Did Edward Weston tone his prints?

[MrFujicaman]

Haloid was the company that became Xerox.

[jnantz]

Thanks everyone...Sounds like he probably didn't. So if I wanted to try to get close to that look using todays materials I'd use amidol from formulary and that adox lupex stuff that only comes in grade 3?

Let's pretend I have a perfectly exposed and contrasted negative - which as interneg correctly pointed out is the crux of the matter

Are there any other silver chloride papers available?

the boxes you might find on the auction site are probably still good ( look for OLD "vintage" SC emulsion, modern ones don't seem to have the same stamina ) .

[Tin Can]

AZO is not dead yet

Many have some

Few sell

BUY!

[Michael R]

Lupex is the only pure chloride paper I know of that is current.

You could try Foma’s Fomatone. It’s chlorobromide but heavy on the chloride, and it’s variable contrast which is a big plus of course. I recently acquired some to experiment with but haven’t used it yet.

As interneg alluded to earlier in the thread, generally speaking warm tone papers will respond more to developer modifications and toning. For example, somewhat counterintuitively if one is seeking a very pronounced “cold” blue-black colour it is generally easier to get that from a warm paper than a cold one.

Selenium toning is a different story, and will not make a warm tone and/or chloride emulsion “cool”.

Thanks everyone...Sounds like he probably didn't. So if I wanted to try to get close to that look using todays materials I'd use amidol from formulary and that adox lupex stuff that only comes in grade 3?

Let's pretend I have a perfectly exposed and contrasted negative - which as interneg correctly pointed out is the crux of the matter

Are there any other silver chloride papers available?

[Chester McCheeserton]

Lupex is the only pure chloride paper I know of that is current.

You could try Foma’s Fomatone. It’s chlorobromide but heavy on the chloride, and it’s variable contrast which is a big plus of course. I recently acquired some to experiment with but haven’t used it yet.

As interneg alluded to earlier in the thread, generally speaking warm tone papers will respond more to developer modifications and toning. For example, somewhat counterintuitively if one is seeking a very pronounced “cold” blue-black colour it is generally easier to get that from a warm paper than a cold one.

Selenium toning is a different story, and will not make a warm tone and/or chloride emulsion “cool”.

Thanks for the tip. My last concentrated darkroom session I used ilford warmtone with moersch SE6 (a comblo I think someone on here posted about) and experimented with different dilutions of moersh finisher blue to achieve the color I wanted. Think I decided I liked the way the prints looked without selenum.

It's been awhile since I tried fomotone - may pick up a box and compare results

[jnantz]

if you have 20 minutes to spare and a little time to learn how to coat your own photographic paper
http://thelightfarm.com/Map/DryPlate...yPlatePart.htm
this recipe is fantastic and you can make it "unwashed" since you aren't coating glass or metal, so it cuts out the noodling and wash (and chance of fogging ).
I've been making this simple and pure silver chloride emulsion for at least 5 maybe 6 years ( or more? ).
it literally takes 20 minutes to make a batch, the hardest part is dribbling in the silver nitrate into the the trigger solution.
don't let the naysayers tell you making emulsion is hard &c, cause it's not hard at all, and you might get better results than you will from store bought papers...

[Michael R]

You should start selling it. Call it OZA or something. It’ll sell like hotcakes.

if you have 20 minutes to spare and a little time to learn how to coat your own photographic paper
http://thelightfarm.com/Map/DryPlate...yPlatePart.htm
this recipe is fantastic and you can make it "unwashed" since you aren't coating glass or metal, so it cuts out the noodling and wash (and chance of fogging ).
I've been making this simple and pure silver chloride emulsion for at least 5 maybe 6 years ( or more? ).
it literally takes 20 minutes to make a batch, the hardest part is dribbling in the silver nitrate into the the trigger solution. and it's really not hard
don't let the naysayers tell you making emulsion is hard &c, cause it's not hard at all, and you might get better results than you will from store bought papers...

[jnantz]

You should start selling it. Call it OZA or something. It’ll sell like hotcakes.

Probably would. but, I’d rather not set myself up for an internet flogging .. I had enough trouble with people who don't understand "well spent fixer" means used more than 1 shot ...
"oh yea I get it, use it until it's exhausted" .. and then complaints because they thought 1 shot was exhausted .. I can't imagine the trouble I'd have with photo paper or liquid emulsion ...
"don't expose to room light" and "print with a bright bulb" might seem like common sense, but common sense isn't very common ..

[Merg Ross]

Just got back from a museum visit today where had the opportunity to view bunch of prints made by him, (not his sons)

According to the catalog published by the museum the prints were made by him between 1937 and 1944.

It had been a while since I saw EW prints up close and in person, but what I noticed most of all was the amazing shadow detail but still showing contrast and rich blacks.

The prints seemed to have a cool, very slight bluish or even purple tint, that I have only seen when gold toning. Was this just the paper he was using and the color he got from amidol?
Did he use selenium toner? Or gold? Can someone confirm if prints made during that time period were on Azo or something else?

It was a humbling experience that took down my confidence several notches that I know how to make good prints or operate a view camera.

Your question has been answered, and it is true that Edward did not tone his prints. Ansel once suggested to him that he should, complaining of a green cast. But Edward preferred to keep the process simple.

The dates you cite (1937-1944) coincide with the Guggenheim and Whitman years at which time Edward printed on Convira #2. He had also at times printed on Velour Black, Haloid and Azo. Cole remarked that Haloid may have been Edward's favorite, and it was chosen for the Print Project and the 800+ negatives printed by Brett in 1951-2.

[Chester McCheeserton]

Your question has been answered, and it is true that Edward did not tone his prints. Ansel once suggested to him that he should, complaining of a green cast. But Edward preferred to keep the process simple.

The dates you cite (1937-1944) coincide with the Guggenheim and Whitman years at which time Edward printed on Convira #2. He had also at times printed on Velour Black, Haloid and Azo. Cole remarked that Haloid may have been Edward's favorite, and it was chosen for the Print Project and the 800+ negatives printed by Brett in 1951-2.

Cool – Thanks, appreciate the info