Post by Admin (Tim Layton) on Jun 13, 2022 6:14:21 GMT -6
It is about 630 AM and I got up around 500 AM today with great anticipation.
As soon as my eyes could focus, I checked the latest status update on my FedEx package that contains the new 16x20 camera and holders.
I will confirm once it arrives, hopefully later today.
I thought I would share my initial plans for the new camera. I should note that I also ordered an 8x20, and it looks like it will likely be here tomorrow.
If you have been following me for a very long time, then you already know that I am deeply passionate about any form of analog photography.
It is sort of funny that I have to put the qualifier "analog" in front of photography. When I build my first darkroom in 1979 with my dad, it was just "photography", and no qualifier was needed. In our digital society, if we don't use the analog qualifier, then people assume you are like the rest of the masses and using digital gear.
I have two high-level plans with the new cameras.
I will of course be using a pure analog workflow with both of these cameras. My creative vision right now is pushing me towards a place that is probably somewhere between Pictorialism and late 19th-century straight photography. I want to explore more minimalist, calming, and simple images with my new tools.
I will be making silver chloride contact prints using the modern-day version of AZO (Adox Lupex), and on the other end of the spectrum, I will be making a lot of salt prints. Of all the processes that I have mastered over the years, none intrigue me more than making salt prints. I feel so deeply connected to every step of the process from selecting my paper to having the ability to share the tonal values of the final print. Salt printing has gotten a bad rap over the years for tarnishing and not being archival. After years of exploring and testing, I believe I have solved the open issues and I am making gallery-quality archival salt prints.
In regards to negative mediums, for the silver chloride contact prints, I have about 50 sheets of Shanghai GP3 film, and Stefane France is sending me his remaining 50 sheets of HP5 because he is no longer working with the 16x20 format. I will likely use up this supply over the next few years and then use my proven RC and FB paper negatives for making my silver chloride contact prints. I could also use my proven process for Ortho-Litho negatives.
In regards to my salt printing, I will be using Ortho-Litho negatives because I can get the proper density and contrast for the very demanding salt printing process.
I prefer the Photo Warehouse Ultrafine Ortho-Litho film vs. the Freestyle Arista Ortho-Lith V3 film.
The other thing that I will be doing with the new cameras is using them as copy cameras to make enlarged Ortho-Light negatives for my wild horse salt prints. For obvious reasons, I need to use a smaller and portable 35mm camera to photograph the wild horses. I then make a 16x20 print using my Beseler 45VXL with the Heiland cold light and split grade system as the diapositive. Next, I take the matte print and use the 16x20 as a copy camera and create a new Ortho-Litho 16x20 negative suitable for making salt prints. I have already tested and proven this workflow with my 8x10 camera, so it is just a matter of scaling up the size at this point. This allows me to still make large handmade salt prints from analog negatives without using any digital technology. I sort of treat my 16x20 matte enlargement print as Photoshop because this is where I do all of the dodging and burning, and contrast control before I get to the copy negative step.
More to follow on all of this as the story unfolds.
The related videos will be posted in the Darkroom Diary Videos forum.
forum.ultralargeformatphotography.com/board/30/darkroom-diary-ultra-format-videos
Have a wonderful day and let me know what ULF projects you are working on at this time.
-Tim
As soon as my eyes could focus, I checked the latest status update on my FedEx package that contains the new 16x20 camera and holders.
I will confirm once it arrives, hopefully later today.
I thought I would share my initial plans for the new camera. I should note that I also ordered an 8x20, and it looks like it will likely be here tomorrow.
If you have been following me for a very long time, then you already know that I am deeply passionate about any form of analog photography.
It is sort of funny that I have to put the qualifier "analog" in front of photography. When I build my first darkroom in 1979 with my dad, it was just "photography", and no qualifier was needed. In our digital society, if we don't use the analog qualifier, then people assume you are like the rest of the masses and using digital gear.
I have two high-level plans with the new cameras.
I will of course be using a pure analog workflow with both of these cameras. My creative vision right now is pushing me towards a place that is probably somewhere between Pictorialism and late 19th-century straight photography. I want to explore more minimalist, calming, and simple images with my new tools.
I will be making silver chloride contact prints using the modern-day version of AZO (Adox Lupex), and on the other end of the spectrum, I will be making a lot of salt prints. Of all the processes that I have mastered over the years, none intrigue me more than making salt prints. I feel so deeply connected to every step of the process from selecting my paper to having the ability to share the tonal values of the final print. Salt printing has gotten a bad rap over the years for tarnishing and not being archival. After years of exploring and testing, I believe I have solved the open issues and I am making gallery-quality archival salt prints.
In regards to negative mediums, for the silver chloride contact prints, I have about 50 sheets of Shanghai GP3 film, and Stefane France is sending me his remaining 50 sheets of HP5 because he is no longer working with the 16x20 format. I will likely use up this supply over the next few years and then use my proven RC and FB paper negatives for making my silver chloride contact prints. I could also use my proven process for Ortho-Litho negatives.
In regards to my salt printing, I will be using Ortho-Litho negatives because I can get the proper density and contrast for the very demanding salt printing process.
I prefer the Photo Warehouse Ultrafine Ortho-Litho film vs. the Freestyle Arista Ortho-Lith V3 film.
The other thing that I will be doing with the new cameras is using them as copy cameras to make enlarged Ortho-Light negatives for my wild horse salt prints. For obvious reasons, I need to use a smaller and portable 35mm camera to photograph the wild horses. I then make a 16x20 print using my Beseler 45VXL with the Heiland cold light and split grade system as the diapositive. Next, I take the matte print and use the 16x20 as a copy camera and create a new Ortho-Litho 16x20 negative suitable for making salt prints. I have already tested and proven this workflow with my 8x10 camera, so it is just a matter of scaling up the size at this point. This allows me to still make large handmade salt prints from analog negatives without using any digital technology. I sort of treat my 16x20 matte enlargement print as Photoshop because this is where I do all of the dodging and burning, and contrast control before I get to the copy negative step.
More to follow on all of this as the story unfolds.
The related videos will be posted in the Darkroom Diary Videos forum.
forum.ultralargeformatphotography.com/board/30/darkroom-diary-ultra-format-videos
Have a wonderful day and let me know what ULF projects you are working on at this time.
-Tim
