post alternative techniques

[Light Guru]

I believe that the bacteriograph may be the most alternative of alternative processes.

http://www.petapixel.com/2012/09/16/...urce=pulsenews

[soeren]

Made a book.

On Bromoil printing using liquid emulsion as matrix.

Now ready for prewiev..

Take a peek.

http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/3544067

Im stunned. Awesome

[Jody_S]

I believe that the bacteriograph may be the most alternative of alternative processes.

http://www.petapixel.com/2012/09/16/...urce=pulsenews

I bet that could be done with UV light instead of his 'radiation'. And bacterial growth mediums are easily cobbled together in the average kitchen. In other words, this might be the easiest of all 'alternative processes' to experiment with, and some degree of color could be introduced by assembling a collection of bacterial growths beforehand, and selecting the appropriate colony to transpose onto different portions of your final plate. Fixing with acrylic or resin would have to be very thorough, though, to completely seal in the entire plate, and of course there's the issue that a broken photograph could be a health hazard.

[tgtaylor]

Hi Thomas, beautiful prints! On the technical side, I am a bit surprised by your very short fixing times - are you sure you are fixing enough? Salt prints require significantly longer fixing than silver gelatin prints, specially since you seem to be using a fairly heavy paper… As for sensitizer shelf-life - have you added a bit of glacial acetic acid? In that case it lasts "forever"… Else you might get some mould at some point, due to organic substances. Of course you'll need to replenish regularly, and when it turns dark bring it to clear in the sun… The important adage being: never waste silver nitrate

Claudio,

I'm aware of the 10 minute fixing times recommended by various authorities but I'm using C James recommendation of fixing "...for 30 to 60 seconds..certainly for no longer than a minute..." since, he states, "...your image will become lighterthe longer it stays in the (fix)." He recommends fixing in 2 10% baths for 30 to 60 seconds each. Since I was only printing 2 prints, I used one bath for 1.25 minutes each thinking that would be equivalent with only 2 prints. Do you think James is wrong and I should fix for 10 minutes instead?

I added 5 gms of citric acid to the 10 gms of silver nitrate in 100mL of water as sensitizer for the preservative. It's nice to know that the sensitizer will las for some time.

Thomas

[csant]

Do you think James is wrong and I should fix for 10 minutes instead?

Hi Thomas,
I don't know whether James is wrong - but I know that historically salt prints were fixed for far longer than that. Always, without exceptions (to my knowledge). Thus also the recommended practice of overprinting quite a bit, so that the salt print will fade to its "right" strength. (Well, consider that a salt prints fades when washing, fades when toning, fades a lot when fixing, and darkens when drying…) It's a bit of a trial-and-error process… I do not want to diminish C James' authority - but he is one writer, writing in modern times. All printers active at the time this process was the main printing process, recommend long fixing times. Somehow I personally prefer to trust historical sources…

A very interesting reading in this respect is a study on Le Gray's printing (and fixing!) technique: http://www.viks.sk/chk/14tmh_25.doc He would *severely* overprint (until the print's shadows were all bronzed!), and then leave the print in (exhausted!) fixer for a very long time… However, he'd always make sure to give it additionally a final short rinse in fresh fixer, to make sure the image would be permanent. Whatever you think about his subjects, he undoubtedly was a master printer… And most of his preserved prints are of superb quality today still.

[Ironage]

Here is my latest work in cyanotype.

Location: Ronan, MT
Film: Ilford HP5, DK-50 developer

[mdm]

Second iteration with more dichromate, 1 stop more exposure and gold/borax tone. Some coating defects this time.

[David Schaller]

Here is my latest work in cyanotype.

Location: Ronan, MT
Film: Ilford HP5, DK-50 developer

That's very nice. I love cyanotypes. What format are you using?
Dave

[sanking]

Here is a page on exposure on exposing a salt print by Ellie Young, author of The Salt Print Manual. http://www.alternativephotography.co...sing-the-print

If I were seriously interested in salt printing I would acquire a copy of Young's manual. It is very well researched.

Sandy

[Ironage]

The cyanotype was made on 5x7. My only format. I am planning on split toning this print and will post it again later.