Burning and dodging for Carbon Printing?? Or other UV contact printing.

[tgtaylor]

If you are just starting out in alternative processes, I would recommend that you start with a simpler one such as Cyanotype, salted paper, etc and stick with it until you have mastered it before moving on to another. When I began to delve into the alternative processes a few years back I went from one to the other without spending the time to master it until I came to the salted paper where, for some reason, I stuck with it for some time until I "mastered" it which, to me, means that if I want one good print from a negative I only have to coat one sheet. The skill that I acquired from printing salt prints transferred to the other processes which I revisited and found that I now had those mastered as well. Being fluent in several processes and not just one allows you to be more creative in your photography.

Just my take on learning photography.

Thomas

[Fr. Mark]

I've got cyanotypes working pretty well. Will see if I can get my hands on a step wedge. Or just print one.

[Jim Fitzgerald]

I think everyone has a different view on what works for them when it comes to finding their process. I know when I began carbon many years ago now my friends told me to try just about every other process because carbon was so hard and laborious and I was limiting myself. Carbon gave me everything I imagined and still does. One friend of mine felt different when he saw how passionate I was about the process and once he spoke to the others about it they finally understood. He was a good friend and well respected photographer.

I think you can spend a long time finding what works for you which for some can be a good thing. Explore different techniques just don't become someone who knows a lot of processes but is not that good at any of them. Find what give you that spark and thrills you and run with it and don't look back. My .02.