cath9
newbie
Reged: 22/06/2007
Posts: 9
Loc: East Sussex UK
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Hi, new person here!
I'm just starting to do my own pinholes using paper, and develop them myself. Next step printing - I'm currently scanning them into PS and inverting them, but I'd much rather print to see what effects I can get.
I'm getting more accurate with exposure time, but am finding that even paper negs with good exposure seem a little lacking in contrast all the same. Would this be down to expo time, or maybe keeping the developer and fixer for too long or something else? Also, is it something I could compensate for during the printing process?
Any advice most welcome 
Catherine
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The Circle Of Confusion
veteran
Reged: 01/03/2006
Posts: 1389
Loc: The Big Smoke
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Are you using fresh processing chemicals? Which paper are you using?
One way to boost contrast is to use a higher grade paper. "Normal" is grade 2, higher grades (they go up to 5) will increase the contrast. If you are exposing the paper negatives under an enlarger then you could use multigrade paper.
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www.thecircleofconfusion.com
"They're just photos after all"
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Mojo_66
Rain Kat
Reged: 25/05/2006
Posts: 3386
Loc: Lancs
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Out of interest, are you making your own cameras?
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/mojo_black/
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cath9
newbie
Reged: 22/06/2007
Posts: 9
Loc: East Sussex UK
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Hi, thanks for the replies.
I'm using new chemicals but I've used them for about ten prints over the weekends and I'm wondering if that makes too much exposure to the air for the developer. I was doing one print at a time (as that's what I can do in the cam) and then doing another a couple of hours later, and initially not putting the chemicals back in bottles first.
The paper is ilford multigrade III RC deluxe, sounds great but it was a gift and i've no idea whether that's the ideal. I do know the shiny surface is giving a few light reflections which are welcome. I don't have an enlarger yet.
Yes I've jsut started making my own, a cylindrical cam initially (bit of a hack job but works a treat) and I want to do multiple pinholes next.
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Woolliscroft
veteran
Reged: 23/08/2005
Posts: 1253
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A whole weekend is propably too much for the dev. Sling it as soon as it starts to change colour, otherwise you wil get very low contrast images.
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David.
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Mojo_66
Rain Kat
Reged: 25/05/2006
Posts: 3386
Loc: Lancs
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Sounds interesting, I've just made a Pringlecam but have yet to try it.
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/mojo_black/
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cath9
newbie
Reged: 22/06/2007
Posts: 9
Loc: East Sussex UK
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Thanks for that David, that does sound like it. Would it be oxygen as well as light that turns it, and does it go yellow?
Mojo that sounds great. I have an oatmeal cam, and soon there will be a Smash cam and a Twinings chocolate indulgence cam. It's a tough job but I guess I'll manage.
My pinholes are here if anyone fancies a look.http://www.flickr.com/photos/f777/
Thanks Catherine
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The Circle Of Confusion
veteran
Reged: 01/03/2006
Posts: 1389
Loc: The Big Smoke
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Pinholes can be a bit low contrast due to diffraction from the pinhole itself and flare from light bouncing around inside the camera.
As you are using Multigrade paper you could try slapping a multigrade filter over the lens to boost the contrast. In the darkroom you would use the MG filter (or magenta if you have a colour enlarger head) to print at different grades. I've never tried using a MG filter over the lens but it might just work! You can get them quite cheaply from ebay (or you could try some purple cellophane!!)
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www.thecircleofconfusion.com
"They're just photos after all"
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Woolliscroft
veteran
Reged: 23/08/2005
Posts: 1253
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Quote:
Thanks for that David, that does sound like it. Would it be oxygen as well as light that turns it, and does it go yellow?
It is oxygen that destroys dev. It goes yellow, then brown. I'd sling it when it goes straw coloured, or after each printing session, whichever is sooner.
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David.
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cath9
newbie
Reged: 22/06/2007
Posts: 9
Loc: East Sussex UK
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Ok, that would have been it then, the stuff I just slung was most definitely suspiciously straw coloured.
I haven't got an enlarger yet, for the moment (until more time is available, hopefully imminent) I'm learning to develop the paper negatives myself and then invert them in PS. I'm about to attempt contact prints. I want the printing effects you can get and so that enlarger is coming soon (and I already have magenta cellophane!!)
Thanks again
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Woolliscroft
veteran
Reged: 23/08/2005
Posts: 1253
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Contact printing paper negs is a doddle. The only problem is getting the neg to lie hard against the printing paper. I just use a sheet of glass, but you can get dedicated contact printers. You don't need an enlarger you can use the room light. Don't use energy saving bulbs, though, they take too long to come on and are not predictable in their warm up.
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David.
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tezza
Reged: 05/03/2004
Posts: 1
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Hi Cath,
I saw your question about pinhole paper negs 'lacking in contrast' in this weeks AP question page and it prompted me to sign into the forum after yonks away.
I too am doing a project on pinhole bits especially homemade cameras using paper rather than film negs, of which I'm giving a talk to my camera club about in November.
My exposures are still a bit all over the place but none of my negatives have lacked contrast. They've all had good black and whites. I use RC Ilford MG - the matt type finish (not pearl or gloss) to avoid bouncing light about inside the pinhole camera and I use fresh chemicals each time.
I couldn't see it mentioned but are all of your cameras painted black inside? One poster said lack of contrast would be due to defraction because the pinhole is so small but I don't think this is the case as I've had no problems so think it could maybe be the lack of black paint and there the light would bounce about inside the camera reducing the contrast. If you have painted, I'd then say it would probably be old chemicals.
I need to update my website but I'll try and put a couple of my first efforts, both negs and positives (no where near as good as your's yet) on my pinhole page for you to look at:
http://www.terrysmallbone.co.uk/page15.html
Let me know about the black paint.
Terry
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Zou
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 05/02/2007
Posts: 2117
Loc: Edinburgh
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Bump! Any news on this?
I've just read on the f295 forum about pre-exposing the paper. Apparently some papers aren't so good in high contrast scenes. My homemade pinhole isn't ready yet so I haven't tried anything, but I'm trying to research as much as possible about paper negs. Anyone know some good links?
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Zou's Flickr Page
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Woolliscroft
veteran
Reged: 23/08/2005
Posts: 1253
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Quote:
Bump! Any news on this?
I've just read on the f295 forum about pre-exposing the paper. Apparently some papers aren't so good in high contrast scenes. My homemade pinhole isn't ready yet so I haven't tried anything, but I'm trying to research as much as possible about paper negs. Anyone know some good links?
Pre flashing paper is a useful technique which I use a lot, but isn't really a contrast increasing measure. It's more a way of conning the paper into increasing its dynamic range. The basic idea is that the paper needs a certain amount of light to respond at all and some highlight areas might not quite get it in the enlarger exposure, leaving them blank white in the final image. So you give the paper a brief flash of white light before the proper exposure, of a level which is not enough to cause it to respond, but only just, so that any highlight detail will then push it over the edge. It is particularly useful in areas where the detail is too complex for burning in and the effect on shadows is virtually nil. I've never tried it, but it might well be useful with paper negs, which can give a rather chalky look, and you can pre flash several sheets at once. Be aware, though, that the effect fades if a significant amount of time elapses between the pre flash and the actual exposure so you would need to use the prepared paper within a day or so of the pre flash.
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David.
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