Developers for pt/pd portraiture

I'd like to standardize on a film developer for Ziatype and PT/PD enviromental portraiture and to that end have been perusing the FD Cookbook for ideas. I'd appreciate some feedback from those that have used different developers for alt portraiture and their impressions. Specifically, does it make any sense at all to go with Pyro, or maybe Wd2d+ for my purpose over say something like Xtol (safer), D76H or something else. For film I'd like to stick with a 400 speed, but HP5+ doesn't do it for me and I have been thinking of maybe going with TMY after my current Delta 400 runs out. I'll be contacting 4x5's till I get the hang of enlarging negatives with BPFB-18 to 8x10's.

Wayne I use TMY with Pyrocat HD both for landscape and portraits and I can vouch for this combination. The negs come out nice and crisp with wonderful tonalities. If you have not settled on any developer, give Pyrocat a try, you wont be dissapointed.

I have tried all the formulas, ABC, WD2D, PMK, Catechol single shot, etc and IMO Pyrocat is the most versatile of all, giving great results.

Good luck.

Hi Jorge. I'm glad to learn that you've tried all of the developers you mention, as I'm very curious about the differences between PyrocatHD and WD2D+. Have you been doing any enlarging with these developers? If so, is Pyrocat HD still the clear winner?

Hi Jorge,

I have just started Pt/Pt printing. I am currently using PMK with Bergger films. In your experience what is the difference between PMK pyro and Pyrocat? And where can I get some Pyrocat?

Thanks for the info.

I have experimented with many traditional developers for use with pt/pd. X-tol and D-76 will require long development times and/or high temperatures. I have standardized on DK-50, straight. It is not a compensating developer (like X-tol and D-76), and we do not want compensation for pt/pd negatives.

You can get PyrocatHD in the US from Photographer's Formulary.

For an image that shows how nicely PyroCat HD and TMY works with handling high values, see here.

Jay, I am in the process of testing and writing an article about these developers and enlarging for Steve Simmons, if he does not publish it I will see if Ed wants to publish it in his site.

I have not tried WD2D+ as it is a propietary formula and I dont use the formulas designed for rotary development since I use brush developing, as you well know. So last time I tried WD2D it was the "old" formula.

At the time I did not do any sensitometric measurements, it was just a visual and printing comparison. I found WD2D a cross between ABC and PMK, it had less overall staining than PMK but more "color" stain than ABC and greater fog.

So far my tests with WD2D old formula in comparisson with Pyrocat HD still show Pyrocat as the winner for cleaner, less grainy negatives for enlarging, with greater film speed. Generally I have found pyro developers result in lower film speed and are prone to uneven developing if one is not careful, something that pyrocat is almost inmmune.

Sandy is doing some testing with semi stand developing and his results are very interesting, but in this case some uneven developing can occur as reported by Sandy, a good thread about this can be found in Michael Smith's web site.

Chong, I bet your printing times are very long and most likely you are having trouble getting good contrast in the prints. IMO, PMK is better for enlarging than it is for contact printing because of the overall staining. Sandy designed Pyrocat specifically for alt printing and I would recommend you use it for pt/pd. Although I have never used Bergger, it is my understanding that it stains beautifully and if you are using PMK, you are probably getting too much stain for pt/pd. In comparisson Pyrocat produces much cleaner less "foggy" negatives that are a joy to print. You can get Pyrocat as a kit from photographers formulary, but I have heard of people having trouble dissolving the pot carbonate from PF, you can also get it from Michael at artcraft chemicals (he is the supplier I use) and I beleive he is now making "kits" if you requested this way. If you are sold on using pyro, then I would recommend you change to ABC for pt/pd, but then you dont get the nice full film speed you get from pyrocat HD.

Hi Wayne. I will get in line behind Jorge and others and say I'm very happy with Pyrocat HD. Finding ABC Pyro too grainy for my tastes and PMK too foggy I had settled on a modified PMK formula that had been published in View Camera mag a while back. I think it was called Rollo Pyro. In any case it was a losing battle with edge effects and artifacts and I was ready to give Pyrocat a try almost the day Sandy published his excellent articles at Ed Buffaloe's Unblinking Eye web site. I think I ordered the chems the same day. PT/PD portraiture is a place I'm anxious to get to but remains a few years off. The biggest difference I've seen is with the higher speed films. Before Pyrocat I had pretty much written off both HP5 and TMX 400 because the tones weren't seperating well. With Pyrocat HD I'm seeing a nice long scale at least with the HP5. Haven't yet tried TMX 400 again.

Hi Jorge, and others. Thanks a lot! Thank you Wayne for starting this thread.

I am indeed very inexperienced in Pt/Pd. I had used a friend's sophisticated dedicated UV machine, and the paper exposure was in the order of about 7-8 minutes. I did notice that the contrast was low, resulting in a rather "muddy" appearance. I had thought that the problem might be inadequate negative development time, or that the combination of chemicals during paper coating inappropriate.

I will certainly try to get my hand on Pyrocat, if they will ship to Singapore!

Thanks again!

Chong, Michael at Artcraft chemicals ships to Mexico where I am, so I dont see why he cant ship to Singapore.

Is Pyrocat HD a mix as you go proposition or make all and store?

Mix as you go, you make two stock solutions and then mix them when you want to develop a neg.