Carbon Transfer Workshop in Ventura

[Jim Fitzgerald]

I had some time unexpectedly become available for the weekend of August 7th & 8th. I will be able to host two students in my home/studio. The two day class will give you all the information you need to begin the journey into carbon transfer printing. I will show you how even working in a limited space environment you can produce beautiful 3-D carbon prints. All materials provided. Please send me a PM or contact me at http://jimfitzgerald101@hotmail.com for the cost and all of the details. Thanks.

Jim

[Mark Woods]

I really want to recommend Jim's workshop. I took it and learned a lot. I haven't returned to the Carbon transfer process since I've been doing PP. I am making negs that will print in Carbon really well. Just have to fit it in since I have a show coming up in September of PP prints of the Arroyo Seco in Pasadena.

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Mark, thanks for the kudos. Mark is a great photographer and was a great student who sees the potential of carbon. I have him smelling the bait but i still need to hook him and reel him in. Good luck on the show and let me know when it is so I can come and support you.

Jim

[Mel]

Would you kindly provide a link to examples of carbon transfer work.

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Would you kindly provide a link to examples of carbon transfer work.

Mel, you can go to Sandy Kings carbon forum on yahoo. I'm sorry I do not have the link right now. I'm printing some carbons as we speak and it is time to develop. If you want to PM me your e-mail I'll send you some images. My website is under construction and not up yet. Thanks.

Jim

ps; If you are going to be at Hugo's tomorrow I'm bringing a bunch of carbon transfer prints and negatives in 8x10, 11x14 and 8x20. Both finished prints and some that are just not there yet for everyone to see along with my hand built Walnut 11x14 and matching tripod.

[Mel]

Jim, very much looking forward to seeing your work and 11x14 beast today.

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Even if you can not make it to Ventura I will be offering workshops in your darkroom if you have what we need for alternative printing. This means a UV light and some de-gassed tap water that is cold. I will bring the rest. PM me for the details. I've got one scheduled in August already.

Jim

[Mark Woods]

What was the event at Hugo's?

[Jim Fitzgerald]

What was the event at Hugo's?

Photo session. Portraits and a lot of great images to be found on a 4 acre property. Huge cameras and lenses to see. I'm developing my 8 sheets of 11x14 x-ray film right now and with two sheets done I'm loving what I see.

Jim

[Tri Tran]

Hi Jim,
I'm loooking forward to work with you soon. I can't wait to see the finale result if we can transfer Carbon 20x24 print . It sounds a little ambitous but cool to try right?

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Hi Tri, Okay, just pouring tissue that big is a challenge let alone transferring the thing. But hey, what the hell I'm game!! I'll have to order some of Dick's tissue so we can have a go of it.

Jim

[Jim Fitzgerald]

I forgot, I'll bring the BIG squeegee!

Jim

[Tri Tran]

Please do order what we need to get the job done. I'm excited !Your Avatar looks real good BTW . At least 10 years younger :)

[Vaughn]

Hey Jim! What a great idea -- in-home workshops in other people's darkrooms would be a wonderful thing as it would really get the student up and running with the process. It is one thing to take a workshop, and another to get one's own darkroom set up and running for a new process!

Vaughn

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Vaughn, thanks. I think it is a good idea for one to use their own working area to learn the process. I'll be sure to let everyone know how this pans out.

Jim

[Tri Tran]

Vaughn , Jim,
I do appreciated Jim to put all this together and make it possible for me to learn the process which I always dream of but rarely have time to travel to pursue it. I highly recommend to Jim workshop to anyone that willing and dedicated to this beautiful process as soon as you see the print in person. Thank you both for your guidance.

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Tri, I appreciate your enthusiasm for this process. This is why I've made my workshops affordable. If you are interested in finding out about the process but do not want to invest a lot of money then PM me and I'll give you the details. If you are serious about carbon transfer then, as my mentor Vaughn will attest, you will be able to produce some of your finest prints.

Jim

[Jim Fitzgerald]

I have one spot left for my August 21st and 22nd workshop. Thanks.

Jim

PS Still room for the 7th and 8th.

[Andrew O'Neill]

Maybe I should host a carbon workshop up here... Keep us posted as to how it went, Jim!

[Curt]

Maybe I should host a carbon workshop up here... Keep us posted as to how it went, Jim!

Absolutely, I want to included, it's just one beautiful drive for me.

[sanking]

There is a good possibility that I will do a carbon workshop in Vancouver next summer. I know that is a long time from now but the photographer I have communicated with seems quite serious about putting it on. If you are interested contact me by pm and I will put you in email contact.

I just returned from a two week vacation in BC, most of the time on Gabriola Island but also spent several days in the Port Alberni/Tofino area. The Gulf Islands and Vancouver Island are about as close to paradise on earth as it gets in the summer months.

Sandy King

[Mark Woods]

With a lot of photo opportunities. ;-)

[Curt]

There is a good possibility that I will do a carbon workshop in Vancouver next summer. I know that is a long time from now but the photographer I have communicated with seems quite serious about putting it on. If you are interested contact me by pm and I will put you in email contact.

I just returned from a two week vacation in BC, most of the time on Gabriola Island but also spent several days in the Port Alberni/Tofino area. The Gulf Islands and Vancouver Island are about as close to paradise on earth as it gets in the summer months.

Sandy King

Oh yes it's beautiful up there, if you offer a Summer workshop, next Summer, I want to be the first one on the list. I'm building my skills and continuing to learn. I've had an introduction from Vaughn and a one day workshop with Jim F. and a weekend workshop with Vaughn in Newport Or. By the time next Summer comes around it would be the best of times for me.

Curt

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Maybe I should host a carbon workshop up here... Keep us posted as to how it went, Jim!

I'll be sure to let everyone know. When I give my private workshop to my friend Tri Tran we are going to try my first 20x24 carbon. should be fun!

Jim

[Curt]

All I can say is that's a lot of glop. It's enough to cover over four 10X12 inch tissues in size and poured all at once. Or you can use B&S tissue, that would take the pressure off a bit but it wouldn't be your high relief tissue. Good luck Jim.

[Jim Fitzgerald]

All I can say is that's a lot of glop. It's enough to cover over four 10X12 inch tissues in size and poured all at once. Or you can use B&S tissue, that would take the pressure off a bit but it wouldn't be your high relief tissue. Good luck Jim.

I'm going to get some B&S tissue and make my life easier. Depending on the results then I'll see about pouring 21x25 tissue!

Jim

[Erik Larsen]

Hi Jim, I've made a 20x24 carbro. The tissue wasn't that difficult to make if you make sure the gelatin stays fluid. I used a piece of galvanized steel that I put out in the sun to get it nice and hot and used a piece of rc paper as the support on top of it. The warm metal ensured that the gelatin could be poured and have enough time to fill the frame before it started to set up. It really wasn't too hard at all.
good luck
erik

[Curt]

Using the Sun Erik is a brilliant idea, literally in your case. The heat of the metal would definitely extend the time to get a pour. I bet Vaughn would like to get his hands on a pour that big. Or Jim, get a huge comb.

Just how many people make prints that big on a regular basis? Not many if any I would suspect. A few now and then but probably no one is working totally in that size. It makes 11X14 seem small and 8X10 seem mini.

[Vaughn]

The biggest pour I have done to date is 16x20 -- just using my "pour it on the tissue support and spread it around with my fingers" method. Heating the glass I poured on would have made it a bit easier (running hot water on it).

Vaughn

[sanking]

The biggest pour I have done to date is 16x20 -- just using my "pour it on the tissue support and spread it around with my fingers" method. Heating the glass I poured on would have made it a bit easier (running hot water on it).

Vaughn


Making very large tissue is not a problem. One of the standard size tissue I make is 24" X 32" and making it even larger would not be a problem.

However, unless you just happen to be incredibly lucky (or incredibly good with your technique) making a high quality 20X24" print with carbon transfer on the first try, or even the second or third, will be quite a challenge. My advice would be to first learn your technique with smaller prints before wasting a lot of carbon tissue on very large prints. But I guess none of us always follow common logic, and especially not folks like Jim and Tri Tran. Or yours truly!

Sandy King

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Sandy, I like the idea of a challenge of working with a large tissue. You know to see if I can do it. I'm not expecting great results but I do have my technique in order... I think. This will prepare me for 14x17 transfers in the future. Yes, common logic... I don't think so.... at least with dedicated carbon printers.

Best,

Jim

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Bump!

[Curt]

You know Jim that the difference from 11X14 to 14X17 is only 3 inches in each direction? If you can pull off 11X14 I don't think you will have any problems with the larger size. I've been at the sketch pad and shop for the last few days, working working working. I do wish you had a Carbon web site.

With Frontier buying out or taking over Verizon my email is lost in outer space. I'm using gmail and hoping. I thought of Paul Caponigro today who said he didn't think he was from this Century, meaning the 20Th of course, or time, and he hated technology, he didn't own a computer, television or anything technological. I actually felt that way earlier today. The cable guy came and found out why the news channel wasn't working, a rat ate the cable under the house down to the wire. The cable had so much leakage that the TV looked like a bunch of small squares.

Curt

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Curt, my son is working on my website and I hope to have it up very soon...at least that is what he says. Then I need to tweak things. Problem is he is in the 22nd century when it comes to technology and I'm stuck in 1865! He sent me some test stuff so I know it is going to be soon. Thanks
Jim

[Curt]

Yes I know, that's why I don't have a website, I'd need a good part of a year to get the look I want and would constantly be tweaking it to my perfection to no end. Maybe having someone else do it would be the best solution. Geez I took a year to teach myself CAD, Getting the prints to a measurable scale wasn't easy to do. Getting each page of the drawings to fit on its page was a major challenge. When I took industrial drafting in college we sat at tilted drafting tables and used real tools to draw with. I had to visualize the end drawing before I even started and that was hard. Now staring at a screen for hours gives me a headache. No CAD monkey for me if i can help it, or website creation monkey.

Curt

[Curt]

I had some time unexpectedly become available for the weekend of August 7th & 8th. I will be able to host two students in my home/studio. The two day class will give you all the information you need to begin the journey into carbon transfer printing. I will show you how even working in a limited space environment you can produce beautiful 3-D carbon prints. All materials provided. Please send me a PM or contact me at http://jimfitzgerald101@hotmail.com for the cost and all of the details. Thanks.

Jim

I hope someone will take the workshop with you down in Ventura, they will be sure to learn the process. I too took the workshop with Jim and he will guide you though the process which is a fantastic way to print, like no other method, it's really 3D.

Curt

[wang888]

Hi Jim,
I'm loooking forward to work with you soon. I can't wait to see the finale result if we can transfer Carbon 20x24 print . It sounds a little ambitous but cool to try right?

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Hi Jim,
I'm loooking forward to work with you soon. I can't wait to see the finale result if we can transfer Carbon 20x24 print . It sounds a little ambitous but cool to try right?

Yes, I think transferring a 20x24 is going to be a challenge but why not. We will do some small stuff also. you know 8x10! Got the tissue from Bostick & Sullivan yesterday for the 20x24 and I'm going to bring some of my own lay down tissue that is thicker. Should be fun. I'll be sure to bring some finished prints. Just mounted two 11x14's last night.

Jim

[Mark Woods]

Hello Jim, what do you rate your X-Ray film at and how long in PMK?

Mark

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Hello Jim, what do you rate your X-Ray film at and how long in PMK?

Mark

Mark I rate my green sensitive x-ray film at ISO 80 and develop in Pyrocat-HD 1:1:100 in a tray one at a time for 11x14 for about 6 1/2 minutes.

Jim

[Mark Woods]

Thanks. I'm shooting my images tomorrow and also developing them. I'll give you a progress report.

[Jim Fitzgerald]

I just finished my weekend workshop a while ago with great success. Randy, my student was very enthusiastic about learning carbon printing. He brought me some less than optimal negatives for carbon and we managed to make some beautiful 4x5 and 5x7 prints from his negatives. Poured tissue etc. He printed one of my 8x10 negatives and transferred and developed it with great success. It was a very rewarding weekend for both of us. He is looking for a plate burner as we speak. Definitely a carbon convert.

Jim

[Mark Woods]

Jim, your Nuart UV burner is all the difference in the world. The densities with the blue base of the Xray film makes my UV sources burn for hours to make a PP print, and I haven't done the Carbon. Oh sigh, so much to do and so little time. ;-)

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Mark, seems the blue base of the developed green sensitive x-ray film has me rethinking things a bit for carbon printing. I'm finding shorter exposures with it. The NuArc does help as does the density range one gets.

Jim

[ghostcount]

...Definitely a carbon convert.

Jim

I'd say! I managed to get a densitometer off the big auction house on my last day with Jim whilst in the middle of transferring/developing a 5x7 image. Now I'm working on a deal to get a NuArc burner. Today, I find myself browsing through the internet looking for a decent 11x14 camera, holders, and lenses. :D

My wife will be out of town for the next 5 days. I wonder how much damage I can do to our bank account? :rolleyes:

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Oh boy! I'm such a bad influence! If things get tough it will be okay to blame me for all of this. After all I did send you the link on the NuArc and tell you about the densitometer. Be sure to get the darkcloth material before she gets back!

Jim

[Mark Woods]

One would think that the blue base would allow the UV to pass through with little problem, but that's not the case for me and my T8 UV Florescents. My normal film works fine. I'll have more time in the coming month (I hope) to do some more shots. I'm hanging a show in the Pasadena Main Library on Sept. 1st, and I'm in a show on Oct. 9th, and possibly another during the month of Oct. Plus, classes are beginning at AFI and I'm deep into digital post production and S3D.

[Andrew O'Neill]

Xray's blue base doesn't seem to be a problem for me. In fact, exposures are pretty quick. The last xray neg I printed with a DR of 1.97 took 5 minutes to expose. I'm using an old UV exposure table (with 1000W halogen lamp and two flourescent tubes) I bought from a retired screen printer.

[Mark Woods]

Andrew, that is heartening news. How do you rate it and develop it? Per Volquartz suggested PMK, which I bought and haven't shot many images with it. I processed it in Dektol, and the development times were crazy fast and when I diluted the Dektol, the neg was mottled. At least the PMK was a longer processing time.

[Vaughn]

FWIW...I have some Agfa "daylight" x-ray film -- blue base. I developed a couple sheets in Ilford PQ Universal developer a while back. Made a carbon print and the exposure times were right in line with times for FP4+ film developed in the same same developer...30 minutes using two 175W merc.vapour lamps, 8 to 10 inches from the bulbs.

Since it seems to have emulsion on both sides, I could see where exposure times might increase when developed in a staining developer -- stains on both sides.

Vaughn

[Andrew O'Neill]

Andrew, that is heartening news. How do you rate it and develop it? Per Volquartz suggested PMK, which I bought and haven't shot many images with it. I processed it in Dektol, and the development times were crazy fast and when I diluted the Dektol, the neg was mottled. At least the PMK was a longer processing time.

Hi Mark,

I shoot between EI 50-100 (depending on SBR). It develops very well in pyrocat-hd
(1:1:200, =5ml part A + 5ml part B + 1000ml water). Normal development in pyrocat is 16:00, 21C in tube (btzs). I'm planning on either increasing development temperature to 24C, or increasing part A and B to 10mls each. Sixteen minutes is a long time to be standing and spinning 8x10 tubes!
I prefer the a pyrocat stained negative (yellowish brown) compared to PMK (yellowish green), and it can work in rotary or tray processing.
I have tried Rodinal (1:25) and Ilford MG paper developer (1:50). Both worked very well, but I prefer staining developers, especially for carbon and kallitype printing.

[sanking]

Andrew,

Did I misunderstand your message? Are you developing the X-Ray film in tubes?

I was under the impression that would not work because the emulsion is on both sides of the film.

Sandy

[Mark Woods]

Thank you Andrew. I'm tray developing and sorting out getting a very smooth tray. I'm looking at Pyrex baking pans. I'll keep you posted.

[Jim Fitzgerald]

If you try to develop x-ray film in tubes you will scratch it. I do my 8x10 in tanks 1:1:100 Pyrocat-HD normal agitation for 6 1/2 minutes and inspect with a red safelight. I'm getting DR of 1.9 to 2.5 with this method. It seems that these images print faster when I do carbon. This is due to the higher DR and higher sensitizer I believe. It takes some getting used to using the green x-ray film. It is cheap and one of the reasons I decided to build the 14x17. I can make carbon prints in 14x17 from x-ray film that is $70.00 for 100 sheets! Seems to be a no brainier for me. I rate mine at ISO 80. I do my 11x14 one at a time in a flat bottom tray. I have not scratched a negative yet. I've shot quite a bit of x-ray film and have some nice carbon prints from the negatives. Let me know if you have any questions. It really is simple to use.

Jim

[Andrew O'Neill]

AAAAAAAAH. Silly me. Yes. sorry. Xray is done in trays. Flat bottomed. What was I thinking. I also slip the film inside a ziplock bag with chems inside. A puff of air inside then sealed keeps the top of the bag from rubbing against the film. constant GENTLE agitation for first minutes, then 5 secs every minutes. Flawless results.
This is what happens when you spend an entire day in the darkroom developing film with tubes, I guess. Thanks for pointing that out, Sandy.

[sanking]

Andrew,

Thanks for the clarification.

BTW, I have a couple of boxes of the green sensitive X-Ray film 14" X 34 in size that I am going to cut down to size for use in my 10X24" holders. I had a few holders left over from a custom order this size and decided to have Richard Ritter make me an adaptor back for the 20X24" camera. This will allow me to make either vertical or horizontal 10X24" negatives by simply changing the orientation of the back.

I was hoping to be able to develop the film in tubes but that does not seem feasible because of the emulsion on both sides so I guess it will have to be trays for this work.

Sandy

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Andrew,

Thanks for the clarification.

BTW, I have a couple of boxes of the green sensitive X-Ray film 14" X 34 in size that I am going to cut down to size for use in my 10X24" holders. I had a few holders left over from a custom order this size and decided to have Richard Ritter make me an adaptor back for the 20X24" camera. This will allow me to make either vertical or horizontal 10X24" negatives by simply changing the orientation of the back.

I was hoping to be able to develop the film in tubes but that does not seem feasible because of the emulsion on both sides so I guess it will have to be trays for this work.

Sandy

Sandy, due to the emulsion being on both side I think you are going to have a problem cutting this stuff down. It is very fragile. I use tanks for the 8x10 and do four at a time and they come out great. I'm going to build some hangers for the 11x14. I have the tanks. Flat bottomed trays work fine and in Pyrocat-HD it only takes 5-6 1/2 minutes.

Jim

[Tri Tran]

Hi Jim,
Here's the result using your tissue to tranfer this print.It's much much nicer and easier than B&S tissue that we ordered . I love the tone and thanks so much to send me some .This LCD can't do the justice for Carbon Print as a viewer unless you see it in person. I have a few more to show you next time when I see you, again thank you for your time and your guidance for this beautiful process. Regards. TT

http://img801.imageshack.us/img801/3775/carbonprint8x10.jpg (http://img801.imageshack.us/i/carbonprint8x10.jpg/)

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Hi Jim,
Here's the result using your tissue to tranfer this print.It's much much nicer and easier than B&S tissue that we ordered . I love the tone and thanks so much to send me some .This LCD can't do the justice for Carbon Print as a viewer unless you see it in person. I have a few more to show you next time when I see you, again thank you for your time and your guidance for this beautiful process. Regards. TT

http://img801.imageshack.us/img801/3775/carbonprint8x10.jpg (http://img801.imageshack.us/i/carbonprint8x10.jpg/)

Tri, I love the tones in this image. I can already see what can not be seen on the screen. Hard to show relief on an image posted on the net. I'm glad my tissue worked out for you.

Jim

[Mark Woods]

Sweet.