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Helen Highwater
Feb 19, 2014

And furthermore
Grimey Drawer
You should still link the stuff you shoot even if you can't inline it. Just put NSFW tags around the link as necessary.

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McMadCow
Jan 19, 2005

With our rifles and grenades and some help from God.
OK! Got this one last week. It's slightly :nws: so I'll link the thumbnail.

Lauralee by Jason, on Flickr

atomicthumbs
Dec 26, 2010


We're in the business of extending man's senses.
here's an alternative process i've been working on

original:


print:

Father O'Blivion
Jul 2, 2004
Get up on your feet and do the Funky Alfonzo
Command of the Heavenly Host (DLP)

Alternately: Destroy All Humans!

Father O'Blivion
Jul 2, 2004
Get up on your feet and do the Funky Alfonzo
Cyanotype 4x5 contact print

Pham Nuwen
Oct 30, 2010



Despite being the creator of the thread about alternative processes, I've never been thrilled with how my cyanotypes come out. Not enough detail, in a lot of cases. To prevent this thread hitting the archives, anyone want to share their cyanotype workflow?

Primo Itch
Nov 4, 2006
I confessed a horrible secret for this account!

Pham Nuwen posted:

Despite being the creator of the thread about alternative processes, I've never been thrilled with how my cyanotypes come out. Not enough detail, in a lot of cases. To prevent this thread hitting the archives, anyone want to share their cyanotype workflow?

They actually can pack quite a lot of detail, it really depends on how you expose, develop and tone it and the paper you use - Paper with more texture leads to images with less detail. The solution's age, as how long ago you've painted the paper interfere here - Increase of time means decreased tonal range.

It's been a while since I've done cyanos (got tired of them, honestly), but I'll share my hapzard workflow:

1) Cut paper to size - If i'm using some decent paper (Canson Montval is my go-to) I'll usually buy huge sheets and them cut them to the size I want, cheaper than buying A3 or A4 packs;

2) Prepare solutions - I never kept the A and B solutions ready because they are very simple to make with a .1 gram scale and lab glassware (I'm a pharmacist, so making solutions like this happens totally in automatic mode, if you're not so used maybe do it in batches?).
I've always used the alternative process site original formulas. Simple, easy and work well;

3) Mix solutions - Equal parts of both solutions under low incandescent light (I always just close the blinds and keep a 20w lamp);

4) Paint solution on paper - I like to use a Hake (Japanese brush). Some people will tell you that doing two layers improve density/contrast, personally never found any difference, so I'd rather save solution;

5) Wait for it to dry to the touch;

6) Put the painted paper in a black envelope or whatever will keep it in complete darkness untill fully dry. (24h is my go-to around here, may vary depending on your weather);

7) Put negative on top of paper, put paper and negative under a 10mm sheet of glass, expose in the sun until I think it's good enough;

8) Develop under running water, usually 1 or 2 minutes. I never kept any prints on water baths or done longer washes as I see no reason to, honestly;

9) Hang to dry;

10) Wait some 3 or 4 days until the Prussian blue is fully oxidized and you have a final blue image.

From here you can either keep the image as blue or tan it.

11) Tanning: Honestly, I don't have much of a workflow here, I just go by feeling. One water bath with bleach (random amount of common household bleach), one or more baths with the toners you want. Wash in running water for 30 seconds or so in-between baths. Depending on the result I want/expect from each image I'll bleach until it's completely yellow or just have it nudge the blue out a little. Time on toner depends on the toner you're using (Yerba mate gives a deep black in less than 5 minutes, white tea will tan pink-ish a well bleached print in 2-3 hours, for example). One final 30 seconds to one minute wash after toning, hang to dry.

To be completely honest I find tonning the fun part of cyanotipes and I do believe there's no such thing as a comprehensive guide for it. You have to do it, go by feeling, and find what works for you.


I'm currently doing some experiences with printing on copper sheets and them oxidizing them into pigments, as soon as I have some interesting material I'll post it in this thread.

Primo Itch fucked around with this message at 21:10 on Jun 4, 2017

The Modern Sky
Aug 7, 2009


We don't exist in real life, but we're working hard in your delusions!
peroxide helps with bringing out tones as well.

i tried looking for posts by my old professor, but he focuses more on gum bichromate and i didnt want to bother sifting through images of drinks and his wife to find them.

you can bring more tone out by working the curves of the negative in photoshop, but you'll have to experiment to find what works.

also, i dont know if layering cyanotype works

Father O'Blivion
Jul 2, 2004
Get up on your feet and do the Funky Alfonzo

Understanding posted:


you can bring more tone out by working the curves of the negative in photoshop, but you'll have to experiment to find what works.


The 4x5 negative print above was from Ilford fp125 in HC110 1+63 & 8 minutes with periodic agitation; and digital post processing after scanning. Though, the original does retain a fair amount of detail.

The negative used for the print is mostly the only thing that matters once you've settled on a particular chemistry & paper. The exposure source (Sun, UV, DLP) comes into play. A DLP projector gives reasonable resolution when printing 8x10 or smaller. 12-30 minute exposures aren't uncommon depending on the negative density. Experiment with the UV absorption values of your particular printer ink if producing a physical negative on a transparency.

Emphasize local contrast and keep the curves fairly compact. A negative with high dynamic range will print with too much contrast at an expense of detail in the midtones. Subsequent tannic toning tends to squelch the highlights into the mid-tones and can produce a muddy print with shadows + compressed mids & highlights.

Chances are you'll be using a digital negative, so don't hesitate to perform a few iterations of the print with dodging, burning, and other tone separation on the negatives between the discrete prints. Use the experimental prints for (well-controlled) toning experiments, hand-tinting, subsequent dichromate layering, or style development.

i.e.

1st pass:

negative:
print:


2nd pass:

negative:
print:

Father O'Blivion
Jul 2, 2004
Get up on your feet and do the Funky Alfonzo
Underexposed silver gelatin prints (or negatives, for that matter) can be meaningfully intensified using a blue/iron toner. Subsequent tannin toning of the iron print will produce something like the scan pictured below: blue shadows reduced to black and a sepia/yellow toning of the highlights.

McMadCow
Jan 19, 2005

With our rifles and grenades and some help from God.
I just had a work shortlisted for a very important exhibition and it's one of the most difficult shots I have to get right. I want to send them the most perfect version possible. Posting from the darkroom, second day of trying for a good print. :sigh:

Primo Itch
Nov 4, 2006
I confessed a horrible secret for this account!

McMadCow posted:

I just had a work shortlisted for a very important exhibition and it's one of the most difficult shots I have to get right. I want to send them the most perfect version possible. Posting from the darkroom, second day of trying for a good print. :sigh:

Now you have to show it to us after it's done (even if you have to :nws: it)

McMadCow
Jan 19, 2005

With our rifles and grenades and some help from God.

Primo Itch posted:

Now you have to show it to us after it's done (even if you have to :nws: it)

I doubt I'll re-scan the shot since I already got a good one in the past. The problem is that I can't use that particular print to send off. I've posted the shot before though-
Ariel by Jason, on Flickr

Ethics_Gradient
May 5, 2015

Common misconception that; that fun is relaxing. If it is, you're not doing it right.
Hello wet printing thread:

I tried putting a 4x5 darkroom together when I lived back in the US, and mostly succeeded, but the workspace sucked (cramped and hot) and I never got past making test prints before I moved. I sold it off for what I paid when I left, and kept shooting film (I shot a fair bit in my 20s, including a period of a few years where I did a lot of 120 through a Hasselblad), scanning negs, and... not doing much with them.

Since I've sort of settled down again I've been keeping a steady eye on Gumtree and checking the tip shops with the aim to set up one and give it more of a proper go, with zero luck. This morning I finally struck gold at the tip shop... picked up a Meopta 6x6 enlarger with negative carrier, 50 and 75mm lenses (which look to be crap, but w/e, good enlarger lenses are dirt cheap) and a timer for AU$35! Got a nice Cold War, European feel to it; timer is made in West Germany, enlarger in Czechoslovakia. It definitely needs to be taken apart and cleaned/dusted, but everything seems to be working and the lenses aren't scratched or anything.

I've got a lot of questions but first one is about whether or not it's OK to keep it in a bathroom that gets all steamy from the shower. I think it'd be a good workspace otherwise (relatively roomy, no windows, water hookup, long countertop), but was worried steam could get in the enlarging lens/condensor lenses and create good conditions for mould to develop. Or is that not likely an issue?

McMadCow
Jan 19, 2005

With our rifles and grenades and some help from God.
Yeah, I wouldn't keep anything like that in the bathroom in all that fogginess. I used to print in my bathroom as well, but never stored the enlarger in there. It sucks but you just have to move it in and out if it's portable (mine was).

some kinda jackal
Feb 25, 2003

 
 
I'm looking at a free Opemus 5 enlarger on craigslist. Knowing nothing about it, googling says Format: 6x6. Does this mean it'll do UP to 6x6 or does this mean I will be fundamentally unable to use this for 35mm source as well?

e: nvm, reading a little further down the page sort of answers my question.

Primo Itch
Nov 4, 2006
I confessed a horrible secret for this account!

McMadCow posted:

I doubt I'll re-scan the shot since I already got a good one in the past. The problem is that I can't use that particular print to send off. I've posted the shot before though-
Ariel by Jason, on Flickr

Amazing as always mate!

Anybody ever tried hand colouring their photos? I did a small workshop on it that was focused on classic, realistic colouring, but I'm quite enjoying using watercolours and going hog wild and crazy on some 4x6 prints I have laying around...

Pham Nuwen
Oct 30, 2010



Primo Itch posted:

Amazing as always mate!

Anybody ever tried hand colouring their photos? I did a small workshop on it that was focused on classic, realistic colouring, but I'm quite enjoying using watercolours and going hog wild and crazy on some 4x6 prints I have laying around...



That looks great, post more please!

Father O'Blivion
Jul 2, 2004
Get up on your feet and do the Funky Alfonzo


Scrawl with joose

McMadCow
Jan 19, 2005

With our rifles and grenades and some help from God.

Primo Itch posted:

Amazing as always mate!

Thanks! And as a bonus follow-up to that old post of mine, I got into that important show I was all flustered over. So it all worked out!

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Primo Itch
Nov 4, 2006
I confessed a horrible secret for this account!

McMadCow posted:

Thanks! And as a bonus follow-up to that old post of mine, I got into that important show I was all flustered over. So it all worked out!

Good to hear that, your work is great!

To kick up a barely alive thread, more ecoline on a black and white print:

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