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I did not want to hijack, the previous thread.
But to everybody who listed a favorite paper, because of "the look". Would you mind being a little more specific. I am having a hard time understanding the subtle differences of the paper types. I've been using Ilford multigrade in pearl and gloss. And to be honest, I don't care for the texture in pearl, and the gloss just seems to glossy to me.
Standard Disclaimer, As always keep in mind that, I really don't know what I am doing.
Thanks
From this it seems as if you are using RC paper. Since you don't like the look, you might want to try using fiber based paper. This requires more work on your part, mostly in the washing and drying. You need to wash the paper longer, although not as long if you use Perma Wash or another wash aid. Drying takes much longer than RC papers. Typically, this is done on fiberglass screens (window screens work great). Air dried glossy fiber paper is very nice. Others like matte finishes. Try a bit of each.
Tim,
As I mentioned on the other thread, Ilford Multigrade IV FB Warmtone is my favorite paper.
Why? Because when I tone this paper in selenium, I am able to obtain a deep velvety black appearance in the shadow areas and a nice creamy tone in the highlights. This produces a feeling of roundness to the image (my friend calls it a 3-D effect).
Everyone has a different "eye". What looks outstanding to me might look like crap to you.
Choose a paper that works in your hands and pleases your "eye".
David, yes I am using rc paper. Not afraid of work, otherwise I'd be taking electric pics to walmart.
Gem, Thanks for the expanded explanation, thats exactly the type of feedback I was looking for.
I'm sure I know even less than the other Tim. People on the forum often describe in words the difference between different papers, but I guess since I lack the requisite experience, the vocabulary conjures no useful mental image. If anyone has printed and scanned the same negative on different papers, it would be super interesting if they could post those. Or perhaps the differences are too subtle to show up in scans?
The look you get with one paper may not be suitable for all scenes. For example, I love the look of Ilford warm tone fiber paper, but it just wouldn't be suitable for snow scenes. For that I would choose a cold tone paper, which, with the right developer would give a nice blue-black tone. If you want really warm brownish black tones, try Ilford MG warm tone fiber with Zonal Pro warm tone developer. Amazing! I use the semi mat and glossy (unferrotyped) papers because I really don't like too much shine on the paper. I use MG resin coat for quick prints that go out to friends and such.
There are many papers available. The best thing to do is buy small batches to try. I would advise working with methods and developers, too. Go slow. It will be a nice surprise when you hit the right combo.
It just takes a lot of printing, on different papers, and a lot of looking at prints. Then, when you find a paper that you like, the manufacturer will discontinue it. That's nothing new- Paul Strand compalined about that issue for most of his career, and he did all right anyway.
One of the reason many folks like Azo (a discontinued Kodak Silver Chloride paper) or Lodima (a new Silver Chloride paper being produced by Michael A. Smith) is the versatility of the product when it comes to obtaining varioius tones (print colors).
I am amazed at how prints developed in Dektol look so different from prints developed in Amidol (or for that matter Amidol with additional KBr added impacts the warmth of the print) or Neutol WA. I've never tried Ansco 130, but folks like that developer with Azo as well.
Azo and Amidol (and to some extent Neutol WA) allow for water bath development to control contrast.
Silver Chloride emulsions are contact printing emulsions, so don't try to enlarge with Azo or Lodima unless you have specialized equipment or a lot of patience (exposures can run 4-15 minutes for moderate enlargements).
You will want to tailor your negatives to properly use Azo/Lodima. It took me a while (and a lot of reading on the Azo forum) to get the hang of the materials and after almost 4 years and nearly 1000 8x10/7x17 negatives, I'm still learning the nuances of Silver Chloride papers.
The journey has been most enjoyable.
I second. Forte Polywarmtone Plus used to be my favorite, but since they went out of business, I started using Ilford MG Warmtone. Glad I did...Forte never gave me the results that the Ilford does. I use Dektol developer to cool off the warmth, but is still renders a 3D effect and sparkle like I haven't gotten anywhere else. I can print with a lower contrast grade to give the image weight, and then split tone it at 1:8 to bring in the depth of the shadows. It is a faster paper than the Forte was also, and yields a longer toe on the contrast curve than the Forte.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gem Singer