Time to fire up the mighty Elwood??

[John Kasaian]

He's been in storage for years. I've been considering making some enlargements of a few aerials for an exhibition in order to demonstrate the "wow-ness" of 8x10 enlarged to 20x24 or larger. I'm thinking that might be more interesting for a public audience than straight contacts. Of course it also brings into consideration a whole different set of problems to overcome (besides coming up with the "scratch" to buy supplies)

Elwood would need the enlarger's equivalent of a sitz-bath (no problem this, just a bit of time---well a lot of time--Elwood is pretty large!)

If Elwood won't fit through the door of the newly rebuilt "Barbie Darkroom" (my kid's bathroom) I can work in the foyer. I'd need to black out one window and put up screens of some sort to block out light from the hall and living room. Again not a problem, just time consuming. I'd need a table(s) to hold my trays---check. I've got an easel and trays for 20x24---check. I would need to build some larger drying screens (something I've been meaning to do anyway.) I've got a Seal 200 which can flatten a large print in sections but the platten is pretty rough, so I'd need to portect the print with thick mat boards---a minor hassle hardly worth mentioning but I'd hate go go through all this only to "emboss" the print at this stage of the game.

Selecting a paper and washing are two considerations which I'd appreciate some advise on.

I think a cold tone paper would work best representing a cold scene---snow caped mountain peaks.
What do you think?

In this case I'm thinking it might be better to print with an RC paper because of less curl and less washing times. OTOH something this labor intensive calls out for toning to add some archival protection, but IMHO RC dosen't accept toners all that well. Of course times may have changed (I'm guessing)
Your opinions?

In my Freestyle catalog the only cold tone paper I can find in 20x24 is Kentmere, and I've learned that Kentmere does not like Ganz Speed ezels(My 20x24 is a Ganz)

I could use a sheet of steel and magnets for an easel, but if I did that I could get mural roll and go for an even larger blow-up.

Also, would glossy or matte paper be best? It seems like matte would make any fingerprints less noticeable, but glossy really makes the snow in the scene "sparkle" I've don't see glossy mural rolls in Freestyle's catalog though.

Or should I table the whole enlargement idea for now and stick with 8x10 contacts?

[Jim Fitzgerald]

John, I'm going to have the same problem in a couple of months. I have an 8x10 Elwood with an Aristo 12x12 cold light head waiting in the wings.
I've got some 8x10 negs that I would love to see large. I can do prints larger than 20x24 but then I have to develop, fix and wash them. One of my friends suggested using tubes to process the prints or one could use the wallpaper trays.
Personally I would use fiber paper for a project like this. All of the time invested etc. I think the Kentmere requires less washing time if I'm not mistaken. I have used the Bromide paper with Ansco 130 and have gotten great results.
The ezel thing is a mystery to me. A sheet of steel sounds good to me.
Gloss on the paper should make the images pop. My vote is for gloss.
I've decided to downsize my bed, again, and use my entire apartment bedroom for my darkroom. I need the floor space for the 8x10 enlarger and the UV light for carbon transfer so the bed has to go to the living room! Let me know how it turns out.

Jim

[Pat Kearns]

As in the tv commercial, "Size does matter" but that is with Bowflex. Wow your audience with quality so go with 8x10 contact prints. With what is required for you to go 20x24 or larger in you humble abode is insane. When you start to put up blackout plastic over the windows and doors the neighbors will think you're "touched in the head" believing you are in 1944 London waiting for the nighly German bombing raid. Your bride might just put you down and keep that sway back horse of yours. Kentmere has a VC semi-matte FB surface that has a very nice finish. It comes in a neutral or warm tone and should be available from Freestyle. Just my 2 cents.

[Frank Petronio]

I think you ought to sell some of your old stuff to pay for it and send those three best 8x10s to Lenny or one of the other good scanners here. Get on someone's souped up Mac and adjust and modify your pictures to your heart's content, and then print them huge on a big inkjet. The public doesn't care whether they are traditional or digital prints.... They want to see something stunning. 8x10 Aerials will be just that! If you go large you could make a name for yourself, you know, as an artist, before you DIE!

It would teach you totally new tricks, the prints would be beautiful, and you'd rock that exhibit and probably attract real commercial gallery representation.

Look, Obama's getting elected on Tuesday and he promised CHANGE. So change damnit, it's only patriotic!

[Jim Galli]

You might have Elwood, but I've got Jake. 5X7 Jake and 8X10 Jake. They're cheap but ya gotta drive to Tonopah because thems are HEAVY!

[John Kasaian]

You might have Elwood, but I've got Jake. 5X7 Jake and 8X10 Jake. They're cheap but ya gotta drive to Tonopah because thems are HEAVY!

The Blues Brothers! LOL!

[David Karp]

John,

Go with fiber. Try Kentmere bromide graded paper if they have it in the size you want. I have used it in AGFA 100 paper developer (see Darkroom Cookbook). Very nice paper.

[Drew Wiley]

I've started printing on Kentmere Fineprint VC fiber-based, now that my stock of
Forte Polygrade V is running low. I have a several vacuum easels on hand, but the
Saunders 20X24 easel seems to work fine for all these papers. The Kentmere responds beautifully to both amidol and glycin developers, but a little benzotriazole
is needed to acquire relatively cold tones. The highlight rendition has been wonderful
from pyro negatives, considerably better than Polygrade V or Seagull G. And the
DMax is also impressive - better than anything but the original Zone VI Bromide. I haven't tried the Kentmere graded Bromide yet - perhaps someone can describe the results compared to the VC version. My cold light is a 14X14 blue-green Aristo; but the results from my 4X5 Chromega colorhead and medium format negatives are very similar. I lean toward orthopan film for mountain photography rather than panchromatic - the rendition of light seems so much more natural and subtle. The
Kentmere trends a little toward a subtle nutmeg sepia effect, within the scope of basically cold tones, versus the greenish-blue of the Polygrade V or the puplish sepia
of Seagull when selenium toned. Haven't tried bleaching this paper yet, so can't
respond to those people addicted to Famer's reducer. Good luck with your project!

[domenico Foschi]

I don't see why you wouldn't want to use warmtone paper, but if your choice is cold tone than it's the right one.
Regarding washing, I am not sure whaqt washer you have, but if you have a 16x20 you can take some dividers out and comfortably fold the print in two slots.
But I do agree with Frank's solution, since all this new set up will require some work and at the end some fine tuning.
Remember that this is uncharted territory, so to speak, and you will encounter some problems to be fine tuned, and if the deadline of the show gets dangerously close your apprehension level will go up.

[ic-racer]

Enlarge! Don't contact!