Test Day Prints ~ Catching Up

Life continues to demand my total attention from time to time, as it's known to do. My mother often intoned the creepy phrase..."there's no rest for the wicked". Not that everything went to hell after that, just a cautionary tale my mother was known to savor. Life contingencies dealt with I am once again working on images. I learned some things, last printing session.

Working with the negative densities as we have has given us the expected bio-feedback loop of visually realizing the proper densities of an image by repeated exposure to comparison of digital negative to finished print. Windy way of talking about familiarity. Now finally having an 11x14 print frame means uncut digital negatives and larger paper size for coating. Which calls for larger trays, more chemistry, and well, you know about that. We had just cycled out of all 8x10 paper we had been  using, with the smaller frame. The paper used in these test prints were  two variations of Canson paper; 90lb and 140lb respectively. Both were prepared for salt paper printing, at 2 1/2% (sodium chloride) There isn't a lot of difference in print image from these papers than from the lighter weight Canson paper and Arches Platine paper I had used before, respectively.

Although I did like the heavier Canson paper I used, I am liking even more the Revere Platinum paper, that arrived in time to try it out. That paper doesn't have a lot of information on it but I learned a valuable lesson on the print I made. Each side of the paper was slightly different, in the same way as on Platine. I got curious about just how an image might sit on the smoother side. That image is below. I probably wouldn't do it again, as part of the quality of a hand coated image is how it interacts with the paper. For me, having the image sit completely on the surface doesn't enhance it.

I also must confess to pulling out the wrong digital negative for the dancing Indians image. One rather flat, not having been enhanced with increased densities. It basically printed, just not fully as it could have. The Lilies were printed on Revere Platinum, on the smoother, more sealed side of the paper. Hopefully the next foray into the darkroom will be with the new negatives I just finished preparing, with all improvements we have come to learn over the past weeks. The flat bottom toning tray has yet to arrive, to my painful chagrin. Thus toning must wait just a bit longer.

Binder: 2 1/2% sodium chloride ~ Canson 140lb hot press uncoated stock
Silver; 2 Coats ~ 13% (saturated) ~ with Citric Acid (2g) ~ gelatin sizing 7g/1000ml
Soft negative;

Un-toned Salted Silver Print ~ "Sacred Dance" ~ 8x10

Un-toned Kallitype ~ "Lilies" ~ 8x10
Printed on smooth 'closed' side of paper. Image sits right on top.