Rolf-Werner
Hello,
Just a general question: when you’re using paper from a roll and the size exceeds 50 x 60, how do you go about the development?
A long time ago, I saw a tip suggesting holding the paper on the left and right by hand and moving it back and forth – left side, right side... But perhaps you have some better advice.
Rolf
AchimBauer
Hi Rolf,
Basically, you just move it back and forth, but it helps if you cut the paper a bit longer so you can hold it without getting your fingers in the shot.
A long, long time ago, when I last took such huge pictures, I replaced the development trays with plastic balcony planters – naturally without drainage holes. That saves developer and the liquid level is higher.
Regards, Achim
Rolf-Werner
Yes, that’s pretty much what I had in mind – I’d seen a photo somewhere of someone doing that. It involved boxes like that too, but I wouldn’t have thought of using balcony boxes :)
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I’d actually had another idea involving a sort of Ferris wheel that you stretch the paper over, which also runs through a taller box. You can save a lot of length by winding it up. But if you don’t do it very often, the manual method is probably less fiddly...
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Rolf
bernhardmangelsgmxde
I think I read something somewhere about KG pipes and rotational development. (In a DN 400 pipe, if my maths is correct, there would theoretically be over 1.2 metres of width available, and practically unlimited length. Unfortunately, I have no experience with this, but I imagine it might be a bit of a challenge to manoeuvre very large sections into such a pipe without them kinking...)
Rolf-Werner
Yeah, the DN400 is quite a whopper, and the rubber seals are a real pain to fit, but it’s an idea! You could rivet the paper onto the outside, and then connect that to a suitable container in which the chemicals are stored. The axles could be fed through the plugs.
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When I pictured it in my head, how it would feel holding the large halves of paper in my hands on the left and right, it occurred to me that the paper would probably bend over quite quickly. That’s why I’d make two strips to hold the ends, so you can hold the paper more securely. Perhaps something where you can clamp the paper in place. Then it won’t fold over, and it will be easier to hold, and the development will be more even right up to the edge. Something like these newspaper holders.
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Rolf
Wolfgg
Hello,
If you want to make large quantities, moulds are still the quickest way. If you’ve got the space, lay some roof battens on the table, cover them with pond liner or something similar, and your moulds are ready. You can also work with just one large tray: thin plywood, a rim made of roof battens, some at the bottom for reinforcement, and everything coated with chemical-resistant epoxy resin (boat coating). The paper stays in the large tray at all times; only the chemical solution is changed by tipping it over (from smaller trays and back again).
Regards, Wolfgang
bernhardmangelsgmxde
If needed, there’s also DN 315 available; in theory, prints up to 90 cm should fit. Otherwise, applying the chemical with a sponge should work too; you’d just need to rinse them in the bath or something similar.
Rolf-Werner
@namir
: I’ve heard of using a sponge too; it’s just come back to me. But I always thought there wasn’t enough chemical per square centimetre and that it might end up uneven. I think I actually tried it once, back when I didn’t have such large bowls. But I can’t remember how it turned out.
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@Wolfgang
: Roof battens + foil is brilliant, I’ll keep that in mind. I’ve never worked with epoxy resin before; it would be something new, but it makes sense to me. Now I’ve remembered a link I could post on this; I hope I still have it... No, but I’ve found it again, and it’s a database of moulds, and you can’t post the search results. So I’ll take a screenshot:
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That’s a row of homemade trays on the right, a larger size, perhaps up to 50 x 60 or even more, and then a panel you can fold over it to turn it into a work surface. Cleverly done, isn’t it?
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It reminded me of your idea with the epoxy resin, although this one looks a bit different. It also looks as if there are plugs in there for draining. There must be...
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Rolf
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Wolfgg
If you then fit rubber seals to the bottom of the tray – for example, the kind sold in DIY stores for windows – the bowls will be reasonably airtight when the tray is folded down, and you can quickly fold it down during breaks to protect the contents from oxidation and evaporation. Or you could even leave the liquids in there overnight if you want to carry on working the next day.
Regards, Wolfgang
Rolf-Werner
Yeah, good idea. That would be really handy. Now we just need to find out how they built it. I’ll see if I can track down someone to ask.
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I knew you’d like that... ;)
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Rolf
Morte
There is a scene in the documentary film "<SPAN>War Photographer" about </SPAN>James Nachtwey, in which you can see his printer working on a very large print in the darkroom. You can watch the clip here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0VPCHDqg7M
("An Afternoon in the Darkroom: Marc McClish prints for James Nachtwey")
The rolling technique actually looks quite simple, but it’s certainly a matter of experience.
Rolf-Werner
So, you mean the shot where the text is superimposed on top?
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It looks interesting, yes, and a bit tricky too – you’d definitely need to practise a few times before you’d dare use it for an important print. But it seems very efficient. Perhaps the more professional alternative to my original idea.
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Great!
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Rolf
Wolfgg
This will only work with roll paper; the video also uses this type, as you can see from the built-in twist. However, perhaps sheet paper can be 'trained' in a similar way by storing it rolled up for a long time.
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Best regards, Wolfgang
Rolf-Werner
Oh, I see – I was thinking of ‘roles’ anyway when I asked the question.
Rolf
Sandra
What I found fascinating in the film "Lichtmomente" starring Björn Albert was how he does it (it probably wouldn’t be feasible for most people), but do have a look at the film for yourselves:
http://www.ba-ap.com/lichtmomente.php
The developing process starts at around 19:15.
Wolfgg
Hello Sandra,
The whole film is well worth watching. It seems he had a room fitted with tiles to serve as a ‘developing tray’. And he’s quite bold with the wet photographic paper; at one point he even leans on it with his hand. He uses 4x5" negatives; blown up to 2 metres, this gives an enlargement ratio of 16 (200/12.5), so everything really has to be just right if the end result is to be technically flawless.
Regards, Wolfgang
Rolf-Werner
Yep, it’s really fun watching him at his… “work”, “creative process” :)
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And that was baryta! Unfortunately, they didn’t show how he got it flat and dry.
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He mentions that he allows a bit of extra time during development so that the highlights don’t get washed out if it takes longer. That certainly makes sense. But I wouldn’t have thought the image would be finished from one side to the other; I would have expected a more even development. Perhaps with small irregular patches at first, but not overall “from bottom to top”, as it seemed here. And that mop! And his artistic flourishes over the image! Marvellous!
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Unfortunately, no one realises afterwards just how much meticulous work goes into a photo like this. These days, people are more likely to ask, “What sort of plotter did you print that on?” ...
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Rolf
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One more thing: Last night we had the annual Culture Night here in Osnabrück. A huge event – all the galleries, art shops, cafés, restaurants and pubs were open all night, with lots of performances and so on. There’s a small gallery in the old town that’s the successor to the photographer Lichtenberg, who took many photos of the city around 1900. They had exhibited many of his pictures, including ‘failed’ prints and so on, and you could chat to the owner about how he prints these old glass plates. He still does it the analogue way and, for most of the glass plates, first made a slide and then a negative from it to balance the contrasts. Even so, he still has to do a lot of balancing.
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He had a few sheets of Kentmere Baryt there and regretted that it’s no longer available in that form. It was almost fluffy and went very well with the old pictures. Then he talked a bit about toning, explaining how the type of paper you use determines the right shade of brown. Once, a company wanted pictures in exactly the same shade of brown as the pictures they already had hanging in their offices. He spent six months experimenting until he got the shade right...
Rolf-Werner
I’ve just thought of something else that ties in with the topic: in the video, you can see that he has a sort of overhead tray in his darkroom where all the trays are kept. I find that interesting; perhaps I’ll build something like that myself.
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And it reminds me again of my post about the Swedish darkroom with the built-in trays. One of the club members has replied to me in the meantime. He writes that it was installed long before his time, and nobody could remember whether it was homemade or bought. It is PVC, though. The work surface is terribly high when you fold it down, though; you can only use it whilst standing. Just in case, he gave me a link to a DIY project for a PVC tub, like the one shown in this video. At first I thought, what’s the point of that, but now, after watching the video, it’s become really clear to me.
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It doesn’t really have much to do with large formats, though, unless you put flower containers in there, for example... :)
Renate
I worked for years in a laboratory where I had four of these built-in PVC trays. They’re very practical. Cleaning up after work was quick and easy. I always developed my prints directly in one of these trays. They had plugs that allowed the water at the bottom to drain off easily. The equipment was purchased.
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In such trays, you can easily develop large formats using a sponge. With a sponge, you can achieve a surprisingly even finish, or deliberately work in an irregular manner, which can look quite interesting in some compositions.
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Best regards
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Renate
