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Thread: Which paper finish for landscape

  1. #1

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    Which paper finish for landscape

    I'd like to order some 16x20 FB paper and I'm kinda partial to matte finishes, but not sure what landscapes and woodland would look best on. The only other subject I'd probably print that large would be a picture of my dog.

  2. #2
    Vaughn's Avatar
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    Re: Which paper finish for landscape

    I am heavily partial to glossy surfaces on FB paper...mostly for the slightly more black that can be achieved on glossy over matt. Images/prints change when they get bigger, so what works at 8x10 may not work at 16x20...even paper surface's role can shift as dark areas of the image get physically larger. Small areas of no detail (either in shadows or highlights) that gave a snap to a small print can become just large informationless areas when larger. Also large areas of deep shadows will read differently depending on the paper surface (and color). Enlarging to 16x20 but only exposing a smaller section of it with 8x10 papers of different surfaces could be helpful.

    A lament added -- Oh, the beauty of Portriga's 111 surface. When you left, the world got soggy with tears.
    "Landscapes exist in the material world yet soar in the realms of the spirit..." Tsung Ping, 5th Century China

  3. #3

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    Re: Which paper finish for landscape

    Quote Originally Posted by Vaughn View Post
    I am heavily partial to glossy surfaces on FB paper...mostly for the slightly more black that can be achieved on glossy over matt. Images/prints change when they get bigger, so what works at 8x10 may not work at 16x20...even paper surface's role can shift as dark areas of the image get physically larger. Small areas of no detail (either in shadows or highlights) that gave a snap to a small print can become just large informationless areas when larger. Also large areas of deep shadows will read differently depending on the paper surface (and color). Enlarging to 16x20 but only exposing a smaller section of it with 8x10 papers of different surfaces could be helpful.

    A lament added -- Oh, the beauty of Portriga's 111 surface. When you left, the world got soggy with tears.
    Hey Vaughn have you ever tried this paper https://www.freestylephoto.biz/44438...-8x10-25-Sheet it's about as close as we can get to an Agfa paper these days. I find air dried it has an eggshell finish like the old Agfa papers.

  4. #4

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    Re: Which paper finish for landscape

    Quote Originally Posted by jtomasella View Post
    I'd like to order some 16x20 FB paper and I'm kinda partial to matte finishes, but not sure what landscapes and woodland would look best on. The only other subject I'd probably print that large would be a picture of my dog.
    I like glossy myself for landscapes.

  5. #5
    Vaughn's Avatar
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    Re: Which paper finish for landscape

    Quote Originally Posted by Andrew Tymon View Post
    Hey Vaughn have you ever tried this paper https://www.freestylephoto.biz/44438...-8x10-25-Sheet it's about as close as we can get to an Agfa paper these days. I find air dried it has an eggshell finish like the old Agfa papers.
    Thanks for the tip. I rarely print silver gelatin and I have a little stash of the Portriga 111, but nice to know of possibilities! I am doing primarily alt processes...quite a bit of control over surface textures!
    "Landscapes exist in the material world yet soar in the realms of the spirit..." Tsung Ping, 5th Century China

  6. #6

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    Re: Which paper finish for landscape

    To quote the late Fred Picker, "TRY IT". The small added cost in buying several boxes of paper will pay off handsomely, once you've figured out which works best for your pictures. In addition- there may be more than one right answer!

  7. #7

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    Re: Which paper finish for landscape

    I'm in the air-dried glossy fiber-base paper-finish camp too. I use the Foma 111 mentioned above and like it, both in graded and VC. Adox MC-110 is nice too. Fiber-base glossy when not ferrotyped gives a nice medium sheen finish, not at all glossy like RC papers, but with enough sheen to give real dense blacks and lots of shadow separation, unlike a lot of matte finishes. Still, it all boils down to personal preference.

    Doremus

  8. #8
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    Re: Which paper finish for landscape

    Quote Originally Posted by Mark Sampson View Post
    To quote the late Fred Picker, "TRY IT". The small added cost in buying several boxes of paper will pay off handsomely, once you've figured out which works best for your pictures. In addition- there may be more than one right answer!
    This.

    And to make the personal opinions not unanimous, I prefer matte paper generally for most photos.
    Bryan | Blog | YouTube | Instagram | Portfolio
    All comments and thoughtful critique welcome

  9. #9

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    Re: Which paper finish for landscape

    Quote Originally Posted by Doremus Scudder View Post
    I'm in the air-dried glossy fiber-base paper-finish camp too. I use the Foma 111 mentioned above and like it, both in graded and VC. Adox MC-110 is nice too. Fiber-base glossy when not ferrotyped gives a nice medium sheen finish, not at all glossy like RC papers, but with enough sheen to give real dense blacks and lots of shadow separation, unlike a lot of matte finishes. Still, it all boils down to personal preference.

    Doremus
    I think I will try the glossy. Especially since I like punchy prints and it sounds like it's not as glossy as RC paper.

  10. #10
    Drew Wiley
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    Re: Which paper finish for landscape

    I do not believe that one shoe fits all. Although 98% of my b&w prints are made on Glossy FB, from time to time there's an image that looks right on Matte instead.

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