cdaale
Hello,
I’d like to make cyanotypes. I understand you need a high-contrast negative (gamma > 1.5). Can I achieve this with standard developers, e.g. push development? At the moment I’m using APH09 and XTOL. If not, which developers would be suitable?
Thanks
Urnes
Hello,
You could start by trying a normally exposed negative. It’s not down to the developer. It’s more likely down to the film and the density of your development. I think 1.5 is excessive.
I generally want to be able to print my films normally, not just as cyanotypes. So I usually only add 10–15% to the exposure time. However, with films like Classic or Foma Pan, I already expose by one stop for normal shots anyway, to get a decent density.
Cyanotypes are undemanding, so just see how a normal negative turns out first; you can always tweak the development later.
Regards, Sven.
