm thinking of trying some paper negs, so will be keeping an eye on this thread...

did you rate these at asa 6?

 

[keithwms]

Anything RC and multigrade and preflashed... and with no watermarks.

 

[Joe VanCleave]

My preferred paper media is Arista brand grade 2 RC paper, preflashed. Here are some examples, exposed in a DIY 8"x10" tailboard box camera with meniscus lens.

~Joe

 

[EASmithV]

those look great and I'm thinking of trying some paper negs, so will be keeping an eye on this thread...

did you rate these at asa 6?

I usually rate at ASA 3 to ASA 4.5 - 5. It depends greatly on the lighting and metering technique, the exposure latitude for paper negatives it really narrow.

Those three examples were rated at ASA 3

 

[himself]

thanks for the tip

 

[nsurit]

Specifically, how are you folks preflashing the paper and what is the "why" for preflashing?

 

[EASmithV]

Preflashing can give you lower contrast which can help as paper negatives are sometimes too contrasty. You can preflash by photographing a grey card or by using your enlarger in the same way you'd flash a print.

 

[keithwms]

Yep, I preflash under an enlarger, if I want to do a whole box. The usual guidance is to figure out the exposure that just *barely* registers as a change from paper white when you develop the paper. Typically it's a very short exposure with the enlarger lens stopped down.

To preflash in-camera, you just defocus and aim at something smooth e.g. the sky or better yet put some white tupperware over the lens, and expose two or three stops less than you will expose for the shot.

Preflashing helps effectively increase the subject brightness range that the neg can handle, and also boosts the effective speed of the paper by a half stop or so.

Note that there are also SLIMT techniques, but I have no experience with that yet.

 

[removed account4]

i don't really think i have a favorite paper negative stock ...
i just use what i have on hand .. sometimes it is rc, and sometimes fiber
sometimes graded, sometimes vc.
i don't usually flash the paper ...

( from left to right )

ilford fb ( 8x10 )
expired kodak poly fiber ( 8x10 )
expired kodak rc paper ( hand rolled spool 122 size )
kodak polymax fb ( 8x10 )
afga expired, grade 1 ( or 0 ? ) ( 7x11 )

they were all rated around asa 3, but the portrait was 3x slower than that.

all processed in ansco 130 ( except the rc was developed in coffee )

 

[Schlapp]

Wow, just love that portrait!

 

[removed account4]

thanks !

john