Looking for an alternative process for very contrasty negs

[WAn]

Hello everybody.

 

 

I found that I have a small collection of heavily overdeveloped

negatives (mostly 6x9 cm). Instead of trying to reduce them for

silver gelatine papers, I'd like to print them by contact using an

alt process that requires very high contrast negatives.

 

 

The negatives have been developed to CI well above 1; I guess between

1.5 and 2.0. The brightness range of the scenes were somewhere

between 5�8 stops; thus I expect negative density range min 7 � max

16 stops!

 

 

Any suggestions? Albumen, carbon?...

Since the prints will be tiny, the process must allow sharp results...

 

 

Thanks

[joe_tait1]

Van Dyke Brown would be the easiest/cheapest to try, and Carbon the hardest. You are well within the Kallitype range, not to mention Centennial POP processes (your only commercially available paper AFAIK). I would probably go fo Kallitype and develop in Platinum chemistry, but obviously you would know the proper tone/look you want.

 

All of the above processes are capable of very sharp results on the right paper with good chemistry under a quality contact frame.

 

I guess if the imagery was right, 6x9 prints could be appropriate, but that is quite small....perhaps you could scan the negs and make a digital negative so that you could still contact print!

[christian_harkness]

I know you did not ask for this, but lith printing them might be a way.

[WAn]

Joe, Christian, thank you.

I arranged the purchase of the Centennial paper. Will see how it goes...

 

Cheers

Andrey