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Old 30th December 2009, 11:23 PM
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Default How many prints in a typical darkroom session?

I often wonder if I'm a slow worker as I typically complete only one print in a 4 hour darkroom session. This usually involves working out basic timings, grades and dodges/burns on a smaller paper sizes then progressing to an 11"x11" print on FB paper. I like to complete the print at the end of the night which includes washing, hypo clear, toning, washing again etc before spotting, drying and mounting the best one on archival board.

I suppose the latter stages could be performed on another night but I enjoy seeing a finished result which leaves me free to concentrate on another negative during the next session. Whenever I try to complete too many negatives in one go I usually find the quality slips as I'm tempted to cut corners by doing fewer test strips and simpler manipulations

How long do you spend in a typical session and what sort of output do you achieve?


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Old 30th December 2009, 11:32 PM
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It depends, for school I spend about 30 minutes on one print tops, except for my final piece, which I spent about 3 maybe 4 hours on two prints (both the same apart from mirrored, so the second took the time it takes to expose and get wet). For my own work I spend roughly 2 hours on every print.
When I've just developed a roll of film, I usually make 3 small 5x4 prints of every negative I think looks acceptable, one at grade 0, one at 3, one at 5 etc. So in that respect I can take only 30 seconds per print.


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This usually involves working out basic timings, grades and dodges/burns on a smaller paper sizes then progressing to an 11"x11" print on FB paper.
Do you do all your tests on FB paper aswell, or do you test them on resin coated paper first? I've recently been curious as to whether the sensitivity is the same, but haven't had the chance to test it myself.
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Old 30th December 2009, 11:45 PM
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Do you do all your tests on FB paper as well

I have tried using the RC equivalents of my usual papers to speed up the process but found that there were usually subtle differences that forced me to make alterations in time (and sometimes grade) on the final prints. This was frustrating so I now tend to cut down sheets of my usual paper size (11x14) into smaller pieces and work the settings out on those.

I no longer make quick prints of promising negs as the best ones get scanned and uploaded onto my website and Blackberry so I can look at them repeatedly over the next few weeks. Along with feedback from other photographers this gradually makes it clear which ones are worth printing. I don't know about you but I'm beginning to realise that I'm not the best judge of my own work?

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Old 30th December 2009, 11:52 PM
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I don't know about you but I'm beginning to realise that I'm not the best judge of my own work?
That is true, its a shame my teacher is really crap at giving me critique, she just tells me it will go well with my project or won't.

Scanning might be a better idea than making mini prints... definitely save paper. I shy away from my neg scanner at school, I don't know why, but it sucking my negatives away from me, doing who knows what, and spitting it back out again just makes me nervous!
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Old 31st December 2009, 07:35 AM
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One print sounds fine to me Stan.
I could produce a finished print in a four hour session (except for drying and finishing), but rarely do. I suppose it’s because I simple don’t have to. I would not normally make only a single print, but generally from three to five near identical prints to process at the same time.

Couple that to the fact that I may wish to experiment with papers, finishes, and toning and the same negative could stay in my enlarger for a week or more. Another factor is that I will generally reproduce the same picture in a variety of sizes from 7” x 5” for the PPC, through 10” x 8” for our Print Exchange, to 16” x 12” for my club work.
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Old 31st December 2009, 09:20 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve O View Post

How long do you spend in a typical session and what sort of output do you achieve?


Steve
Your experiences sound much like mine. I seldom have more than 3-4 hours at a time for printing and am often guilty of over-estimating how much I can get done in the time. I find that the more I try to cram in, the poorer the results. That's a product of too many negs and not enough time!

One 'good' print sounds not a bad output for that amount of time. Sometimes you'll get a neg that prints really easily, and you can concentrate on making a few 'copies'. Otherwise, it can take a whole session to get just the result you want.

If I tone a print, it can usually take several days to finish if I'm duotoning with selenium and gold. The toning is quite quick, but the washing takes forever!
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Old 31st December 2009, 09:47 AM
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one or two good prints from a 4 or 5 hour session is good going for me,not counting the drying and flattening etc,Richard
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Old 2nd January 2010, 11:45 PM
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It sounds like I work at a similar rate to many of you which is comforting.

The issue of toning raises the question of whether you tone straight after washing and assess the results before making another print or whether you tone in a separate session? Whenever I've toned separately there's always the chance that the original density was incorrect and I end up with a less than perfect end result. If I print and tone together I can adjust the print time to match the tone required.


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Old 3rd January 2010, 07:16 AM
Dave miller Dave miller is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve O View Post
It sounds like I work at a similar rate to many of you which is comforting.

The issue of toning raises the question of whether you tone straight after washing and assess the results before making another print or whether you tone in a separate session? Whenever I've toned separately there's always the chance that the original density was incorrect and I end up with a less than perfect end result. If I print and tone together I can adjust the print time to match the tone required.


Steve
I often tone half of my test strip print and assess that when it's dry.
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Old 3rd January 2010, 09:27 AM
Richard Gould Richard Gould is offline
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I tend to to decide what prints I want to tone before I make them, and print accordingly, and by using weaker than normal toning solutions, at least half of the recomended dilution, I have enough control to get the effect I want,Richard
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