10×10″ Collodion Negative meets Lith
Easter gave me the opportunity of making some collodion images and to print them in the darkroom. I started the day with cutting the plates. I have a lot of clear glass left over from some frames of which I didn’t use the glass (back then) and was so smart as to save it. I cut some 10×10″ plates and started on a series I’ve been having on my mind for quite some time now. It’s about nightmares, paranoia, etc. I still have to come up with a title. These are the first shots in this series. Luckily I still have to practice on my negatives (subbing them with albumen for example, had lifting of the collodion, or perhaps, cleaning them even better) so they came out anything but perfect. The exact raw feeling that I was after when thinking out the images in my head.
I shot the plates on the first day of Easter and varnished them that same very day. I was ready for the second day of Easter. Darkroom. Lith printing. I wanted that grainy and raw feel lith can give you so it wasn’t too hard figuring out which way to go with these. The images are contact printed (I love the 10×10″ size) on Rollei Vintage Paper 131 developed in Rollei Superlith developer 24+24+600.
I still have a lot to learn regarding the making of decent collodion negatives but for lith printing they work out just fine so far. If anything I’m having fun!
Lith Prints: On the Nature of Daylight
The last two days I had finally had the evenings for myself! First time this year I could actually work on my own photos. Sometimes I think I ought to quit my job 
Not long before those evenings I also finally came around to developing some film I had laying around from last year. The contact prints made me wanna grab my lith paper so I did. The prints are untoned and so on, test prints actually to see which way this series would go on lith but I love them already. This will be continued but I felt like sharing them anyway with some more inspirational stuff.
Kodak T-Max 100 I Hasselblad 500C/M + 50mm CF FLE I Paper: Rollei Vintage 131 FB I Developer: Rollei Vintage Developer (Lith) 1+1+24 I Exposure: f5,6 5 sec I Development: about 7 min. 36 sec I Untoned
Kodak T-Max 100 I Hasselblad 500C/M + 50mm CF FLE I Paper: Rollei Vintage 131 FB I Developer: Rollei Vintage Developer (Lith) 1+1+24 I Exposure: f5,6 5 sec I Development: about 7 min. 35 sec I Untoned
Kodak T-Max 100 I Hasselblad 500C/M + 50mm CF FLE I Paper: Rollei Vintage 131 FB I Developer: Rollei Vintage Developer (Lith) 1+1+24 I Exposure: f5,6 5 sec I Development: about 8 min. 06 sec I Untoned
Kodak T-Max 100 I Hasselblad 500C/M + 50mm CF FLE I Paper: Rollei Vintage 131 FB I Developer: Rollei Vintage Developer (Lith) 1+1+24 I Exposure: f5,6 5 sec I Development: about 7 min. 20 sec I Untoned
Kodak T-Max 100 I Hasselblad 500C/M + 50mm CF FLE I Paper: Rollei Vintage 131 FB I Developer: Rollei Vintage Developer (Lith) 1+1+24 I Exposure: f5,6 5 sec I Development: about 7 min. 35 sec I Untoned
Kodak T-Max 100 I Hasselblad 500C/M + 50mm CF FLE I Paper: Rollei Vintage 131 FB I Developer: Rollei Vintage Developer (Lith) 1+1+24 I Exposure: f5,6 5 sec I Development: about 7 min. 35 sec I Untoned
The title of the series comes from Max Richter. I’m such a big fan of his work. He made a remix of his original song combined with the lyrics of Dinah Washington’s song dating from 1960.
“This bitter Earth
Well, what fruit it bears?
Ooooh
This bitter Earth
And if my life
Is like the dust
Oooh, that hides
The glow of a rose
What good am I?
Heaven only knows.
Lord, this bitter Earth
Yes, can be so cold
Today you’re young
Too soon, you’re old
But while a voice
Within me cries
I’m sure someone may answer my call.
And this bitter Earth
Ooooh, may not
Ooooh, be so bitter
After all.
This bitter Earth
Lord, this bitter Earth
What good is love
Mmmm, that no one shares?
And if my life
Is like the dust
That hides
The glow of a rose
What good am I?
Heaven only knows.”
I hope you enjoy this post!
-Indra
Lith Print of a Clear Glass Ambrotype
As said before I also made my first real clear glass ambrotype, aka a glass negative, in Montzen. Yesterday I tried to make a lith print out of it. Very much to my liking! The grain really adds to the ambience and feel of the image.
I used Rollei Vintage 131 Fiber paper and made the first print on 18×24 cm paper to try it out. I loved it so much I”ll be making a large print as soon as the paper arrives: 50×60 cm. Also, this was my first go with the Omega D2 enlarger…wow..that thing is awesome!!! Beautiful machine which I’ll use a whole lot more often now that I got it working with the 4×5″ glass plate holder.
The only thing needed to be done was the toning part. I always used selenium toner before but also bought gold toner a while back. With selenium the tone, or wouldn’t hardly change, or make it more red. Both was just not what I had in mind. Luckily I remembered my gold toner in time so I ordered 2 more liters for the large print and tonight tested it. The prints are still wet so I’ll scan and post them tomorrow. Impressions: 4 minutes were too long; too blue. With 2 minutes I kept a little warmish yellow and got a little blueish and that was exactly what I was after.
Sure, with lith printing the true characteristics of Collodion have practically gone (though not really if you look carefully) so you might wonder why. First of all, because I couldn’t wait making and printing my first collodion negative! Secondly, lith printing is what I know (a little) and came to love (traditional bw printing has gotten boring to me) so this was the way to go for now. I’m still trying to figure out which processes I’m going to dive into for printing the collodion negatives but time has not really been on my side so far. Thirdly and most importantly, because I like it! So eat it!
Anyway, a happy goose here and I’m looking forward to the big print!
-Indra
Galerie Zebra – Willebroek (BE)
Today I visited Galerie Zebra after having been invited by Fred Bosschaert. This particular gallery is mainly focused on silver gelatin prints, a.k.a. prints produced in the darkroom starting from a genuine in-camera-made negative. Of course alternative processes are being welcomed there as well hence the why-I-ended-up-there too
Galerie Zebra - the Outside
A while back I talked about setting up a public darkroom / studio / space where people could learn the rolling of a darkroom / a place where people could experiment with alternative photographic processes / a place where workshops can be given and exhibitions can be held etc. I have putted that plan on the back burner as it takes quite a bit of time & fundings etc. to manage a project like this. Seeing I haven’t particularly raised the last mentioned it would be a potential financial disaster if I would dive into that now. But Fred on the other hand has the time and the means to do so and he did! He’s currently creating this space and it will open 25th of March this year! The kick-off will be an exhibition and portrait session by Jerome de Perlinghi, a rather well-known Belgium photographer. For more information click here.
Galerie Zebra - a view into the exhibition space-to-be with the daylight studio at the back and the entrance of the private darkroom on the right
This particular building will have an exhibition space, a “public” darkroom where workshops are given, a daylight studio (!!!). a floor higher there’s a room where matting and framing can be done and at the top floor a small studio where intimate portraits can be made. With intimate I mean a small secluded space where you can work 1-on-1 with a model to create something personal.
Galerie Zebra - in the middle of the exhibition space-in-the-making
This whole building is being created in the name of Photography. It’s all Photography there. Classic Photography even which is the most important part of all! Every photographer should, at least once in their short and miserable lives, experience the intimacy and sensual nature of working your images in a darkroom. That’s where the chemistry happens after all
Galerie Zebra - from the exhibition space looking towards the entrance
There are two darkrooms, one is somewhat for private use I believe and the second one is the public space. A nice large room which is big enough to host a couple of enlargers and make bigger prints. It’s all still in the making so keep that in mind when viewing my photos.
Galerie Zebra - Private darkroom wet side
Galerie Zebra - Private darkroom dry side
I have been asked to give a workshop in Collodion photography and we’re currently working out the details of it; date, duration etc. etc. The beauty of this place is that it has a daylight studio. With collodion all you need is UV light so that’s gonna work wonders! It is the absolute PERFECT spot to set up a portrait. And with 2 darkrooms in close range it’s going to be an even more perfect location hosting a workshop like this. Needless to say, I am looking forward tremendously!
Galerie Zebra - Daylight studio (!!)
Galerie Zebra - Daylight studio (!!)
On the right of this studio is the second darkroom and on the left you’re going back towards the exhibition space. It’s a nifty place and a marvelous location for these type of events.
Galerie Zebra - The public darkroom
Galerie Zebra - The public darkroom
Well, that was a short survey of the building-in-development. More will follow soon I’m sure. I’ll also post some photos from when it’s done because it’s going to be great! It’s all well thought-through over time and it’s being made with passion. How good can it get!
Galerie Zebra - From daylight studio back to the exhibition space
That wraps it up for now I guess. I’ll be back sooner than later! Oh, and I’ve also been asked to give a demonstration of wet plate photography at SASK St. Niklaas in Belgium. Awesome too so…..2011; bring it on!!
Have a good weekend all of you (what’s left of it anyway).
-Indra
Galerie Zebra
Vooruitgangstraat 2
2830 Willebroek
Belgium
fred [dot] bosschaert [at] skynet [dot] be
Tel.: +32 475 900 011
Opening hours: by appointment, invitation or announcement only.
“Weird-Square-in-Florence-But-Good-For-Portfolio” Liths Toned
Hmm, weird title but I mentioned it somewhere before when talking about this particular series. Where would the world be without consistency, right
Anyway, the prints finally received their toning. I used Kodak Selenium 1+4 for about 1 and a half minutes per print. Besides the archival aspect of toning it would be cool to see what the coloration would be like…nothing short of color with the combination of Rollei 131 & toner! I’ll most likely print these again and try some split toning when I receive my Tetenal Gold toner which makes things even more exciting. I can then combine blue and brownish on one print which offers a broad range of possibilities on its own again. Enough talking…
Paper: Rollei Vintage 131 FB Developer: Rollei Vintage Developer (Lith) 1+1+24 Exposure: f5,6 22 sec. Filter 3, Development: about 6 minutes, Selenium Toned: 1+4 1 1/2 min.
Paper: Rollei Vintage 131 FB Developer: Rollei Vintage Developer (Lith) 2+1+24 Exposure: f5,6 16 sec. Filter 3, Development: about 4 minutes, Selenium Toned: 1+4. 1 1/2 min.
Paper: Rollei Vintage 131 FB Developer: Rollei Vintage Developer (Lith) 1+1+24 Exposure: f5,6 20 sec. Filter 3, Development: about 5 1/2 minutes, Selenium Toned: 1+4 1 1/2 min.
The toning causes them to jump to life even more, even though they were not lame before but still. I like it quite a bit although I wouldn’t mind further fine-tuning even if it’s just for experiment’s sake. I’ll even HAVE to fine-tune and experiment to get better and gain absolute control of what I do. Theory means nothing on its own but you’ll need the theory to support your creativity and to be able to use in your advantage. So…I’ll be spending some more hours in my kitty-dork-dungeon
Oh, and not to be like an advertorial person but the book of Tim Rudman that I bought…wow….contains lots of useful information and give you a glimpse of how easy and foremost, how difficult the process is. Lots of variables and such… To anyone wanting to play around with lith printing I can wholeheartedly recommend it!
Emotional Film Part 2: Selenium Toned
It took me a while but I now that the holidays, birthdays and the likes (or dislikes) are over I finally have time to spend in my lovely darkroom. This part I spent toning already printed images. I’ll post the results of the first series here (see former post for more details on them).
Toner used is Kodak Selenium dilution 1+4 for about 2 minutes. With this Rollei 131 paper the toning happens very rapidly and the color was even more evident while wet. The images also became a lot more powerful, not only because the blacks became a tad blacker but it also seemed to affect the highlights as if these parts got a bit lighter. I’m not completely happy with these images qua color (a tad too warm for my taste), but also when looking at the images themselves. I think this will be the last time I’ve printed them anyway.
I toned Ilfords MGW.1K paper before and there it was very easy producing split toned images by diluting very moderately and leaving them relatively short in the bath. With this Rollei paper I have yet to find a proper manner to get them split toned without having Selenium followed by another toner such as Gold for example (which I have also ordered). They just seem to absorb the color like mad!
1+4 Selenium Toner +- 2 minutes
1+4 Selenium Toner +- 2 minutes
1+4 Selenium Toner +- 2 minutes
Anyway, I like them a whole lot better than the untoned versions but the color is a but too warm with this subject.
Darkroom Expansion Awesomeness !!!
Not too long ago I met someone who was thinking about giving up his darkroom. Only what to do with the stuff in it? Fortunately for me he decided he’d donate me what I would like of it as long as I would not sell anything. A dream really!! Especially since the collection consisted of an Omega D2 4×5″ enlarger which caught my interest as I’m planning on making Collodion negatives for printing purposes. All I was missing was an enlarger. Until now 
So the last 2 days existed of recreating and reorganizing the darkroom to make some work space for this humongous thing. Long overdue anyway, reorganizing the darkroom, so the timing was rather perfect really. Now all is set to go, the work space has to be adjusted some more but that’ll flow once I do. And, I feel the urge to go and do something again and use my new camera as well!
I collected some large trays (50 x 60 cm), also some from this recent event.
And here is my new love: the Omega D2! Along with some large papers I also received
My new work space addition from the other side
I am totally gonna rock my ass off in there the next couple of… well… whatever how long
All I have to dig up from somewhere is a carrier for 4×5″ glass negatives but I’m sure that won’t take long! It’s pretty complete though. 2 carriers for 6×6, 1 for 35mm, 1 for 9×12 and 1 for 4×5″ negatives. Condensers, lamps and lenses included, one 80mm and one 150mm, forgot the exact type. Anyway, happy happy happy and a thank you!!
Ow, and I took a photograph of a list with all the negative carriers for the Omega D series for the ones that might be interested. If you’d like to have a high-res file shoot me an email: indra [at] contrastique [dot] nl
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Emotional Film Part 1
Some time ago I wanted to wind a film onto my reel for developing but something went wrong. I can not really stand things going wrong especially not when I’m in the dark (kind of scared of the dark, very handy when working darkroom and stuff ) Instead of the film getting winded I got winded and it turned out in me abusing the film vigorously, finally slamming the film in my developing tank and leaving the dark in a furious mood. My boyfriend was so kind to enter the dark and put it on the reel for me instead. Actually, he does it with all my films now as I just can’t stand being in the dark, failing to get that film on the reel. Saves a lot of stress on both sides!
Anyway, I developed the film and of course it was completely damaged with cracks, dents, oysters, strikes, you name it. But despite all that I kind of liked the results and decided to keep it for further use under the name: “Emotional Film”. Yesterday I thought it to be nice to lith them. And I did. A bit more difficult negatives to print properly and I am only really happy with one so far. I’ll post the other 2 as well for experience-sake and to show you what flaws look like On to the good one:
Paper: Rollei Vintage 131 FB Developer: Rollei Vintage Developer (Lith) 1+1+24 Exposure: f5,6 22 sec. Filter: - Development: about 5 minutes Not yet toned
The two next ones still require some work but I was too tired to finish the session. They are a bit too dark, don’t like the contrast = closing up blacks.
Paper: Rollei Vintage 131 FB Developer: Rollei Vintage Developer (Lith) 1+1+24 Exposure: f5,6 19 sec. Filter: - Development: about 6 minutes Not yet toned
Paper: Rollei Vintage 131 FB Developer: Rollei Vintage Developer (Lith) 1+1+24 Exposure: f5,6 19 sec. Filter: - Development: about 6 minutes Not yet toned
Photos taken with a Rolleiflex T on T-Max 100 film
Anyway, to be continued again!
Rollei 131 FB & Lith: One More Image
Here is the last photo of the “weird-square-in-Florence-but-good-for-portfolio” series printed last night. A huge difference of the version from the former post!
Paper: Rollei Vintage 131 FB Developer: Rollei Vintage Developer (Lith) 2+1+24 Exposure: f5,6 16 sec. filter 3 Development: about 4 minutes Not yet toned
It took quite a bit of fumbling as 6 minutes were way too long for developing; blacks closed up so experimented with the time to get it correct (for me). I also have a slightly lighter version; will seen which one holds up best after being toned.
Anywayzzz, again more to follow!
Fomabrom 111 & Lith
What a surprise after the Rollei Vintage paper! Totally different in handling. Exposure time dropped by half compared to the Rollei paper. Contrast greatly diminished which I tried to compensate for by increasing the amount of part A of the developer until I had this dilution: 2+1+24. This helped but it still was less contrasty than the Rollei version of the same image which I’ll post in the next post. I could try and bleach the image a bit but will have to experiment with that (and have to order the chems too).
The thing that jumps in your eye however like immediately is the amount of grain. Grain in the most extended version of the word! Makes the photo more like pictorialism really. I’m not too fond of that; it still is a photograph but it was not all that bad either. Pretty interesting even and when I have the right photo for this kind of extreme effect I’ll definitely go for this combo. Also the coloration of the images were not that obvious as with the Rollei paper.
Anyway, on the 2 examples which I’ll keep for experimental sake.
Paper: Fomabrom 111 FB Developer: Rollei Vintage Developer (Lith) 2+1+24 Exposure: f5,6 11 sec. filter 3 Development: about 6 minutes Not yet toned
Paper: Fomabrom 111 FB Developer: Rollei Vintage Developer (Lith) 2+1+24 Exposure: f5,6 10 sec. filter 3 Development: about 6 minutes Not yet toned
Another interesting night in the darkroom, more to follow soon! I also tried my regular Ilford MGW1K paper but that was really not all that great. Hardly any coloration, very little contrast though without the adjusted developer a tad more than the Fomabrom paper and pretty much no added grain / structure to the image which really made it quite boring. At least for my taste anyway
Lith Printing: Part 1
17-11-10, Maastricht
The day my first lith printing adventure began. It was wonderful! So much more interesting that regular black-and-white. The book would’ve been handy to start with but I just couldn’t wait until it arrived. Google is your friend anyway (and the people who wrote about it of course )
The influence you have on the photo by combining choice of paper, exposing (duration), developing (snatch point, temperature etc) and toning afterwards give you much more control and enable you to fine-tune more than with a regular black-and-white print. This makes this process a hell lot more interesting. Also the grain you can get gives more structure and feel to the photo, of course depending on your subject. I have a lot to learn and experience but I love it already!
The 2 golden rules in lith printing:
- Image colour and contrast are related to grain size in the paper emulsion – which in turn is related to its stage of development. Small grains of early development are soft and warm. Large grains of late development are hard and cold. The progress of development is affected of course by dilution, temperature, time and freshness.
- Highlights are controlled by exposure.
Shadows are controlled by development (‘snatch point’).
Regarding the latter point I’d like to add that the whole process of Lith printing relies on a property of Lith developers known as ‘infectious development’. This is different to the way normal developers develop a black and white image. In simple terms, infectious development means that the darker a tone becomes, the faster it develops. The faster it develops of course, the darker it becomes, and so it develops even faster still. This leads to an explosive chain reaction where the shadow tone development speeds away from the slowly progressing light and mid tones, which lag way, way, behind. The print is ‘snatched’ from the developer when it reaches the point required by the printer.
On to the photos of day 1 (well, the ones worthy of showing ) They still have to be toned. Kodak Selenium toner I’ll use for this.
Paper: Rollei Vintage 131 FB Developer: Rollei Vintage Developer (Lith) 1+1+24 Exposure: f5,6 20 sec. filter 3 Development: about 5 1/2 minutes
Paper: Rollei Vintage 131 FB Developer: Rollei Vintage Developer (Lith) 1+1+24 Exposure: f5,6 22 sec. filter 3 Development: about 6 minutes
Some links to more information on lith:
Thanks for watching and be ready for stuff to come soon! Tonight I printed some more, also tried out FomaBrom 111 and my regular Ilford MGW1K paper. Will post results hopefully tomorrow.
The book I ordered from Tim Rudman arrived, only the wrong one. He most kindly offered me to keep the book and will send me the correct one. If you want a book with great examples of lith prints make sure to check this out; it’s beautiful!
Tim Rudman's "The World of Lith Printing"
Have a good night!
Graduation Work 2009
As I want to use this work on Collodion I thought it to be wise as to post the real graduation work first. This body of work was made during my specialization grade at the Academy of Fine Arts Hasselt and is, simply said, about the superficiality of today’s society. It’s a series of 8 photos and a small poem written by me.
Dismissed
The manipulated image imposed by the media.
People try to become that image but fail miserably.
The photoshopped image will always be better than yourself, no matter how your surroundings feel about you.
You will never believe you’re pretty when you can’t compete with the beauty that’s being hold out to you.
Self Portrait
Part of the Graduation Series “Limited” 1/8
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- Location: Studio
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- Equipment Used: Rolleiflex T
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- Film & Developer: Kodak Tri-X 320 & HC110 dill. B
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- Paper & Developer: Ilford FB Warmtone & Amaloco AM6006 & Selenium Toner
Expired
Expired, old, in other words, you no longer exist.
From about 30 years old, depending on how soon your exterior characteristics bail out on you, you’re done.
In the fashion industry and Hollywood sceneries you’re no longer interesting.
Unless you decide to modify your external age in a way you fit within the image again.
I have chosen for a not too old looking person, who is in a fragile, delicate and introvert position.
Even bigger the contrast is becoming between text and person and hopefully will be a little shocking as to make people think a little further.
Part of the Graduation Series “Limited” 3/8
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- Location: Studio
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- Equipment Used: Hasselblad 501CM with 120 Macro
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- Film & Developer: Kodak T-Max 100 & HC110 dill. B
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- Paper & Developer: Ilford FB Warmtone & Amaloco AM6006 & Selenium Toned
Work in Progress
The most wide spread media-spitting machine.
It’s here you learn what to look like.
Pimp this, pimp that. And if by then you still don’t know what it should be like…
From an early age on you get these images pumped into your head.
Fast and merciless snatches of images are being fired at you.
Naive to think it as no influence on you.
Disturbing to realize the images contain so little real content.
Scary to see people so massively numb sucking up this footage.
The matrix sounds more plausible every day.
We are being so manipulated by this seemingly harmless looking box while it contains so much pressure.
Whether or not aware we are being exposed to this propaganda of which no one will manage to escape.
We are a work in progress.
Self Portrait
Part of the Graduation Series “Limited” 2/8
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- Location: Studio
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- Equipment Used: Rolleiflex T & Black Light
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- Film & Developer: Kodak Tri-X 320 & HC110 dill. B
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- Paper & Developer: Ilford FB Warmtone & Amaloco AM6006 & Selenium Toned
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- Filter: Green to get to see the UV light properly on film
Classified
People like to form groups, place people in different groups, probably to hide their own insecurity, wear the same clothes, share the same opinion etc.
Each box has their own “dresscode” so to speak and each of them looks patronizing at the other. People who fall outside their rules of normalities are being laughed at, and worse.
We claim to be so unique yet we are all so the same….
Self Portrait
Part of the Graduation Series “Limited” 4/8
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- Location: Studio
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- Equipment Used: Rolleiflex T
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- Film & Developer: Kodak T-Max 100 & HC110 dill. B
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- Paper & Developer: Ilford FB Warmtone & Amaloco AM6006 & Selenium Toned
Six Sigma
Six Sigma is a business management strategy, invented by Motorola, and is being applied worldwide.
Ssix Sigma is meant to track down defects and errors on the basis of 6 criteria and eliminate them.
My Six Sigma is meant as a parody on the cosmetics industry.
In this industry the problem is being created en thereafter they create the solutions in shapes like make-up, plastic surgery and diet pills.
Lucrative business this cosmetics industry. The mirage they hold out everybody wants. No problem, a few bucks and your dream is within reach.
Self Portrait
Part of the Graduation Series “Limited” 5/8
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- Location: Studio
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- Equipment Used: Rolleiflex T
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- Film & Developer: Kodak T-Max 100 & HC110 dill. B
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- Paper & Developer: Ilford FB Warmtone & Amaloco AM6006 & Selenium Toned
Under Construction
Breasts too small? A shot of botox works wonders.
Also for your lips they are an indispensable boost.
Ugly nose? We break and mould it to your desires.
Husband not satisfied with your derrière? After today merely jealous!
Messy vagina? Even when you’re 15? Sure!
It’s all fixable.
Harsh? No, mere reality.
Self Portrait
Part of the Graduation Series “Limited” 6/8
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- Location: Studio
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- Equipment Used: Rolleiflex T
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- Film & Developer: Kodak T-Max 100 & HC110 dill. B
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- Paper & Developer: Ilford FB Warmtone & Amaloco AM6006 & Selenium Toned
According to Specifications
The need to live up to certain exterior looks is of great importance these days.
A doll head with large eyes, therefore, was my goal, especially to emphasize the numbness en to create an unsettling feeling.
The content looks attractive, but as soon as you look at it, it would get to you, as if you would feel guilty about the feeling it provokes.
You would be sorry for them to be made victims. You would be sorry for them because you made them victims
by looking at them in a certain way.
Self Portrait
Part of the Graduation Series “Limited” 7/8
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- Location: Studio
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- Equipment Used: Hasselblad 501CM with 120 Macro
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- Film & Developer: Kodak Tri-X 320 & HC110 dill. B
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- Paper & Developer: Ilford FB Warmtone & Amaloco AM6006 & Selenium Toned
Overruled
The finale image
“The pressure to live up to society prevailed”
An overdose of reality madness
I can try as hard as I can, it will never be enough.
In the end I have to let it go. Give it up. Quit.
I can’t take it anymore.
Self Portrait
Part of the Graduation Series “Limited” 8/8
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- Location: Studio
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- Equipment Used: Rolleiflex T
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- Film & Developer: Kodak T-Max 100 & HC110 dill. B
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- Paper & Developer: Ilford FB Warmtone & Amaloco AM6006 & Selenium Toned
The guiding poem I wrote
Epilogue
This is a subject very close to me. I don’t believe in mankind as a whole. Our superficiality and our need, our twisted desire to improve whatever we can to our so called benefits, our need to adjust the surroundings to us instead of adapting to our environment, which will ultimately make us a weaker species as we have become so depending on technology, these needs will be the end of us. Probably a virus of some kind will wipe most of us of the earth. That is what I believe. And that has nothing to do with God nor pessimism but sheer realism; people should take their own responsibility and it’s just the sum of events that will herald the end. I actually find the thought very soothing.
That doesn’t mean I’m a depressed person although these observations and feelings got me down more than once. Of course these thoughts surpass the superficialness as portrayed through the images above; it goes much further than that.
But I do have to say I love my life, I like making people happy around me to make life enjoyable and, so to speak, worth wile. But I strongly believe that we, as a whole, are a lost cause.
“Docu” of St. Pieter Berg Collodion Shoot
Bart took some better shots of my darkroom this time so I can show you better how it’s done inside. And some more bike shots, it still is fun!!
Bart pushing the bike and all up the hill, that was pretty heavy
Here I could do it myself
Inside of the tent: Left on the ground is the cooling box which keeps the developer and collodion with a frozen pack, on the table at the back is the silver bath with on the left compressed air can, on the right is my back, on the left my developer tray, at the bottom my collodion pouring tray which is only on the table when needed, red LED light you can see glowing in the approx. upper right
On the left of the tent is a box upside down which holds the tray with KCN and water next to it
On my way
The split seconds before removing the lens cap
Well, that was another trip. Looking forward to the next, although first I have to receive my new collodion as I just ran out of my stock.
-Indra
Archival Printing
Two years ago I started diving into archival printing with fiber based papers. I’m not quite sure what triggered my interest but I remembered being surprised that the subject wasn’t really treated at my school. When I asked about it my teacher luckily helped me out and showed me the “basics” in archival and fine-art printing. This way of working slowed down the process a lot and gave me more rest in practicing it. The slower it gets the more relaxed I become, so it seems. I’ll outline the steps which I follow when archival printing:
1) Developing
2) Stop bath (only water) *
3) Fix, 1 bath of Agefix, dilution 1+3, 1 minute *
4) Rinse / collect the prints in a bath of refreshed water
5) Hypo bath (Kodak Hypo Clearing Agent), 3 minutes
6) Rinse
7) Toner (Kodak Selenium), dilution 1+9 / 1+39 *, 3-10 minutes
8 ) Rinse
9) Hypo bath, 3 minutes
10) Rinse, +/- 1/2 hour
2)* Change this bath frequently and use large volumes. The reason I don’t use an acetic stopping bath is that it causes the fibers of the paper to open up even more and let in the fixer which comes next. The fixer is the hardest to rinse out of your paper.
3)* Keep track of the number of prints processed or test the bath frequently. There are tests for undissolved silver in the paper. Run a test strip once in a while. The reason I use a less diluted bath is that you need less time to fix properly. The shorter the paper is in the bath the less fix will end up penetrating your paper base thus the risk of not being able to wash it out good enough.
7)* The less diluted the toner the more difference in color there will appear, ranging from purple to brownish. I believe 1+39 will still give you maximum archival protection while keeping the color as natural as possible. The beautiful part about toning is that it will give you nice deep rich blacks besides the obvious color shifting.
However, there are stories that the above about this dilution is not true, anymore. Apparently at one time Kodak Selenium Toner may have contained “small amounts of highly active sulfiding agents” which provided protection that selenium alone cannot provide unless toning is carried to completion. At some point in the 1980’s manufacturing changes eliminated these agents. Doug Nishimura indicates that complete protection with Kodak Selenium Toner requires a dilution of not more than 1+9, and a toning period of 3 to 5 minutes at 20º. You might find this depth of toning not to your taste.
Add a fixed but not developed test strip to your batches. This strip receives the same processing as prints in that batch and on it you perform the residual fixer test at the end of step 8.
The upshot is you should test your work flow after fixing for un-fixed silver and again at the end for residual fixer.
Enjoy
Part 1: The Way it Is
Over the years I have been working on setting up my own darkroom and studio. Currently I am very pleased with what I have. It took quite some time and effort but I have this magnificant place to work in. However, I wouldn’t be a human of this world if I wasn’t wishing for change into bigger and better But so far, I love it and best part: It’s at my house! I can work whenever I wish to do so. So photos:
Manfrotto Autopole system to keep the background system in check
The Background system with one roll of white and one black
A large mirror, good for many purposes
Handy softbox for my Metz 45 CL4, twice
Elinchrom D-Lite 4 setup
Dry working table with space to house my chemicals and other equip
Bin, light thight boxes for photos, canisters to store my chemical waste, photobag
Papers, trays, chemicals and stuff
My wet table
Durst enlargers
The studio part
More stuff
Overview darkroom part
Drying Cabinet for Films
Drying Cabinet for Films
