Paper negatives

[buggz]

This looks cool.
Though, being a newbie, I have rudimentary understanding of this process.
I will definitely read the Ilford link posted earlier.
Thanks for this.

[Reinhold Schable]

Another use for paper negatives is to make a quick verification of your camera/lens system.

I needed to answer a question about light fall-off on a lens.
With a paper negative I got my answer in less than 2 hours.

Here's how I did it...
http://www.apug.org/forums/forum426/...negatives.html

Reinhold

www.Re-inventedPhotoEquip.com

[SMBooth]

8x10 pinhole on some old Ilford grade 3, developed in Universal PQ


HowquaTree

[buggz]

I really don't want to bore everyone with my newbie questions, but...
I've searched, read, and searched, and read, many, many, times.
I don't see in one spot were someone tells how this is done from start to finish in details.
Just in generalizations.

I have a new to me 4x5 Sinar f2 outfit.
I would need:
- some type of photographic paper, I see many mentioned, this seems like a personal choice thing.
- load the paper into film holder/expose the paper - I'm guessing here that different paper require different exposures?
Is exposure information with the paper? ISO speed? Sorry, I don't see this explained.
- develop the paper - heh, this is probably another topic altogether, as there are many different ways to perform this?
I did find this in my searches:
<<http://www.ag-photographic.co.uk/paper-negative--print-starter-kit-2569-p.asp>>

Am I asking too many newbie questions at one time?
I don't wish to spoil this great thread.
I would gladly accept any recommendations.

This looks cool.
Though, being a newbie, I have rudimentary understanding of this process.
I will definitely read the Ilford link posted earlier.
Thanks for this.

[jnantz]

hi buggz


you put whatever type of photopaper you have in your film holders and use it instead of film.
you can use whatever you have on hand ... rc, fiber, graded, i have started to hand coat paper with liquid emulsion, it works great !
you will have to trim the paper a tiny bit because film is actually smaller than the paper ...
different papers have different relative iso values ... some papers believe it or not are about iso 50
while others are much slower, like iso 6 or even 1 ... so you might have to do some tests to see what yours is ... it is pretty easy
and doesn't take too long to get a ballpark exposure ..

photo paper is sensitive to green and blue light so if you get a blue filter and put it over your light meter
you will get an idea of your exposure ... i don't use a meter, but guess my exposures ...
and do sunny16 using iso 6 ... usually it is a few seconds wide open, more if i stop down ...
no stop watch, i just count in my head

i use a regular old print developer to process the paper ( ansco 130 ) but anything will work. i sometimes use a coffee based developer too, but it takes longer ( 2-3x longer )
i roast my own sumatran beans just for developer, i have a lot of it, so i use it often ...
i don' t usually use fresh developer if i can help it, because older used developer is less active, so i can control the development better ..

i don't preflash my paper, but some people swear by it ...and i don't use poly contrast filters, although i know they help a lot in taming the contrast of a paper negative.
i photograph mostly in overcast light or using modeling lights/electric(strobe) lights.

once you get your exposure and your processed negative you have a few choices for your positive print.
some people like it as a negative ( if you use harman direct positive, you'll have a postive ) ..
you can scan the negative and invert it and fiddle around with it in photoshop ...
or you can put your paper negative against another sheet of paper and make a contact print from it ...
contact prints are easy and not much trouble. i have plans on making cyanotypes with some of mine, but haven't gotten around to doing it ,,

hope this helps ... good luck !
john

[rjbuzzclick]

Here's a couple more shot with a Buhl 177.8mm f/2.5 projection lens on a Speed Graphic, Arista Private Reserve Pearl at ISO 6, Ilford Multigrade developer. Scan from a contact print.:

[buggz]

Thanks for this information.

hi buggz
hope this helps ... good luck !
john

[cuypers1807]

Gandolfi,
What kind of exposure times are you using for your portraits. In your experience, where is the breaking point for motion blur?
Thanks! Love your portraits here.

[dupont07]

I just have a few more silly questtions to ask:

- If I develop negative paper in a tank, How can I know the exact time of developing?
- How do you print the contact print if the paper is not transparent?
Thanks

[premortho]

I use Dektol - normal 1:2 dilution...

Dan

I use Dektol 1:24. More time to decide when everything is right. Other guys I know go with 1:10 with good results. If you get base fog, cut the mix. You can use a 4X5 to get exposures right, and sort out the dilutions. I didn't start with 4X5, but 5X7 and after exposing cut the paper neg into 2 1/2 by 3 1/2 pieces, developing them in various dilutions until I got about 7-8 minutes to fully develope.


x5