RE: Pre-Flashing of Paper Negatives

Hi Joe,

This is a great report and news. I'm curious: what paper are you using -
brand, surface, RC or fiber, warm or cold, graded or VC? Also, what is the
focal length of the camera and the size of the negatives? How do the
negatives themselves look? That sounds like a dumb question; I guess I'm
asking if you're telling us results from how contact prints look or if the
negs themselves are beautiful images... or both.

Your tests are exremely encouraging. Thank you for letting us know.

Tom Miller
  -----Original Message-----
  From: owner-pinhole-discussion@spitbite.org
[mailto:owner-pinhole-discussion@spitbite.org]On Behalf Of JVCABACUS@aol.com
  Sent: Monday, November 15, 2004 10:52 AM
  To: pinhole-discussion@spitbite.org
  Subject: [pinhole-discussion] Pre-Flashing of Paper Negatives

  Dear All;

  Just a brief note to describe some experiments I've been making with
pre-flashing paper negatives in the darkroom, prior to exposure in-camera.

  As background, I shoot primarily in the American Southwest. Scene
brightness range can be very wide, and typically shadows get lost below the
paper's sensitivity threshold. A typical camera exposure in bright sun is 1
minute, but the shadows are often paper white in the negative - no detail at
all. To expose enough to get shadow detail would entail an exposure of 5-10
minutes, at which time the highlights would be blown out. I've also had
little or no luck in dilute develoment of paper. It doesn't seem to respond
like film does.

  Enter pre-flashing, an idea that popped into my head. I expose a paper neg
for 1.5-2 seconds under grade 2 light from my enlarger, lens set to f/32,
then load into the camera. A scene/camera combination that would normally
expose for 1 minute in bright sun I expose for 30 seconds, or about half of
normal exposure. Upon development in standard paper developer, I find
amazing shadow detail, with highlights that aren't blown out!

  A contact print of this negative is hard to tell apart from a film
negative's print.

  BTW, this same camera requires 1 minute exposure for Arista ortho lith
film in bright daylight, then extended development to get somewhat normal
contrast. Therefore, I find pre-flashing of paper negatives is cheaper, and
delivers better results than, ortho lith film, and seems to increase the
effective film speed of the paper.

  I recommend others try this out on their own, and report their results.

  ~Joe VanCleave

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Received on Mon Nov 15 09:36:50 2004