New Negatives Printing

The last print sessions were very instructive on how the green toned digital negatives respond to the two different silver processes, with the density range from the last printing batch. The negatives I will be printing tomorrow will be pretty much the sweet spot between the green toning, in conjunction with the shorter density range. I am also reworking the lower tonal ranges, adding densities in balance with the upper tonalities to end up with a print with a full tonal range, when it is desired.

As I noted in an earlier post I had been training my eye to see a density range from very thin to 'can't see through it' densities, using ink alone. Before coming across Dan Burkholder's spectral density procedure. That has helped immensely in this pursuit. Being I have been working towards an identifiable negative it was necessary to continue using the same images for comparative analysis. That has shown me how the print warms up or cools off depending on the contrast of the print, which is controlled by the density range of the negative; i.e., print time shaping the final image. More print time deepens blacks, Zone 1 & 2, also better separation between tonal ranges.

A shorter density range and reciprocal short(er) print time tends to warm the print, and showcase the toner as well. The two prints in yesterday's post demonstrate this quite nicely. Both prints were made from the same green toned digital negative. Both prints were toned in palladium toner. The first print was as made in the salt paper process and the second print is a Kallitype. Print time for the salt print was 26 minutes, with an 18 minute print time for the Kallitype, which would have been better served with another 3 minutes of print time to bring in the top tonal values; Zone 7 & 8. There's no real texture in those areas. The fuller explanation of print time/print color is encapsulated in yesterday's post.

The negatives I will be working with now will be quite a bit softer in the sense of comparing them to the negatives I began with. Much of that has to do with the spectral density. That has become a constant, with a known value that can be easily added to any image when the density range has been set. That, is an intuitive procedure through visually inspection, in setting the fuller tonal range of the image by using the controls in Lightroom. Those controls manipulate tonal areas, pretty much divided around Zone 5. Zones 1, 2, and 3 are one group, Zone 6, 7, and 8 are another. Then there is overall amount of density of the negative, and specific controls for blacks & whites.

This post is about negatives, and these will be printed tomorrow for the next print session. PJ's "Puddle Pusher" coating rod is absolutely wonderful by the way. I will actually be working with new images that haven't been seen before. What a concept. The print I posted earlier of "Sacred Dance" printed very nicely as a Kallitype, a 10 minute print time image that developed out as hoped. These following negatives will be set accordingly to that negative. Here is what that looks like.

"Indian Spirit Dance" ~ 8"x10"