How do I add contrast through exposure and developing? (PYRO)

Hi any help you can give me would be great. Hear is the deal I have an

8x10 camera I love and am shooting JandC 400 pro in it. I am exposing

it at 200 ASA and developing in PMK at 68 deg F for 16 minutes. I am

printing on Ilford RC Multi-grade papers. My negs seems to be printing

flat. I know that the yellowish tint reduces contrast somewhat but I

also read that the tint is peritoneal to the silver so that I should

be getting knock out prints, and that I should be able to take that

same neg and be able to print platinum or other alt processes (as

Weston did and is mentioned on the unblinkingeye website). I�d like to

get a good (and cheap) silver print before I start experimenting with

(expensive) alt processes kits. So suggestions as to what I should change?

Contrast is increased by increasing the devlopment time. I'd suggest you try 20 minutes and see what that gives.

Check the enlarger's light source to see if there's a problem such as displaced filters or an improper bulb that lowers the color temperature and contrast on vc papers. If you are contact printing with a household bulb, use graded paper (#2), and then filter the bulb to increase color temperature until the vc paper matches the graded paper. After matching, use your vc filters if contrast adjustment is required.

PMK will always tend to print with flat highlights because the stain is greenish yellow. You

might want to try pyrocat HD, which stains with a brown color instead of green, and tends to

look better on multigrade paper. Another alternative would be to try printing your existing

PMK negs on graded paper. They will probably look a little snappier.

Where do they appear flat? Is it all over, hightlight, mid-tones?

 

You could try a split filter print and see if that helps. Also if you are on a condenser

enlarger you will see some compression in the tones in the 0-1.5 filters and a contrast

expansion in the upper filters. Maybe try printing on a higher grade than you normally

print. The highlights should remain protected and print well even with the higher contrast.

 

Gorden Hutchings also recommends buring with a 0 or 5 filter on VC paper to get the

good pyro effect in the print by creating more contrast in the areas of the negative that

tend towards flat.