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Ethics
For want of a better expression, is there a particular ethos attached to contact printing?
I'd be interested to know how much time/manipulation people use in producing contacts. If it works for an enlarged print, is it fair game or is there a point where the 'purity' of a contact print is lost? Just pondering after an evening in the darkroom that yielded some not entirely satisfactory results. |
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First question: as long as it takes for me, mind that goes for all types of printing not just contacts. Often it takes a long time to get what I want! Second question: I think not - contacts have a charm of their own and I approach them differently seeking out subjects that will work well at small size (4x5). In fact quite a different approach to negs I am planning to enlarge. Ponder factor: just use your experience of last night to move foward as these things are never easy. Even when you think you have cracked it something can still crop up and cause you problems. Neil.
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"The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance." Aristotle Neil Souch |
#3
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Usually I find them much easier to print with perhaps the odd burning in of the sky. I print on normal graded and VC papers plus I produce palladium/platinum prints which usually don't need any manipulation of the image. They have a much softer and longer scale then when printing on silver based papers.
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"To the attentive eye, each moment of the year has its own beauty, and in the same field, it beholds, every hour, a picture which was never seen before, and which will never be seen again" Ralph Waldo Emerson. Timespresent Arenaphotographers |
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I don’t think it’s a question of ethics, more one of practicality. As I don’t do reality, I neither expect or require my finished work to resemble the original scene. In fact I would be disappointed if it did.
I have to separate 5x4 from 10x8 in order to reply further. With the larger negative size normal dodging and burning techniques are quite feasible and I would expect to use them to move the tones where I want them to be. With the smaller size this is less easy, although still possible. Once one leaves the silver gelatine processes behind however it changes and becomes less feasible. Waving ones hands about under an ultraviolet lamp for 20 minutes whilst exposing a cyanotype print for example is not to be recommended. |
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__________________
"To the attentive eye, each moment of the year has its own beauty, and in the same field, it beholds, every hour, a picture which was never seen before, and which will never be seen again" Ralph Waldo Emerson. Timespresent Arenaphotographers |
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I remember Les McLean and I doing something similar when comparing his Zone VI cold light enlarger to my LPL colour one to investigate the old argument about whether cold light is "better", as is claimed by some. I found I could exactly match the print (from my negative) from the Zone VI by tweaking the filtration on the LPL. Les will tell you mine wasn't as good, but I could see no difference. I'll now take cover while Les prepares his reply |
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That's crafty, you must have known that my Multigrade 500 control panel only allows 1/2 grade increments I shall have to consider investing in one of your Stop Clock 500 units sometime
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"To the attentive eye, each moment of the year has its own beauty, and in the same field, it beholds, every hour, a picture which was never seen before, and which will never be seen again" Ralph Waldo Emerson. Timespresent Arenaphotographers |
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Aha! Well no, I didn't know you were using a MG500. I prefer a continuous contrast control either using a colour head (which I normally do) or split-grading. The StopClock 500 will give you 0.1 grade increments in fine mode (0.5 grade otherwise). I'm currently calibrating the split grade mode of a standard StopClock using the colour head filters, which is a bit tedious and drifting off the topic of this thread. If there's anything interesting to say about it afterwards I'll start a new thread .
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#10
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Ross, I was always suspicious of your eye, particularly the right one. On a serious note I'm afraid I don't subscribe to the "purity" approach of a contact print. Regardless of whether it's a contact or enlarged print I believe that we should do all that we can to put the best possible interpretation on to the paper. If that includes burning and dodging a contact print then so be it. Interesting comments made here relating to enlarger lens flare and all that stuff which may have a bearing on any differences that show. Perhaps Richard should pay a visit to the borders and we could make some comparisions between contact prints and enlarged prints of the same size using both LPL diffusion and Cold Cathode enlargers. We could also muder a very nice bottle of single malt I have just waiting for his visit. Obviously we drink the malt after all judgements have been made and agreed. |
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