New FREE paper on SLIMT contrast reduction for B&W and COLOR, film, paper, everything

[davidkachel]

In the early 1990's I published a 4-part series of articles on contrast reduction (contraction) in "Darkroom & Creative Camera Techniques" magazine. (I published a lot of articles, but this series is the best known.)

Part III of that series, on "Selective Latent Image Manipulation Techniques" was a big hit, but over the years has been mostly forgotten, in large part due to the massive shift to digital photography.

Recently I have begun to suspect that all the hype about the return of film may not be entirely composed of hype and perhaps this information needed to be put out there again, for all the newcomers.

So, here it is: a complete rewrite and update of the original announcement, free for the taking. And this time, you can even get the chemicals from a photographic supplier instead of weighing out your own. (Freestyle sells the kit and NO, I don't get a penny from it.)

Manipulating the latent image after exposure and before development is my own invention, worked on for a decade and a great source of pride to me before the digital cross-town bus ran it and me down. So, I am hoping it will be of use to a whole new generation of photographers.

Enjoy,

dk

(I thought I had posted this and it seems to have vanished. Admin, please remove this if it is a duplicate post.)

[davidkachel]

I can't find the other post, so I guess this is it.

[Ulophot]

David, thank you for this update. I look forward enthusiastically to reading it. I'm the one who wrote an article published in Tim Layton's Darkroom Underground magazine last year, showing the result of pushing the contrast-wise process to N-3 in a high-contrast portrait, using HP5 and D-23. My tests showed it a significant improvement over two-bath D-23 in maintaining low value density. It is a valuable tool in my repertoire. I haven't properly tested SLIMT for prints yet, but I'll bet it will also come in handy on some difficult subject.
Best wishes!

[Paul Ron]

interesting article. im curious to find your other articles.

thanks for the information david.

[davidkachel]

interesting article. im curious to find your other articles.

thanks for the information david.

A number of them are here: www.davidkachel.com/monographs.html

But they have not been updated in a very long time and typos and other errors have crept into them over the years. I will be redoing the series on filters and the Primacy of Local Contrast but don’t know when. The local contrast article appears as an appendix in my just released book on photogravure, but as originally written. The other two contrast reduction techniques are outdated, but the first article in the contraction series is still valid, though it could stand updating, too.
dk

[Pere Casals]

Many thanks, I'll try this technique for night photography. I'm confident that it will be useful to me.

[swmcl]

Many thanks David for your work and willingness to share.

I have my own summary of David's work that I tried. It might help you Pere.

David's techniques do work.

Rgds,
Steve

[Tin Can]

Very good read, it reads fast. I like that.

I have plenty of Ektascan and will be trying your techniques.

Has it been tried with Gas Burst?

I normally use compressed air gas burst Ektascan in 1/100 Rodinal, still water stop and TF5. I second burst every 10 seconds. I shot Rodinal and still water stop.

[davidkachel]

Very good read, it reads fast. I like that.
I have plenty of Ektascan and will be trying your techniques.
Has it been tried with Gas Burst?
I normally use compressed air gas burst Ektascan in 1/100 Rodinal, still water stop and TF5. I second burst every 10 seconds. I shot Rodinal and still water stop.

I have never used it with gas burst, though I did some investigations of gas burst agitation for Georgia Pacific years ago. I see no reason it shouldn't work.
I use open tube rotary processing in trays (also one of my articles) and prefer that. Let me know how it works with the gas, please.
dk

[Tin Can]

Yes, I also see no reason it would not work with gas burst.

I will test SLIMT in trays first, as I won't need as much working solution.

Or I will cut Ektascan to 2X3 and process sheets in the Nikor waffle holder insert for Nikor cans.

I have never used it with gas burst, though I did some investigations of gas burst agitation for Georgia Pacific years ago. I see no reason it shouldn't work.
I use open tube rotary processing in trays (also one of my articles) and prefer that. Let me know how it works with the gas, please.
dk