Master Printers

[Erik van Straten]

Hi Marty, thank you very much. This is a Tri-X negative from 1971 printed on Ilford multigrade fb glossy. I only use multigrade papers because of my beloved split grade workflow. The only paper I like better is Adox MCC-110 but that isn't available anymore because of Adox' conflict with Ilford. (Adox bought their unprepared paper from Ilford, but Ilford raised the price when Adox paper became a success so Adox had to stop their production). The surface of the Adox paper is smoother than Ilford's glossy paper so it was better to scan. For me, scanning the prints and digitally editing them is very important.There are now about 600 split grade prints on my Flickr account.

To scan the Ilford paper properly, it is necessary to smear the surface with Vaseline (very thin), if you don't, the scan becomes very grainy.

Yes, I very often reprint old negatives. My old prints are all on graded paper, but I want to have them on variable contrast paper. I never bleach highlights, on the contrary, I want to have everything well drawn.

My enlarger is a Leitz Focomat llc from about 1963. Paper developer Eukobrom. Paper is Ilford Multigrade FB classic glossy.

This is my latest scan of one of my pictures of W.F. Hermans, a famous Dutch author. It is a shot from 1986. Impossible negative and it is extremely difficult to scan the print.

Erik.

gelatin silver print (summilux 50mm f1.4 v2) leica m3

 

[ptpdprinter]

To scan the Ilford paper properly, it is necessary to smear the surface with Vaseline (very thin), if you don't, the scan becomes very grainy.

How do you clean the vaseline off your prints?

 

[Erik van Straten]

How do you clean the vaseline off your prints?

Simply with a microfiber cloth. The Ilford paper will stand the vaseline.

Erik.

 

[Erik van Straten]

W.F. Hermans in his appartment in Paris, 1986.

gelatin silver print (elmarit 21mm f2.8) leica m3

Erik.

 

[ptpdprinter]

Simply with a microfiber cloth. The Ilford paper will stand the vaseline.

You can get all the vaseline off a silver gelatin print with a microfiber cloth?

What do you mean by the Ilford paper will stand the vaseline?

 

[Erik van Straten]

You can get all the vaseline off a silver gelatin print with a microfiber cloth?

What do you mean by the Ilford paper will stand the vaseline?

Yes, you can wipe it all off with a fiber cloth, the woolly, slightly hairy kind. The paper I use is glossy.

Btw, vaseline doesn't do any harm. You can smear it on your skin too, if you like, but don't smear it on inkjet prints.


gelatin silver print (nikkor h 50mm f2) nikkormat ftn

Erik.

 

[Andy Kibber]

Beautiful photographs as always, Erik.

To return the Robin Bell video linked early in this thread: I enjoyed the interview a lot, but there is a second, related video showing Bell printing. Fascinating!

Link here https://youtu.be/nxFh-t3yOJQ beginning at 33:30

 

[Erik van Straten]

Thank you, Andy. Yes, Bell is typically a burn and dodge printer. Problem with that is that you can do it on only on large prints. But he does it fantastic.

Erik.

 

[Andy Kibber]

Yes, Bell is typically a burn and dodge printer. Problem with that is that you can do it on only on large prints. But he does it fantastic.

I did wonder what approach he would take with a 5x7 print.

In watching Bell evaluate the negative, decide on an approach and execute his plan, you can see decades of experience and 100,000s of prints made. I was amused by his comment that his career was making good prints from poor negatives (expressed more colorfully in the video). The man is certainly a pro.

 

[Erik van Straten]

gelatin silver print (summilux 50mm f1.4 v2) leica m3

W.F. Hermans in Paris, 1986

Erik.

 

[Out to Lunch]

It is always nice to see Willem Frederik Hermans in top form. Cheers, OtL

 

[raydm6]

^^ I had to look him up.

The Darkroom of Damocles - look like a good read. I'll have to check it out.

 

[Freakscene]

^^ I had to look him up.

The Darkroom of Damocles - look like a good read. I'll have to check it out.

If you don’t read Dutch, get the Ina Rilka translation not the Roy Edwards one. It is one of the great WWII novels.

Marty

 

[raydm6]

If you don’t read Dutch, get the Ina Rilka translation not the Roy Edwards one. It is one of the great WWII novels.

Marty

Thank you Marty!

 

[Erik van Straten]

W.F. Hermans was also an enthusiastic photographer. He had a couple of Leicas, including a chrome Leica M5. His novel The Dark Room of Damocles is all about a Leica IIIa with a Summar lens.

Erik.

 

[Hans Berkhout]

W.F. Hermans was also an enthusiastic photographer. He had a few Leicas, including a chrome Leica M5. His novel The Dark Room of Damocles is all about a Leica IIIa with a Summar lens.

Erik.

Thanks for that info Erik, looking forward to read the book. Great shots of the author.

 

[Out to Lunch]

Willem Frederik Hermans was a master novelist who offered a breath of fresh air. Why did he decide to relocate to Paris? It's good to know that he liked photography but did any of his pictures survive? Cheers, OtL

 

[Erik van Straten]

Willem Frederik Hermans was a master novelist who offered a breath of fresh air. Why did he decide to relocate to Paris? It's good to know that he liked photography but did any of his pictures survive? Cheers, OtL

Sure, there are photobooks by him, such as "Koningin Eénoog", but unfortunately as a writer he is becoming somewhat forgotten and in The Netherlands his photos have never attracted much interest. All his photo's are now in the "Literatuurmuseum" when they have not been collected by private individuals.

Erik.

 

[Out to Lunch]

I found WFH in the darkroom and some of his photos: at 26min.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiOyej2QzOM

Groet, OtL

 

[raydm6]

A copy of his book "Koningin Eénoog" is on sale at Etsy and there are a few nice image examples shown.

I like this one:




Mamiya 645?