Out of focus masking diffuse

Gast · 2003-02-17T14:56:55+00:00

servus, ich habe am wochenende meinen ersten unscharfen masken hergestellt. was mich jedoch fast zum WAHNSINN getrieben hat war das elende staub problem! ge...

Gast

Hi there, I made my first out-of-focus masks at the weekend. What nearly drove me CRAZY, though, was that wretched dust problem! It was just as hard to find a milky film. I ended up just fixing Efke 25 PL because it turns out clear and slightly milky. But that’s a pretty expensive solution in the long run! Does anyone have experience with out-of-focus masking for Sw and Ilfochrome and can help me out? But don’t tell me that nobody does it anymore and that everything works much better digitally – that’s not necessarily true :( I look forward to any help and every little tip! Yours, Martin

Gast

Hi, Diffusion sheets are available in various thicknesses from specialist suppliers for reprographic services. Look under ‘Reprographic Services’ or ‘Graphic Services’ in the Yellow Pages. Otherwise, absolute cleanliness is essential. I used to spend the whole day making nothing but masks, and that meant starting the morning by giving the entire darkroom a damp wipe. Otherwise, make sure that the gradient of the sharp negative and the out of focus positive are the same. When superimposed, this creates the impression of a uniformly grey surface, with only the contours visible as light lines, which are then overexposed. However, it’s probably not so easy to get hold of suitable halftone films these days. Back in the day, Agfa, Typoon or similar brands, and Fuji had a wide range on offer. It’s also worth asking specialist retailers about second-hand register punches and perforating bars (or remaining stock). This makes registration much easier. Have fun testing it out – it’s well worth it!

Gast

Hi Martin, thanks a lot for the tip about the Pyro book. Do you know where I can get the stuff for the ‘poison kitchen’? It’d be best if they could post it. After more than a decade away from the lab, I’m really out of the loop now. All the old suppliers from the 80s are either out of business or have switched completely to digital, and you just get a pitying smile when you ask for chemicals and analogue kit. But never mind, you’ll get hold of the stuff somehow. Cheers, Sänke

Gast

Stärke, Have a go at Gerd Neubauer in Münster. Fax: 0251 532502 Best regards, Mirko FOTOIMPEX P.S. If enough people ask for it, we might even add it to our range.

aXL

Hello, everyone. I’ll give Gerhard a call. But does anyone have a recipe for pyrotechnics that I could use to have a go at making some? Thanks in advance, Axel

Gast

Hello! Here are a few more links to DIY recipes: http://www.barryleighton.com/Formulaepages...ae%20Index.html http://www.cicada.com/pub/photo/signs/ http://members.iinet.net.au/~forbes/film.html#Top http://www.cabbagetownphoto.com/PMK_Pyro.pdf http://www.jackspcs.com/index.htm http://www.pofig.net/view.do;jsessionid=33...es&categoryId=3 http://www.unblinkingeye.com/ Although I don’t shoot in full-frame but only medium format, I now mix my own negative developer – specifically the two-bath Metol developer from here: http://www.barry-thornton.co.uk/ Reason: I carried out comparative tests with my favourite film, Fuji Neopan 400, using this developer, Rodinal and Pyrocat HD (another developer popular with those who make their own), and the differences were actually minimal; Rodinal had coarser grain, the Metol two-bath developer is easier to prepare and makes better use of the film’s ISO sensitivity than Pyrocat HD, which is why I’ve stuck with it (I also use A49 for portraits and for pushing). You shouldn’t have any grain issues with Rodinal and GF, though; the better utilisation of sensitivity in the Metol-2 bath might be of interest for your purposes. Incidentally, I know from various forums that many GF portrait specialists like to use D-23 (another easy-to-prepare developer), but I have no practical experience with it myself. Roman R

That’s what dear Roman replied to a question of mine... Axel, we’re on the phone tomorrow anyway about the Efke order; I’ve got a few mates who should be able to get hold of such chemicals for me... :rolleyes:

Gast

Click me, I'm a link Pyrogallol – 1:2:3-trihydroxybenzene C6H3(OH)3 Molecular weight: 126 Characteristics: Fine white powdery crystals. Pyro has enjoyed quite a renaissance over the last 8 years since Gordon Hutchings introduced the PMK formula, which has been successfully marketed in kit form by several companies. Pyro is a staining developer and the yellow staining is proportional to the amount of silver reduced. Therefore, the highlights will stain the most and the shadows the least. This staining also works very well to mask the grain of the negative. PMK is NOT a fine-grained formula, and yet enlargements of reasonable quality can be produced from the miniature negatives from 35mm cameras. In fact, I highly recommend this developer for 35mm use for precisely this reason. The only caveats with pyro are its toxicity and its limited stability. Make no mistake, people have died from pyro poisoning. To be honest, they fell into a vat of it that was being used as a fabric dye. Nevertheless, all necessary precautions should be taken when mixing, and I usually mix mine outdoors on a calm day. When addressing the issue of stability, we should remember that pyro formulas contain little sulphite and are therefore far less stable than their preserved, non-staining counterparts. The developer should be mixed immediately before use and used only in the one-shot method. By the way, whilst pyro is very unstable in alkaline solutions, it is very stable in acidic solutions and can be stored for years in a full bottle.

MatthiasS

Click me – I’m the complete PMK Pyro formula . But before I dare try anything like this, I’ll get my colleagues to give me some training on how to handle chemicals like this first; pyrogallol in its pure powder form is said to be respirable and many times more toxic than when it’s dissolved! Here are a few more interesting facts about hazardous chemicals, though – as is almost always the case – they’re in English. The “Don’t use!” bit comes across loud and clear, though :D P.S.: I’ve finally got myself a forum account.... :)

fotohuisrovo

:D So it looks like I’ll have to increase my employers’ liability insurance significantly! Best regards, Robert