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Alan Clark
24th February 2010, 05:11 PM
I am wondering about the benefits of proof prints. I like to print 5 x 4 negatives onto 12 x 9.5 inch Ilford Warmtone fibre paper. I can tell by looking at the contact print if this will be worth doing, and roughly what grade will be needed. My current preference is to start straight in with Ilford warmtone fibre paper of the above size, and work at it until I get a print that satisfies me. Would there be any benefit in doing proof prints first on another ( cheaper) paper that may have different contrast, and a different look?
Finished prints get mounted and build up in my personal collection or get exhibited, but are themselves , in a sense, proof prints because if I am really taken with any , they get printed at 16 x 20 inches, at a later date.
6 x 6 negatives are a different problem, because contact prints from them are harder to read. 35mm are even worse. Does the need to do proof prints increase as negative size gets progressively smaller?
I am interested to hear what others do about proof prints.

Alan

Trevor Crone
24th February 2010, 05:34 PM
Alan I contact print all my films, except 8x10s, onto 8x10 RC paper, whatever I happen to have in stock. From these I decide what negatives I will print, these are often made into 8x10 'straight' work prints which I live with for a while before so called 'decent' prints are made. However there are times when I go straight from a contact print to the finished item.

Richard Gould
24th February 2010, 05:35 PM
I also tend not to do proof prints, rather I will study the negatives,either 6x6 or 35mm, on a light box,using a waist level finder from my etrs, and decide from there if I like the neg enough to go straight into a print on 9.5 by 12 paper, which is my favoriite size,Richard

Neil Smith
24th February 2010, 06:36 PM
Same as Trevor for me, contact all films, and use the contact to decide on what negatives to print. Sometimes making work prints, other times going straight to finished prints, depending on how much time I have to give to the darkroom.

Neil

Dave miller
24th February 2010, 06:50 PM
I only print those negatives which I think may be worth taking further, judged from an inspection of them on my lightbox. The first work print will be a straight grade 3 print on 10x8 R/C paper; about half of these will be taken further.

Alan Clark
24th February 2010, 06:57 PM
Thanks for your prompt replies everyone. It is interesting to read about the variety of approaches.

Alan

wiesmier
24th February 2010, 07:20 PM
All my prints are proof prints. Works in progress :-)

Rob Archer
24th February 2010, 08:01 PM
I usually do a set of contact prints on G2 paper (or Silverprint proof without any filtration). Any that look worth proceeding with I make a 10x8 proof, again on unfiltered Silverprint Proof. If I like what I see, I go to FB paper and make some 'proper' prints.

Sometimes I need to 'live' with a proof print blu-tacked to the wall for a bit to get into my mind what I want to do with it.

Rob

Alan Clark
24th February 2010, 09:07 PM
[ Any that look worth proceeding with I make a 10x8 proof, again on unfiltered Silverprint Proof. If I like what I see, I go to FB paper and make some 'proper' prints.



Rob[/QUOTE]

Rob,
So your proofs are quite quick to do. The mistake I have made in the past was to put too much into doing proofs, time and effort that was probably best reserved for the final print.

It's interesting that everybody here seems to have a different way of doing all this...

Alan

Rob Archer
24th February 2010, 09:44 PM
[ Any that look worth proceeding with I make a 10x8 proof, again on unfiltered Silverprint Proof. If I like what I see, I go to FB paper and make some 'proper' prints.



Rob

Rob,
So your proofs are quite quick to do. The mistake I have made in the past was to put too much into doing proofs, time and effort that was probably best reserved for the final print.

It's interesting that everybody here seems to have a different way of doing all this...

Alan[/QUOTE]

That's one of the beauties of 'real' photography - everyone has their own way of doing it!

Most of my proofs are 'straight' prints. I just do basic test strips to get the main exposure. I do occasionally burn in skies, as it helps me visualise the direction I want to go in the 'proper' prints.

Rob

Alan Clark
24th February 2010, 10:41 PM
Once again, thanks everyone for your replies. Another few pieces of the jigsaw puzzle have fallen into place for me!

Alan