Paper color slides anybody? (part 1)

Greetings all!

 

The subject of shooting directly on photographic paper may have been,

at least once, on nearly every photographer's mind. As some of you

have already understood from previous discussions, this is about

creating a unique image, "like a Polaroid picture", and,

consequently, it doesn't have as purpose and result multiple copies,

unless other operations are added to the whole process. I simply try

to suggest how to make paper prints directly from the environment,

without the use of any kind of photographic film, by-passing a lot of

steps and sources of error. Unlike the Land technique, the images are

not "instant", and one has to process the exposed paper in the

darkroom. As I understood that a monochromatic variant of this very

idea is already common knowledge, I shall jump directly to the color

photography.

 

Again (I have to do this), there is no warranty that this process or

any idea resulting from this post and eventual dialogs will work

according to or replace any processes and/or standards of quality,

nor am I responsible for any direct or implied damage or offense of

any kind produced when using this technique. It is just another

experiment which I enjoyed making, and you are all invited to try it.

Also, based on webmaster and moderator's measures taken in some

previous postings, if this is not your area of interest or expertise,

please avoid engaging in messaging. Thank you all for your tolerance!

 

First of all, let me stress that this technique demands a couple of

conditions, which may make it highly unattractive for many members of

this forum.

 

A. it requires relatively special equipment and personal workout.

 

B. it takes time and experimenting for establishing particular sets

of conditions.

 

C. it requires some knowledge about chemicals and familiarity with

the darkroom.

 

D. it has obvious limits.

 

EQUIPMENT

 

Unless one wants to use a dedicated panoramic camera (sectored or

full circle), the easiest way to take photos is on normal, pre-cut

paper. I have tried two dimensions (4x5 and 8x10) from different

manufacturers: Kodak, Fuji, Ilford, Mitsubishi and Agfa. I can say a

couple of things about all those papers, but I'll only stress that,

for this purpose, Fuji and Mitsubishi are very similar, Agfa and

Ilford too, whereas Kodak is a totally separate world.

 

The cameras I had used are a 4X5 B&J Orbis and an 8x10 Cambo (besides

one early '90s, self made, motorized full circle panoramic) with a

couple of trivial, unimportant lenses (from 80mm for 4x5 to 470mm for

8x10). The shutters have to be able to deliver long exposures such as

1/4, 1/2, 1, 2, 4 and 10 seconds, and the optimal f/stops should be

between 8 and 22. For average photographic paper, take in account a

EI of 0.5 for the best filter package. Of course a flex cable is

absolutely necessary.

 

A very serious matter is the film back choice. Fuji Crystal is

smaller (exactly like the 8x10 and 4x5 Kodak cut film) and can be

accommodated in nearly every 8x10 back except for Graflex ones made

in New York. The 0.78mm difference in dimensions makes Kodak only

usable in some of the Lisco Royals (not all of them) and Ilford in

both the short Lisco and some Graflex (all 50-60 backs I have used

are old junks, so I have no idea how newer ones act like).

 

Another important issue is a very sturdy and heavy tripod (I used one

from an old telescope). Carrying the whole system is a challenge in

itself, so one may want to park the Jeep as near as possible, for

shelter and refuge, because one wouldn't like being toppled by a blow

of wind in the 8x10 bellows-wing, exactly at the "right" moment...

 

A kit of exact filters (CC type, e.g., a couple of Ciba sets) and a

holder of some kind is another must. Whatever lens-shutter

combinations are used, a quasi-permanent place for an IR glass and a

UV sheet must be at hand. This is where one may carefully use

polarization filter(s), but don't get too carried away, because light

is scarce...

 

 

 

SHOOTING CONDITIONS

 

According to the ambient color temperature (time of day in the year,

hourly day time, weather and altitude conditions) one starts

bracketing for finding out the absolute exposure which fits the

purpose of the shot, depth-of-field wise (maybe Schleimpflug, maybe

not). This phase is designed for getting a "picture perfect" BW

pattern image. Afterwards, one must start bracketing the color filter

package, and boy, I tell you... it's not simple. Every sort of paper

is different, every cloud matters, every lens brings something with

the coating... here is the true difference with printing from slides

on the easel in the darkroom!

 

For example, on 8x10 Fuji Crystal, the preliminary workable "paper

slide" was shot with 1", f/8, Industar 470mm, CRS08-IR, UV1, 140Y,

70M at 14:00 November 17, 46N-72W, but three hours earlier at 46N-70W

the difference was as much as -30Y(!). Mitsubishi gave a -50Y

difference, which it wolld be way off in blue for any other paper

type. Following an established algorythm, the filter package

variation was similar to this shortened sequence: 30y10m, 50y30m,

70y50m, 90y40m, 90y70m, 100y70m, 110y70m, 120y70m, 140y70m, 150y70m,

150y80m, 150y90m, 120y90m, 120y80m and so on, using times between

1/4" until 2" respectively. The optimum has to be established by each

user, from case to case. Examples will follow soon after

the "introductory" parts.

I await word of your success quivering with anticipation.

Different conditions and variations are presented in the "stitched" attachment. Please note that images are taken from the same observation point, varying the filter package components (left column predominantly M, right column predominantly Y). Exposure times were also changing, the darker images are taken at 1/2", middles at 1", and the lighter ones at 2". Intentionally, I left out both the UV filter and the IR one. You may clearly see a blue hue due to the UV lack of filtration.<div></div>

Pertaining to the lack of IR filtration, things appear not that simple. In the attachment, in which pretty much the color balance is acceptable, one may see that the center appears more illuminated than the edges. In the following parts, you will be convinced that there was no fall-out case (as this lens by far exceeded the 8x10 coverage "circle" and the opening didn't bring any diffraction pattern), but the uncompensated IR radiation effect on color paper.<div></div>

UNDERSTANDING THE PROCESS AND CHEMISTRY

 

(I am going to correct here a text I already posted once, because it can be used by ones who may want to understand the chemistry behind the process)

 

Step 1: First development

 

When you expose, a chemical change takes place in each of the three emulsion layers where light has reached. The change is in direct proportion to the intensity of the light; the brighter the light the greater the change. In this state the paper is said to have a latent image registered on it. The first developer converts this latent image into a visible black silver image in each of the three emulsion layers. The first developer is basically a conventional black and white developer and it is the most critical stage of processing. Any deviation from the correct time, temperature and agitation will lead to a change not only in the overall contrast, but also to a change in the color balance. The effects vary, but in general terms, reducing the first development time produces a yellow or red cast while increasing it gives a cyan cast. Similar effects are produced if the alkalinity of the developer is too low or too high. At the end of this step the paper resembles a black and white negative, but recorded in three separate layers.

 

Step 2: Stop

 

To stop the action of the first developer and to prepare the paper for it's reversal exposure, you must treat it in a stop bath. This is basically a weak acid solution which neutralizes the developer retained in the three emulsion layers. It pays to keep a careful eye on the state of the stop bath, testing it regularly with litmus paper, or even replacing it regularly to ensure that it remains acidic. If the stop bath loses its acidity, usually by the first wash being inefficient and allowing excess developer into the stop bath, the developer will continue to work and give overdevelopment.

 

Step 3: First wash

 

This wash is most important, its job being to remove all traces of the first developer and stop bath from the film. Leftovers can affect the color development stage, producing color shifts and other "undesirable" effects.

 

Step 4: Reversal exposure (LIGHTS ON from now on until the end)

 

At this point in the processing procedure, the paper has as appearance something like a black and white negative image. The parts of each layer which have not been blackened by the first developer comprise of unexposed silver salts and it is these which help form the final positive image of the color print. You must expose these silver salts to light. The problem is that, during the first development, the paper has lost a large proportion of its original sensitivity and this loss of speed is further hampered by the negative image which now exists. These two factors mean that the reversal exposure must be very intense. The most usual way to carry out the reversal exposure is by using daylight or relatively lot of time at the bulb light. Generally, it is all too easy to underexpose at this stage but virtually impossible to overexpose, so if in doubt, err on the side of overexposure.

 

Step 5: Color development

 

The color developer contains a special developing agent which, after reaction with the silver halide to form metallic silver, reacts with the color couplers in the three dye layers of emulsion to form dyes. So, in each layer of emulsion, the areas which were not blackened during the first development now develop to form a combined silver and dye image, the color of the dye being of course yellow, magenta, and cyan. The amounts of dye and silver formed are in direct proportion to the amounts of silver halide left in the emulsion after the first development. In essence, color developers are similar irrespective of the particular process, the main difference between individual solutions being the particular color developing agent used. Other differences are usually in the additives which are used to modify contrast, assist the penetration of the developing agent, reduce graininess, and so on. Here is my other, smaller playground. Color development is not quite as critical of temperature as first development. Whereas the temperature of the first developer must be controlled to within half a degree C, the color developer often has a tolerance of two degrees either way. But this is by no means universal. You must control the timing carefully, though, and standardize it to give you the results you want. In general, too long in the color developer will give you print that has a magenta bias and too short a time will give greenish results. At this stage of the process the paper becomes somehow milky; it contains, in each of its emulsion layers, a silver negative image, a silver positive image, and a positive dye image. It is usually just possible to discern an image, but it is very faint.

 

Step 6: Second stop

 

After you have removed surplus color developer from the surface, that absorbed by the three emulsion layers must be neutralized and this job is carried out by the second stop bath.

 

Step 7: Second wash

 

Step 8: Blix

 

This bath does two things simultaneously: Bleach and Fix. Before you can see your full colors, you must remove the silver produced by the first and color development stages. The bleach agent does not itself remove the silver from the emulsion layers; it merely converts it to a form which can be dissolved by the fixing agent. So all silver is removed and the positive image remains.

 

Step 9: Final wash.

 

Step 10: Free drying.

 

In part 2, one may retrieve actual recipae and process timings.<div></div>

But before chemistry lessons, and if you didn't already give it up totally, let me tell you another "small" detail. Galileo had invented the terestrial "observation tube" and things didn't change a lot since then. As we all know from elementary optics, a simple lens will give an reversed image, both vertically and horizontally. For some reason, we humans can deal very easily with a horizontal flip, we just turn a picture upside down. We cannot make the abstraction of a vertical flip in our minds. The main culprit is the writing process and other psychological and educational concepts, deemed to make LEFT so different from RIGHT by chirality. Therefore, when we see an image like the one in the following attachment, we cannot refrain ourselves from feeling that there is "something wrong with this picture". Unfortunately, the "paper slide" described technique yields exclusively left-right reversed results, because a space geometry flip operation is obviously missing.<div></div>

Early photos, daguerreotypes, tintypes, ambrotypes etc. were also laterally reversed. Billy the Kid was was often mistakenly identified as being left handed because in the only known photo of him, a tintype, his revolver appears to be on his left hip. A look at the Winchester he is holding confirms the mirror image aspect as the loading port is on the wrong side.

Exactly James. I posted the last "wrong" picture so everybody can see this fact. The number above the entrance door is a left-right mirrored "15"

This last attachment demonstrates the difference between full sun in the morning (9:00), compared to a very thin covered noon sky. The images are shot on Agfa (long expired, of course) color paper. The filtration was in both exposures identical and so was the processing. The package contained UV sheet, IR glass, 155Y, 75M, first exposure was set to 1/2" for cca. 160 degrees lens swing (vertically) and the second exposure was 3/4" for cca. 135 degrees lens swing. Honestly, I expected a more substantial difference... (sorry for the artifacts, but my "device" is not at all perfect)<div></div>

This is great stuff, thanks Bujor!

 

I think this may have the most value to ULF shooters... I don't think I'd go to this trouble for shooting 4x5 because, well, I can just shoot 4x5 color film which seems much easier. But The largest color film availible is 8x10 (I believe).

 

I'm still not *entirely* clear on how you get a reversed image with the process by just using dektol and light exposure... if you first bleached out the negative image the dektol bath produces, that would make sense to me, because that is how I've made black and white in-camera positives. But here the only bleach step is the blix at the end, which happens in regular RA-4 anyway.

 

Does the black and white development of the negative image somehow inactivate the color coupler in that area? Sorry if I'm being dense. This is just a different process than any reversal one I've seen.

 

Also the IR sensitivity, while certainly it seems like a niusance for normal work, could be quite interesting if one wanted to exploit this, possibly with IR filters or something.

 

Your work seems to be very focused on getting a neutral color image, which seems very difficult and I commend you. I would be tempted to just go with whatever wacky colors I got, and call it "artistic", heh.

 

Also, have you thought about trying fujiflex? It's a polyester based printing material, designed to be used in RA-4, that's in some ways closer to a film than a paper. Unfortunately the high price is one of those ways.

 

Thanks, and keep up posted as to any further, er, developments! (sorry, bad pun)

 

-Tadge

http://tadge.net

Tadge;

 

This process is essentially identical to the E6 process. MQ, reversal exposure, CD, blix.

 

Thats a simplification, but it works.

 

Ron Mowrey

Dear Tadje,

 

of course they make huge film, as big as you are. Look for Fuji (for example) and check their scientific and professional stuff. If you cannot find what you're looking for, let me know. I'll be glad to give you all the package data, but the big boxes are at my lab, we are on national Thanksgiving vacation now and I'm not going to drive there now just for this...

 

Please read the process described with patience, and more importantly, try to forget everything you know about development first. I am sure in the end everything will make perfect sense for you.

 

Yes, I do like the challenge of reproducing correct colors first, and I think wacky colors are creative, but in the same time relatively random and easy to obtain. I am going to post two more "paper slides", in which you will see what I mean. First one is extremely sloppy, taken near Niagara Falls at sundown. Colors are acceptable in my view, but you can easily feel the need of a better tripod (at three seconds, I only used myself and my truck, because it was simply no time and/or condition to get the tripod, I was lucky the filters were still in place...). The second one is a "timeless" exposure at about 3:00 in the night, near Philadelphia, and I think it was the most carefully prepared shot destined to be worked with this technique. It is also the "paper slide" I like the most at the moment. I used "the best" I had available and all the time in the world. As it was no need for a shutter or a diaphragm, I could mount my beloved disaffected Zeiss "junk" of cca. 240mm. The paper was Mitsubishi (again expired... that's what I always use!). I believe the time was a couple of good minutes, but I don't remember it exactly, and I used an incomplete filter package for daytime designed for this paper.

 

You see, from here on it is easy to play with colors, but I would think it would be pitty...<div></div>

OK I get it now... sorry!

 

Actually that gives me some other ideas... could you get crossed process slides, if you shot c-41 film, developed it yourself in D-76 (or the like), turned the lights on, dried it all off, rolled it back up and handed it to CVS? Cause the color developer gets the metallic silver to come out along with the color couplers, right?

 

Another weird question, that's quite likely off topic - could you "reset" fil or paper by bleaching it? The bleach converts the metallic silver back into halides, but are these halides then the same thing as the unexposed halides present? Or are they more like the exposed but undeveoped halides, in which case, could you bleach and then re-develop, and get right back where you started? (this is with the first, non-color developer)

 

Yes, kindof silly questions but I'm just trying to get a really solid understanding of what's going on here for when it goes wrong (as things generally tend to when I get into the darkroom :-)

Tadge;

 

A good way to increase the contrast of color negatives or prints is to use this process cycle: CD, stop, wash, fix, lights on, wash, rehal bleach, clearing bath, wash, CD again in the light,** from here on either bleach, fix, wash, stab for film or blix, wash for paper.

 

This rehal process can be repeated over and over up to the second CD to increase contrast, but once you go into the regular bleach or blix, the cycle is done for good.

 

Using this method, you can generate grade #2 color paper with the normal process. This rehal process done 1 time will give you a bit over grade #3, and repeated twice will give you about grade #5.

 

Addition of sodium sulfite to the CD will give you intermediate grades, so that by using the process correcty, you can get grades #1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. Grade #1 is hardest to get due to the fact that dmax is also lowered, and the process varies a bit. The rest are much more easily attained.

 

Ron Mowrey

Excellent suggestions Ron! Just before I wanted to start the chemistry part...

 

A Rehalogenating Bleach is a Bleach containing a halide. Here are a couple of examples from BW, Laser or Holographic photography:

 

A.

 

EDTA (2Na) 30g

 

Fe(III) Sulfate 30g

 

Potassium Bromide 30g

 

Sodium Hydrogen Sulfate Crystals 30g

 

Water to 1000ml

 

B.

 

Transmission bleach

 

Water 1 L

 

Potassium Ferocyanide 1 tablespoon

 

Potassium Bromide 1 tablespoon or

 

Cupric Bromide 1 tablespoon (not both!)

 

Reflection bleach

 

water 1 L

 

potassium Bromide 30 g

 

Borax 15 g

 

Potassium dichromate 2 g

 

Just before use add PBQ (p-benzoquinone) 2 g (good for 15 minutes)

 

C.

 

Safe Ferric Brilland Bleach

 

Ferric III Sulfate 30g

 

Citric acid 30g

 

Potassium Bromide 30g

 

Deionized water to 1000 cc.

 

I would say use A. for color. Any other suggestions Ron?

I would use ferricyanide, but I know that current color films are not tested in ferricyanide bleaches. Take your chances.

 

Do NOT use any ammonium containing salts in a rehalogenating bleach!

 

There are other ways to get to variable contrast paper and film, including catalytic processing. This is more reliable and also more difficult to do. You can do it by inpection in the light.

 

Ron Mowrey

How long would the light re-exposure be? How intense? The colour developer is just RA-4 developer?