Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Printing

Woodbury, Connecticut

Making some palladium prints seemed like a good idea for the last day of the year. A 9" print is draining and the setup is ready to do a 17.5" panoramic digital negative worked up from a 7x17 format original.


In the developer. This shot is the first I've printed from my current "winter light" series.



In the first clearing bath. This is a 100% pure palladium print. No standard platinum component, no contrast agent, no "Na2," which I really don't like to use. When it's completely dry and I've had a good look at it I want to print it again with a small amount (about 10%) of standard platinum solution to see what difference it makes. For years my "standard" formula for working from in-camera negatives has been mostly palladium with a 10-15% percent platinum component and no contrast agents of any sort. I want second generation negatives with sufficient density range to print exactly the same way.

Summer Weeds

Kingston, New York

16°F here in Woodbury this morning, so a couple of summery pictures as the New Year draws closer.

Waterbury, Connecticut

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Thursday, December 25, 2014

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Winter Light

Litchfield, Connecticut

I wonder if winter light is why so many cultures have holidays around the time of the winter solstice?

Still More Winter Light

Copake, New York


Lorenz Park, New York

Monday, December 22, 2014

St. Winifred

Hudson, New York

"High above the river, on the west side of Front Street, is Promenade Hill. Designed by the Proprietors in 1785 as a public space, it still provides a bird’s-eye view of the site where Henry Hudson first dropped anchor in September 1609. According to Historic Hudson, the Promenade is one of the earliest examples in the U.S. of a park area established for the viewing of scenic vistas. In addition to its spectacular view, the Promenade is also known as the home of St. Winifred, at 12-foot bronze statue by the sculptor George E. Bissell, commissioned by and donated to the city by General William De Peyster in 1896." (LINK)

Not only was the light wintry on the day before the winter Solstice, it was bone-chillingly cold. A few degrees below freezing with high humidity seems much more uncomfortable than colder, dryer conditions. But the view is quite something here.


Sunday, December 21, 2014

Saturday, December 20, 2014

Winter Light

Washington, Connecticut

Current work with 7x17" film.

Warren, Connecticut

Litchfield, Connecticut

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

The Blue Tarp

Washington, Connecticut

I went out this afternoon hoping to find some interesting "winter light" subjects to shoot in b&w using some really old 7x17" film. I need to do a few test developments to see how well I can handle the age-fogging of the material and then find a good project to use the remaining boxes.

So, of course, I come upon this. At least I did have my tiny bag with a digital camera and three lenses along for the ride.

Available—School & Convent

Waterbury, Connecticut

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Printing again this Morning

Woodbury, Connecticut

Just about perfect lab conditions for the current incarnation of Arches Platine and palladium prints.


Another California desert theater, this one at Twenty-nine Palms.


At the 99W in Oregon, there was nowhere to park my car without getting it into the picture, except at a Burger King lot up the highway. Also almost no room at the shoulder of the road to set up an 8x10 camera, so I shot digital capture, which holds up remarkably well in a 10" palladium print.


After I'd done several large format shots at this theater in Milton-Freewater, Oregon, I was leaving when this wonderful storm sky came racing in from the west. I grabbed a digital camera and shot it, then it was gone before I could even get out the tripod.

Weeds!

New Milford, Connecticut

Naugatuck, Connecticut

Torrington, Connecticut

Saturday, December 13, 2014

Snaps from This Morning's Printing

Woodbury, Connecticut

Marking out the coating area on a sheet. I recall that back when I coated with tubes all the time, I just marked the two ends with a short line, but as I relearn the hand-skill with different materials I find seeing the whole area is helpful.


Not too bad. Platine with mandatory Tween in the solution doesn't seem to care whether you use a glass or acrylic tube. Other papers do.


The Tru-Vu, Delta, Colorado, in the first clearing bath.


The Basin Drive-in, Mount Pleasant, Utah, getting its initial five minute warm water rinse.


Two minutes to go washing the print of The Silver Moon Drive-in, Lakeland, Florida, while a panorama sheet is getting dried with room temperature/humidity air in my old film dryer.


The Jesup, Georgia, theater, into the first clearing bath.


Finishing. After my mandatory walk, spent the afternoon scanning several other 7x17 negatives and outputting digital negatives to print tomorrow.

If anyone is interested, the snaps were made with a Lumix GX7 and 17mm f/1.8 Olympus lens, at ISO 3200, under the compact flouo lamps I've installed in the room, which do not produce enough UV to cause any fogging problems, as standard tubes do.