The Van Dyke Brownprint Thread

[tgtaylor]

An untoned VDB:

http://www.spiritsofsilver.com/yahoo...5834_large.jpg

I palladium toned the 2d print of this negative but matted it. I'll try to scan and post.

Thomas

[tgtaylor]

A new one from Spirits of Silver:

http://www.spiritsofsilver.com/yahoo...5823_large.jpg

Swayze Hotel, Bodie 2015.

Palladium-toned VDB. This is a reprint of the flicker image in the first post above which I deleted.

Thomas

[blindpig]

Thomas,really liked your prints and the old buildings are wonderful as well.keep up the good work...
Don

[tgtaylor]

Thanks Don. I've been to Bodie countless times and it always is amazing to me that the buildings are still standing each time I arrive. At an altitude of over 8300 feet Bodie is situated in a rather barren and treeless location and exposed not only to the full fury of winter storms but also to transient summer winds that can appear suddenly and without warning and blow you and your tripod over.

Here's the old schoolhouse that I photographed on a trip about a month back:

http://spiritsofsilver.com/yahoo_sit...5920_large.jpg

For me, the Brownprint and Kallitype processes compliment the buildings of Bodie.

Thomas

[tgtaylor]

This is the palladium toned version of Bodie Methodist:

http://spiritsofsilver.com/yahoo_sit...0325_large.jpg

I posted the un-toned version of it earlier in this thread. Both are good but I like the toned version a little better.

Thomas

[Jim Noel]

Thanks for the suggestion. I'm aware of the parameters involved. I print from xray negatives mostly, developed by eye, so no particularly precise DR control going on. Getting just the right amount of shadow detail with VdB (particularly after drying) while retaining good dmax as well as highlight detail is quite iffy. It's probably a bit easier with digital negatives and a standardized processing regime, but even then variables such as rh and drying time tend to complicate matters. Overall silver gelatine is a lot easier to contact print in my opinion than VdB - or even cyanotype for that matter. Dry down is a difficult animal to factor in, I find.

Thomas, it's a gorgeous print indeed by the looks of it. I haven't done a lot of salt printing but I didn't notice much difference in detail between a salt print and VdB from the same negative. Sizing and texture obviously have a huge impact, but that's kind of obvious.

I just completes a seried of 14 VDB printed from x-ray negatives. In order to get bright textured highlights and good shadow detail the density of the highlights must be far greater than is usually visualized under the red safelight. Try viewing the film from the base side rather than the emulsion and the negative will get closer to ideal. As with panchromatic film, the emulsion will appear almost impenetrable from the emulsion side, when the base side will show appropriate density. I have only been doing this since I began photography by developing under a red safelight in the 30's. it works. When I then put the negative under a densitometer the HL densities run 2.1 to 2.4 (7 to 8 stops), or seven or eight steps in the Zone System. A very appropriate scale for VDB.

[koraks]

Yeah, I came to that insight as well. I develop until the highlights look pretty much blacked out on the front side (I use double sided film) and shadow detail is clearly pronounced on the backside. Maybe I should try to push it more but having done so a few times in the past, I ended up with blocked highlights, so I'm definitely pushing the boundaries. The negatives I make print well with new cyanotype requiring a few drops of acetic acid, suggesting the contrast is more than sufficient for VdB (perhaps even a bit overboard!)

[tgtaylor]

I wonder how archival a palladium toned print is compared to a gold or platinum toned?

Thomas

[tgtaylor]

Saloon & Barbershop - Bodie, Ca.

http://spiritsofsilver.com/yahoo_sit...3730_large.jpg

Palladium-toned Brownprint.

Thomas

[Rael]

Saloon & Barbershop - Bodie, Ca.

http://spiritsofsilver.com/yahoo_sit...3730_large.jpg

Palladium-toned Brownprint.

Thomas

May I ask what paper that is printed on? Fantastic detail..