Digital BW, The Print

> The density of the emulsion was no problem ?

Ernst, I am seeing all kinds of densities and conditions.  On the 
latter, they are very dirty, with some mold, possible fungus, and 
maybe even a little acid eating away.  The storage conditions or lack 
thereof have not been good.  I've cleaned the emulsion side very 
conservatively; the non-emulsion side quite well.

I see considerable fading on some plates and some have a very pale 
yellow-orange cast to them -- not black at all.  Some to the naked 
eye look just plain pale grey.  Then I bring them up in VueScan with 
the V700 and play around with levels and curves in PSCS2, followed by 
a little brightness/contrast and a light unsharp mask.  Then Wow!  
The images, for the most part, are just popping out.  The landscapes 
have a luminous quality.  The portraits are so good.  Hair strands 
are sharp and I can see the pores on a young woman's cheeks.

I have not been able to spend the time on the prints yet that I would 
like to so that I can represent his work the way that it should be 
represented.

When I can, I would like to post a few images.  I don't have a web 
site up yet.  I looked at the "photo" section on this site, but don't 
know how to upload a photo.  Any help there?

BTW, the Ghost Image lives in our farmhouse, a half mile from where 
Aunt Addie was born, still in my immediate family's ownership.  My 
Great Aunt Addie died in the "Queen's bedroon" and an occasional new 
occupant of that bedroom well tell or ask about someone who walks 
through the room at night.  I just say Aunt Addie died probably happy 
and quite young -- late 20's from an accidental overdose of 
painkiller administered by the town doctor who was quite sweet on 
her.  She had migraine headaches, as do I.  I add that she just wants 
to make sure that she (it is usually a she) is comfortable in her 
room.  It is uncanny, that the first plate I picked out of the box at 
random was an image that I think is of her.

Nancy



> > P.S.  One of the images looks just like me (or more likely is an 
early image of my great Aunt Addie who lived -- and died -- in 
the bedroom where I slept for 16 years.  As you may recall, these 
were taken in the first half of this century by an eccentric neighbor 
in Northern Michigan.> 

Any ghost images in scanning :-)
> 
> Met vriendelijke groeten,Ernst
>