The Darkroom Cookbook Forum

Re: On the subject of bellows Does anyone know where one can get bellows replaced or how make a bellows. I have a Super Chromega D, Dichroic enlarger that needs a new bellows. Thanks for any info, Constantine JB Harlan (I believe this is the same JB Harlan that was posting above, yes?) has these be...

Lots of folks like the Massive Dev Chart for this. But I actually prefer trial and error. Take your best guess, make a print, and see how it goes. If you're struggling with shadows, give the film more exposure next time. If it's too contrasty, develop less. If it's too flat, develop for longer.

Yes, the developer recipes are all to make a stock solution, which is often diluted for use.

Thanks for the recommendation. I do have that book. It's a great resource. I still make terrible gums. Maybe my magic chicken bone needs a recharge.

Thank you very much Mr. Anchell, and please pass my thanks along to Ms. Enfield. I think hers is the only book on alt process that I haven't read yet. By this metric I'm massively overexposing my gums. Am currently struggling with the gum just dissolving off the paper during a 15 minute face-down so...

Hi folks. Can anyone offer an approximation of how their gum exposure times relate to the exposure times for cyanotype with the same UV source? Same? Half? Double?

Richard, I've had good results with Troops TDLC-103 from page 133 of the FDC, 2nd ed. I'm using half a gram of metol and getting good results with Arista litho film. Troop recommends minimal agitation on page 133 and I agree.

Actually, two bleach questions. I'm using the rehalogenating bleach from p332 of the Cookbook 4th ed. with thiocarbamide toner and loving the splits I see using short bleach times. I've been pouring it back in the bottle and keeping it for the next session. It seems to be working fine. Does the blea...

Hi Richard,

I think that you'll find scanning is much more flexible than the photo papers that were available when that book was published. Either of those targets should work. As long as the scanner can get light through the brightest bits, you're good to go.

I won't pretend to be an expert here, but I have used a cold-light adapted Omega D2 for a while. I never owned a stabilizer and didn't see a need for one in my printing. I have used both graded paper and variable-contrast and both work fine. My thermo unit switch doesn't have an indicator light on i...

Thank you so much for sharing this. It takes all the mental gymnastics out of being zone-y!

Todd, it should be option B. He's recommending the total volume of the diluted developer, not the amount of stock.

Thanks Steve. There's so much completely wrong information about film photography in the internet. It makes me wonder how many people who post have actually done any darkroom work. By the way, thank you once more for the Darkroom Cookbook. This week, I rescued a box of lightly fogged paper by adding...

Does anyone here have any data (or can point to any research) about latent image fading? I read somewhere on the internet (APUG, perhaps, can't remember) that latent images on film/paper fade over time if you wait to process them. I convinced myself that I saw latent image fading in my larger format...

Thank you! The Darkroom Cookbook has been an amazing reference. Thanks for all the work you do to make the book happen.

It's not quite the same application, but I'm using a homebrew divided MQ developer with paper negatives and litho film. I started dividing the developer looking for a way to limit the paper neg contrast and get some compensating action. Modern developer-incorporated paper emulsions make that tricky ...

Congratulations to both of you! We're looking forward to reading it.

That makes a lot of sense. Thank you for breaking it down for me!

-t

sanchell wrote: ↑Sat Jun 08, 2019 11:53 am Prints should be kept with their backs facing backs and emulsion facing emulsion. Never wash prints with the emulsion facing the back of another print.

I read this everywhere, but I've never seen anyone explain why. What's so bad about having prints back to front?

Bill Troop and I are including several formulas in the 2nd Edition of the Film Developing Cookbook, which is within a few weeks of going to the publisher.

Very glad to hear that little tidbit!

I suppose it makes sense that manufacturers are coating the same emulsion on both RC and FB. I hadn't made the connection myself. I love this forum for the collection of first-hand knowledge in all of your heads. Seems like every other place for chemical photography on the web is a collection of fol...

Ah, so I'm not losing my mind! Why on earth would anyone want to machine process fiber-based paper?! I have a 5-pack of Adox MCC 110, I'll give that a try. I've been curious about Opie's silver mirroring technique, but it's completely invisible in online photos of her work. Maybe one day I'll run in...

I've tried Formulary's polysulfide toner twice now on Fomatone, with no change in image tone. Well, that's not precisely true. The first time I saw, or thought I saw, a nearly impreceptible move toward red compared to the untoned print. The second time, I got an ever-so-slight-but-possibly-imaginary...

I have both an early edition and the most current. It hasn't gotten anything but better. The current edition is more comprehensive, more reviewed for errors, and includes tips and tricks from a more diverse selection of photographers than the earlier one.

A quick update: I am now routinely mixing this with no carbonate or bromide in the stock. I add them directly to the tray when printing. Being able to do a divided D-72 is nifty for messing around with paper negatives. The metol, sulfite and hydroquinone seem to keep pretty well. I had a batch that ...