Photograhic printing controls of Hand Coated processes

I have been selecting photographic subjects for discussion on the merits of how they appeal to me before I put the thoughts to post. Notice I didn't say 'put the thoughts to paper'.... I used to, for many years. There is a certain order of learning that goes into any given endeavor, however, I tend to stay away from the textbook approach. I am not into writing textbooks. I did write the Alchemist's Guide; and plan on adding to the series with another on printing in silver (hand coated) and eventually one on Gum printing. That has its own forum of readers who buy the book. Blogging though... just doesn't feel right.

This post is for view camera shooters who remain committed to film, and traditional development methods. As I have said too many times to count, if you are not developing your own negatives, you are not in control over your final image. If you do develop your own film, using pre-packaged chemicals... well, shame on you. You are spending way too much while having no control over your negative. But that's for another post. I have posted on this before, and have no doubt I'll be doing so again. It is important.

For this discussion I use an image I shot in 1986 along the Willamette River in central Oregon, outside of Eugene, Oregon, where I lived at the time. I had been trying like crazy to arrive at a print 'color' that resembled the tonal range and print color of a platinum/palladium. Not so easy to do. After perhaps a year of defining every variable of the process and dozens of print trials with mostly disappointing errors, I finally arrived at a much better understanding of how that might actually work. The fuller learning curve involved over five years of study and practice to learn the photo chemistry and characteristics of a black and white negative to be able to wield any amount of predictable control over the process.

The 'process' of control includes film type & ISO of the negative, developer used, range and intensity of the UV light source, choice of printing paper, percentage of silver solution, choice of binder element(s), and choice of toning; or not. All of which can be combined in many variations upon the theme, by choice. The rough process I used for the sample print below, was intended to arrive at an image as close as I could get to a platinum/palladium print in tonal range and print color, without the advantage of toning the print. Had I toned the print with palladium (no way could afford platinum) the palladium salts would have completely replaced the silver salts, thereby making the print a true palladium print. The blacks would be richer and the rest of the print would have that luscious palladium warm black tonal color it has. I also couldn't afford palladium, and Gold toner was also out of reach at the time.

This image was developed in a Pyro/Hydroxide developing formula that I altered from the original Windish Pyro formula. The original formula was formulated to make a liter, as is standard practice for most formulas. Pyro doesn't have a good shelf life, so I reformulated things to make just the amount of developer for each use, then discard. This formula also uses sodium hydroxide as the accelerator, which is the most volatile and caustic of all photo chemicals. One gram of this chemical added in a beaker of room temperature water will make it boil. Reversing this and pouring water over this chemical would create a reaction much like an erupting volcano and you would find yourself badly burned by the caustic material on your skin.

The reason for using sodium hydroxide is due to the acutance afforded, which is pretty much unrivaled by other formulas. Rubbing your finger over the emulsion side of such a negative feels like a Bas relief, as you can actually feel the ridges of the tonal edges. This formula also helped in the sharpness of my images being at the time I could only afford old, cheap lenses, and they weren't what you called 'sharp' lenses. Thus, this is the end result;

Salted Silver Print ~ "Rocky Shoreline"
1986 ~ 5x7 ~ Unique
Willamette River ~ Outside Eugene, Oregon