cyanotype with normal negatives (newb question)

[sully75]

Hi There,

I've been thinking about trying some 5x7 contact prints. From my limited knowledge it seems like people use higher contrast negs for doing some contact printing with alt-process. If I use my standard negs, will I be able to make a reasonable cyanotype? I'd like to fool around with it, but my priority right now is to make decent normal negs, so I don't want to waste my time if the results are going to be poor.

Thanks
Paul

[eddie]

you will need to practice no matter how you shake it....good negs or less tha perfect negs you will still need to do it.

these processes (i prefer van dyke brown BTW. i think it is easier to get a nice image from....but that is just me as many work with cyanotypes very well) require a good paper. the paper plays a huge difference in the outcome.

i use arches platine. i want to try cot 320 but have yet to throw down the money.

FWIW all my friends say my negs are far less than optimum....guess what? i get some pretty nice prints.

here is my apug gallery (you should join apug as well) http://www.apug.org/gallery1/browsei...imageuser=9453

cheers

a few shots. the middle one is an 8x10 shot with a turner reich lens

ps. all are "normal" negs

[memorris]

Many people scan the negatives and then make adjustments in PS and print digital negatives. I prefer to print from film negatives myself but both ways work. I have found that Kodak TMax has a UV filter in the base of the film so making decent alt process prints using TMax is impractical. I shoot TMax for silver prints but shoot Efke for alt process prints. It is a PITA but the results are worth the effort.

[jp]

Tmax 100 has the issue you describe. Tmax 400 is fine for cyanotypes.

Paul; you've really gotta try it. Contrast also depends on the subject matter / lighting as well the film; a higher contrast scene might make a nice cyanotype shot/processed on normal contrast film. It's so cheap to try; the contact printing frame is the most expensive part. The paper is comparable in cost to photo paper, and the chemicals are very inexpensive and easy if you get something ready or almost ready to use like Bostick&Sullivan sells.

[D. Bryant]

Hi There,

I've been thinking about trying some 5x7 contact prints. From my limited knowledge it seems like people use higher contrast negs for doing some contact printing with alt-process. If I use my standard negs, will I be able to make a reasonable cyanotype? I'd like to fool around with it, but my priority right now is to make decent normal negs, so I don't want to waste my time if the results are going to be poor.

Thanks
Paul

Rather than try to post a brief message that maybe misconstrued read this fine article by Christopher James, a chapter from his book on alternative processes.

http://www.christopherjames-studio.c...eProcessSm.pdf

Don Bryant

[sully75]

Thanks all...that's helpful. The book chapter in particular. I guess I'll have to give it a try.

Sorry, one more question: in the book it says "Potassium ferricyanide is a stable compound that only becomes a risk if it is heated beyond 300°F or if it is combined
with an acid." Aren't there acids in the darkroom sometimes? I'm not a chemist. I'm just wondering how safe it is to use. I do my darkroom stuff in a shared bathroom with patient roomates, but I don't want to kill anyone.

Thanks!
Paul

[Vlad Soare]

"Potassium ferricyanide is a stable compound that only becomes a risk if it is heated beyond 300°F or if it is combined
with an acid."

That's not entirely correct. It should read "if it is combined with a strong acid".
The acids most often used in a darkroom are acetic and citric, which are too weak to break down ferricyanide.
I would keep it away from hydrochloric or sulfuric acid, though.
Potassium ferricyanide is normally benign. Unless you or your roommates do something really stupid, nobody will get killed.
If you think your roommates might be scared by the "-cyanide" thing, then you can call it "potassium hexacyanoferrate(III)". That might sound less dangerous.

Some people use potassium cyanide (the real stuff, not ferri-) to fix wet plates. Now, that's what I would call a real challenge...

[David Schaller]

Having gotten back to Cyanotype last week, I would recommend that you double-coat, which will help give you a more uniform coverage and deeper blues. So do the first coat, then dry completely, then coat and dry completely again.
Enjoy!
Dave

[sdwfx]

I shoot TMax for silver prints but shoot Efke for alt process prints. It is a PITA but the results are worth the effort.

If I may ask, which Efke are you referring to, and the reason for choosing it,
and why is it painful?

[ronlamarsh]

Go ahead and try it. I have found that negatives I use for most of my enlarging with foma fiber based paper and a cold light print quite well in cyanotype. I consulted Mike Wares website and according to him a negative range of about 1.2 is good for traditional cyanotype but recommends a range of 1.8 for his new process. I have read from other resources that traditional requires a contrasy neg i.e. range from .2 to 2.0 but I have found that does not work that well. So my guess is its very dependent on paper and light source.