Digital BW, The Print

Hi,
it has just occurred to me that being able to output a digital negative at any size makes techniques from the 1840's appealing. Sun prints, which are contact prints, are no longer restricted by the original negative size - one can print a big inkjet negative on film and then make a contact print.

And, because there was no photographic industry at the time these methods were invented, it seems perfect for a tinkerer (as many of us are) ... one doesn't need to invest much in gear to achieve this.

The time has never been better.

But I just can't find the time ... <sigh> ... one day!

Anyone tried this?

thanks,
Richard

____________
www.richardsmallfield.com  

   "We dissect nature along lines laid down by our native language. 
   Language is not simply a reporting device for experience but a 
   defining framework for it."
   --Benjamin Whorf

Richard,

Yep, there are a whole lot of folks out there doing all sorts of alt 
processes with digital negatives.

--
Best Wishes,

Mark Nelson
Precision Digital Negatives
PDNPrint Forum @ Yahoo Groups

Mark Nelson Photography


On Mar 15, 2009, at 1:05:54 PM, "Richard Smallfield" 
<r.smallfield@...> wrote:

Hi,
it has just occurred to me that being able to output a digital 
negative at any size makes techniques from the 1840's appealing. Sun 
prints, which are contact prints, are no longer restricted by the 
original negative size - one can print a big inkjet negative on film 
and then make a contact print.

And, because there was no photographic industry at the time these 
methods were invented, it seems perfect for a tinkerer (as many of us 
are) ... one doesn't need to invest much in gear to achieve this.

The time has never been better.

But I just can't find the time ... <sigh> ... one day!

Anyone tried this?

thanks,
Richard



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Making digital negs for alternate processes on inkjet printers has  
been going on for many years, just do a Google search. There are even  
plenty of books on how to do it.

Mark
http://www.stillrivereditions.com

On Mar 15, 2009, at 2:05 PM, Richard Smallfield wrote:

> Hi,
> it has just occurred to me that being able to output a digital  
> negative at any size makes techniques from the 1840's appealing. Sun  
> prints, which are contact prints, are no longer restricted by the  
> original negative size - one can print a big inkjet negative on film  
> and then make a contact print.
>
> And, because there was no photographic industry at the time these  
> methods were invented, it seems perfect for a tinkerer (as many of  
> us are) ... one doesn't need to invest much in gear to achieve this.
>
> The time has never been better.
>
> But I just can't find the time ... <sigh> ... one day!
>
> Anyone tried this?
>
> thanks,
> Richard
>

SO, true !! 
even on my Gemni 10x dot matrix back in the '80s - though not using old photo processes. For special effects with the enlarger I sometimes used paper negs and did the same with digital printing.

gar

You might find "Charthrob" helpful:

http://hybridphoto.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-36-p-4.html has some specific discussion about using it for calotype

http://www.botzilla.com/blog/archives/000544.html for the tool

I've recently heard that some MAC users under CS4 have had problems -- while windows user have not. But afaik the code is all canonical ecmascript

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, Richard Smallfield <r.smallfield@...> wrote:
>
> Hi,
> it has just occurred to me that being able to output a digital negative at any size makes techniques from the 1840's appealing. Sun prints, which are contact prints, are no longer restricted by the original negative size - one can print a big inkjet negative on film and then make a contact print.
> 
> And, because there was no photographic industry at the time these methods were invented, it seems perfect for a tinkerer (as many of us are) ... one doesn't need to invest much in gear to achieve this.
> 
> The time has never been better.
> 
> But I just can't find the time ... <sigh> ... one day!
> 
> Anyone tried this?
> 

What a coincidence... Yesterday I just followed the first lesson of a course in photographic intaglio... very cumbersome way to make a B&W print, but magical nevertheless.

Joost

I have done this with very good success...I was fortunate to live a mile away from Kevin Sullivan in Santa Fe, who taught me a ton of info on this... you will need transparency Pictorico sheets to print on.

The best way to start is actually with Pt/Pd or Van Dyke chemicals...both are easy to start.

You will need to build a wood box, with four 2' flour. light banks (Walmart, $5 each), along with a very thick piece of glass to put on top of the box...there are so many variables, you need to learn all you can on this, but the best start is to call Kevin.

It is amazing what your prints will look like once you 'get it'. The sharpness and tonalities, are un-achievable on inkjet prints.

Beg to differ but Cyanotype is a FAR cheaper media  to learn with than pt/pd
printing. You don’t NEED pictorico but it is one of the ones that will work.
Inkpress also makes a nice material and is cheaper than Pictorico.  As for
light boxes, there are several designs available and a bank of 4 may work
for small prints, but a standard set up would be about gap of ¼ inch to ½
between each bulb. There are several types of tubes that will work, you can
even mix and match. As for sharpness and tonalities? Depends on source,
paper, etc, but the prints certainly will have a different look than many
inkjets. 

 

 

 

Eric Neilsen Photography

4101 Commerce Street, Suite 9

Dallas, TX 75226

214-827-8301

www.ericneilsenphotography.com

 

SKYPE   ejprinter

  _____  

From: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of br80906
Sent: Thursday, March 19, 2009 10:52 PM
To: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Digital BW] Re: Calotype/Cyanotype from digital negatives

 

I have done this with very good success...I was fortunate to live a mile
away from Kevin Sullivan in Santa Fe, who taught me a ton of info on this...
you will need transparency Pictorico sheets to print on.

The best way to start is actually with Pt/Pd or Van Dyke chemicals...both
are easy to start.

You will need to build a wood box, with four 2' flour. light banks (Walmart,
$5 each), along with a very thick piece of glass to put on top of the
box...there are so many variables, you need to learn all you can on this,
but the best start is to call Kevin.

It is amazing what your prints will look like once you 'get it'. The
sharpness and tonalities, are un-achievable on inkjet prints.





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Richard, You can look in the Altphoto process archive and find perhaps
several thousand posts on the subject. ; ) yeah, it is a well known talked
about idea. And you'll find some very knowledgeable people that can help you
with those processes at the same time on the alt photo process list.  

 

Eric Neilsen Photo

4101 Commerce Street, Suite 9

Dallas, TX 75226

214 827-8301

 

http://ericneilsenphotography.com

SKype ejprinter

 

  _____  

From: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of ender100
Sent: Sunday, March 15, 2009 1:09 PM
To: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [Digital BW] Calotype/Cyanotype from digital negatives

 

Richard,

Yep, there are a whole lot of folks out there doing all sorts of alt 
processes with digital negatives.

--
Best Wishes,

Mark Nelson
Precision Digital Negatives
PDNPrint Forum @ Yahoo Groups

Mark Nelson Photography

On Mar 15, 2009, at 1:05:54 PM, "Richard Smallfield" 
<r.smallfield@ <mailto:r.smallfield%40paradise.net.nz> paradise.net.nz>
wrote:

Hi,
it has just occurred to me that being able to output a digital 
negative at any size makes techniques from the 1840's appealing. Sun 
prints, which are contact prints, are no longer restricted by the 
original negative size - one can print a big inkjet negative on film 
and then make a contact print.

And, because there was no photographic industry at the time these 
methods were invented, it seems perfect for a tinkerer (as many of us 
are) ... one doesn't need to invest much in gear to achieve this.

The time has never been better.

But I just can't find the time ... <sigh> ... one day!

Anyone tried this?

thanks,
Richard

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Thanks Eric and all the others - I do plan to do this when time permits ...

Richard

At 07:09 a.m. Saturday 21/03/2009, you wrote:

>Richard, You can look in the Altphoto process archive and find perhaps
>several thousand posts on the subject. ; ) yeah, it is a well known talked
>about idea. And you'll find some very knowledgeable people that can help you
>with those processes at the same time on the alt photo process list. 
>
>Eric Neilsen Photo
>
>4101 Commerce Street, Suite 9
>
>Dallas, TX 75226
>
>214 827-8301
>
><http://ericneilsenphotography.com>http://ericneilsenphotography.com
>
>SKype ejprinter
>
>_____ 
>
>From: <mailto:DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint%40yahoogroups.com>DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com
>[mailto:DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of ender100
>Sent: Sunday, March 15, 2009 1:09 PM
>To: <mailto:DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint%40yahoogroups.com>DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com
>Subject: Re: [Digital BW] Calotype/Cyanotype from digital negatives
>
>Richard,
>
>Yep, there are a whole lot of folks out there doing all sorts of alt 
>processes with digital negatives.
>
>--
>Best Wishes,
>
>Mark Nelson
>Precision Digital Negatives
>PDNPrint Forum @ Yahoo Groups
>
>Mark Nelson Photography
>
>On Mar 15, 2009, at 1:05:54 PM, "Richard Smallfield" 
><r.smallfield@ <mailto:r.smallfield%40paradise.net.nz> paradise.net.nz>
>wrote:
>
>Hi,
>it has just occurred to me that being able to output a digital 
>negative at any size makes techniques from the 1840's appealing. Sun 
>prints, which are contact prints, are no longer restricted by the 
>original negative size - one can print a big inkjet negative on film 
>and then make a contact print.
>
>And, because there was no photographic industry at the time these 
>methods were invented, it seems perfect for a tinkerer (as many of us 
>are) ... one doesn't need to invest much in gear to achieve this.
>
>The time has never been better.
>
>But I just can't find the time ... <sigh> ... one day!
>
>Anyone tried this?
>
>thanks,
>Richard
>
>[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>

____________
www.richardsmallfield.com 

   "Minds are like parachutes - they only function when open."
   --Thomas Dewar


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]