post alternative techniques

[mdm]

Grit prints, unique and interesting.

[Jay DeFehr]

Hi banana legs,

You don't get speckles from your coarse pigment? I ask because I have about 5# of very finely ground carbon black I'd like to use for my tissue. Can you give me a few pointers for using powder pigment?

Also, I have a question about sensitzer. It seems to me there might be advantages to using as little water as possible in a spirit sensitizer. Is there any good reason one shouldn't use a saturated, or nearly so (say 20%) solution of ammonium dichromate and dilute with acetone up to the volume required to cover the tissue? I realize this would require the measurement of very small volumes of sensitizer stock solution, but I'm comfortable with that.

Thanks, and welcome!

[JoeV]

4x5 Anniversary Speed Graphic with 150mm binocular lens (objective lens cell from a 7x50 binocular) stopped down to 20mm aperture, F11 effective aperture with bellows extension. Arista grade 2 RC paper negative, preflashed, 1/5 second exposure (I actually did two 1/10 second exposures, since that's the slowest speed on the camera's curtain shutter; the meter recommended 1/4 second). Scanned, reversed and spotted for dust, minor curves adjust.

~Joe

[mdm]

This is what Nadeau sayes. Best to use a ball mill but they can be ground with mortar and pestle or with a muller on glass. Start with a vey small amt with water or glycerin and a few drops of wetting agent (very important) and add more water/glycerin and pigment until the pre measured amt is reached. When fully dispersed add to glop.

If there is too little water in your sensitiser I expect you will get unevenly sensitised tissue, dont know for shure but someone will. Water may be needed for the dichromate to be absorbed into the tissue. If too much water you will get puddling on your tissue. By all means experiment but best to stick with what Vaughn does as it will probably work best. Are you interested in printing or tinkering aimlessly?

Before you start reinventing the wheel it would be best to read everything you can find.

Also I feel it is unfair for us to turn this thread into a Carbon transfer thread, perhaps it would be best to start another.

Hi banana legs,

You don't get speckles from your coarse pigment? I ask because I have about 5# of very finely ground carbon black I'd like to use for my tissue. Can you give me a few pointers for using powder pigment?

Also, I have a question about sensitzer. It seems to me there might be advantages to using as little water as possible in a spirit sensitizer. Is there any good reason one shouldn't use a saturated, or nearly so (say 20%) solution of ammonium dichromate and dilute with acetone up to the volume required to cover the tissue? I realize this would require the measurement of very small volumes of sensitizer stock solution, but I'm comfortable with that.

Thanks, and welcome!

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Whatever works! What does the print look like?

[Jim Fitzgerald]

1907 church, Los Angeles

[PViapiano]

1907 church, Los Angeles

Beautiful, Jim!!! Wow...

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Paul, thanks. I'm happy with the prints from this series so far. I hope to print the rest in the next few days.

Here is one more.

[Monty McCutchen]

Jim those are both beautiful. You should be very happy with the work so far. Look forward to seeing more of it.

Monty

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Monty, thanks. I am very happy. I have about 8-10 more images from this shoot to print. These were all shot on x-ray film and printed in carbon. Some of the ranges I was working with were extreme. 12 stops and more. Nice to know I can get it on the negative and print it. You know how much better your plates look in person? Same with the prints. I will be able to go back to this location sometime in the future so I hope to do more.