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Thread: "Beliefs" inherited from our "forefathers".

  1. #1
    Kirk Gittings's Avatar
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    "Beliefs" inherited from our "forefathers".

    Having been in photography seriously since 1970 I guess I am officially an old fart. So I "grew up" photographically speaking with beliefs inherited from the masters of the previous generation. Many of those have proven wrong since by my own experience and by people (some on this forum) who are both photographers and with backgrounds in science and engineering. Don't ask me to cite references for these.....I'm too old. I just want to initiate some discussion. These beliefs included:

    Selenium toning makes a print more archival.

    gelatin filters are more optically clear than glass filters.

    fixer is heavier than water and sinks to the bottom of a washer.

    tripod center columns are to unsteady to use with LF.

    Anyone want to add to these or dispute them?
    Last edited by Kirk Gittings; 13-Apr-2014 at 11:35.
    Thanks,
    Kirk

    at age 73:
    "The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
    But I have promises to keep,
    And miles to go before I sleep,
    And miles to go before I sleep"

  2. #2
    Land-Scapegrace Heroique's Avatar
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    Re: "Beliefs" inherited from our "forefathers".

    "150mm in 4x5 provides a normal perspective."

    The reason why has some good math behind it.

    But poor psychology and physiology.

  3. #3
    Octogenarian
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    Re: "Beliefs" inherited from our "forefathers".

    "Pyro developers are toxic. Should not be be brought into your home".

    I've heard this statement over and over again.

    It's plain old B.S.

  4. #4
    William Whitaker's Avatar
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    Re: "Beliefs" inherited from our "forefathers".

    Quote Originally Posted by Kirk Gittings View Post
    ...

    Selenium toning makes a print more archival.

    gelatin filters are more optically clear than glass.

    fixer is heavier than water and sinks to the bottom of a washer

    tripod center columns are to unsteady to use with LF

    Anyone want to add to these or dispute them?
    Sounds like one or two "Pickerisms" in there

  5. #5
    ic-racer's Avatar
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    Re: "Beliefs" inherited from our "forefathers".

    There are certain conditions in which the statements are true. So the statements, as they are written, will always be a source of confusion!


    Selenium toning makes a print more archival. --- than dye toning

    gelatin filters are more optically clear than glass.--- than window glass

    fixer is heavier than water and sinks to the bottom of a washer --- true until you mix it around (specific gravity is 1.667)

    tripod center columns are to unsteady to use with LF --- when extended all the way

    pyro developers are toxic --- when consumed --- and should not be brought into the house --- when children roam freely in the house.

  6. #6
    Kirk Gittings's Avatar
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    Re: "Beliefs" inherited from our "forefathers".

    Quote Originally Posted by Will Whitaker View Post
    Sounds like one or two "Pickerisms" in there
    Thanks,
    Kirk

    at age 73:
    "The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
    But I have promises to keep,
    And miles to go before I sleep,
    And miles to go before I sleep"

  7. #7
    Kirk Gittings's Avatar
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    Re: "Beliefs" inherited from our "forefathers".

    ic-racer
    I was taught that these were absolute truisms.
    Thanks,
    Kirk

    at age 73:
    "The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
    But I have promises to keep,
    And miles to go before I sleep,
    And miles to go before I sleep"

  8. #8
    ic-racer's Avatar
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    Re: "Beliefs" inherited from our "forefathers".

    Quote Originally Posted by Kirk Gittings View Post
    ic-racer
    I was taught that these were absolute truisms.
    I updated my post to read: There are certain conditions in which the statements are true. So the statements, as they are written, will always be a source of confusion!

  9. #9

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    Re: "Beliefs" inherited from our "forefathers".

    Quote Originally Posted by kirk gittings View Post
    having been in photography seriously since 1970 i guess i am officially an old fart. So i "grew up" photographically speaking with beliefs inherited from the masters of the previous generation. Many of those have proven wrong since by my own experience and by people (some on this forum) who are both photographers and with backgrounds in science and engineering. Don't ask me to cite references for these.....i'm too old. I just want to initiate some discussion. These beliefs included:

    Selenium toning makes a print more archival - true if used properly with fibre based silver prints.
    gelatin filters are more optically clear than glass filters. - who cares? You need a laboratory and a few thousand quids' worth of equipment to be able to detect a difference.
    fixer is heavier than water and sinks to the bottom of a washer. - possibly but the washer needs a redesign because it shouldn't be hanging around down there, the old kodak syphon would suck it all out over a long enough wash period.
    tripod center columns are too unsteady to use with lf. - if you don't lock them properly...

    anyone want to add to these or dispute them?

    RR (who made his first photograph in 1959...)

  10. #10
    ic-racer's Avatar
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    Re: "Beliefs" inherited from our "forefathers".

    These statements are more robustly false:

    "Adding Cyan when multigrade printing extends printing times"
    "A longer enlarger lens extends printing times at the same aperture"
    "Changing lenses [without changing camera position] changes perspective"
    "Doubling exposure [when reciprocity holds true] doubles negative density" (true only when gamma is unity, which is almost never the case).
    "Dust specs on the lens show up on the negative"
    [most unqualified statements about depth of field]
    "Raising the enlarger head always makes the image larger" ( http://www.apug.org/forums/viewpost.php?p=701679 )
    "Multigrade printing paper responds differently when exposed with pulses of green and blue light compared to a single exposure containing a mixture of green and blue light"
    "Longer enlarging lens projects a bigger image on the baseboard"
    [most unqualified statements about diffraction]
    "Film is dead"
    "Control strips produced with green and blue light sensitometers fail to detect the same change in contrast after an intervention, compared to control strips made with white light sensitometers" ( http://www.apug.org/forums/forum43/1...-shootout.html )
    "Pictures with obvious, prominent, straight, converging lines are made with lenses that produce distortion"

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