esearing
20-Aug-2018, 04:47
To celebrate Photography Day I tried a new-to-me paper and developer combo. I have long used Ilford MGFB Classic Glossy with LPD 1:2 for a neutral to warm image and have been happy with it. Recently I switched to Photographers Formulary 130 (PF130) for a slightly more neutral tone when using Ilford MGFB Classic.
But wanting something a little different I tried the Bergger NB paper with PF130 at a 1:2 dilution. The first thing I noticed was that the image came up in the developer in just a few seconds. Then the Blacks were noticeably rich and darker than MGFB Classic.
With a few experimental sheets I find that the Bergger NB paper requires about a 1/2 contrast grade less than the Ilford paper, and about a third stop less exposure on my head. After drying, the Bergger paper appears colder/bluer in tone and the shadows are not as open as the ilford paper. However the midtones and highlights maintain good separation. The glossiness is about the same between the two papers but the bluishness of Bergger catches the light a bit more.
The dilution of the PF130 diluted 1:2 had little to no effect on the Ilford tonality compared to a 1:1 dilution.
A few months back I tried the Bergger CB warmtone paper and found it to be slower than the Ilford products but with about the same tone. It worked fine with LPD 1:2 and had a nice soft warm tone and sepia toned easily to a nice rich brown.
I'm curious is anyone else has a similar or contrasting experience with this paper or a different result with a different developer. I shoot a lot of water and dark rocks and this paper gives me a darker look that I sometimes want.
But wanting something a little different I tried the Bergger NB paper with PF130 at a 1:2 dilution. The first thing I noticed was that the image came up in the developer in just a few seconds. Then the Blacks were noticeably rich and darker than MGFB Classic.
With a few experimental sheets I find that the Bergger NB paper requires about a 1/2 contrast grade less than the Ilford paper, and about a third stop less exposure on my head. After drying, the Bergger paper appears colder/bluer in tone and the shadows are not as open as the ilford paper. However the midtones and highlights maintain good separation. The glossiness is about the same between the two papers but the bluishness of Bergger catches the light a bit more.
The dilution of the PF130 diluted 1:2 had little to no effect on the Ilford tonality compared to a 1:1 dilution.
A few months back I tried the Bergger CB warmtone paper and found it to be slower than the Ilford products but with about the same tone. It worked fine with LPD 1:2 and had a nice soft warm tone and sepia toned easily to a nice rich brown.
I'm curious is anyone else has a similar or contrasting experience with this paper or a different result with a different developer. I shoot a lot of water and dark rocks and this paper gives me a darker look that I sometimes want.