Show me your latest darkroom prints

The previous owner of our house left a stack of 12 x 12 slate floor tiles in the basement. I decided to try to print photographs on them. This is my first effort. I primed the slate with an oil-based primer, then applied Rollei Black Magic liquid emulsion (variable contrast version). The emulsion held up pretty well through developer, stop, and fixer, but started to bubble a little in the wash. I'm not sure how stable it will be--I'll try to make it a little sturdier by coating with a spray varnish. The final result is acceptable, I think, but not quite what I had hoped for. If I try this again, I think I'll coat the slate with a layer of gelatin before coating with the emulsion.

The negative was made on HP5+ with a Rolleiflex 2.8F and Rolleinar 2.

IMG_4601


Here is my slate "test strip." This had minimal washing, and the emulsion stayed in good shape.

IMG_4596
 
51146021645_8e140aacc5_c.jpg

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M4 / LLL 8E replica/ FP4+/ Ilford Cooltone FB f2/ 1/30th sec
 
dfranklin said:
The previous owner of our house left a stack of 12 x 12 slate floor tiles in the basement. I decided to try to print photographs on them. This is my first effort. I primed the slate with an oil-based primer, then applied Rollei Black Magic liquid emulsion (variable contrast version). The emulsion held up pretty well through developer, stop, and fixer, but started to bubble a little in the wash. I'm not sure how stable it will be--I'll try to make it a little sturdier by coating with a spray varnish. The final result is acceptable, I think, but not quite what I had hoped for. If I try this again, I think I'll coat the slate with a layer of gelatin before coating with the emulsion.

The negative was made on HP5+ with a Rolleiflex 2.8F and Rolleinar 2.

IMG_4601


Here is my slate "test strip." This had minimal washing, and the emulsion stayed in good shape.

IMG_4596
Click to expand...

Beautiful! You can harden the emulsion with alum or formalin, and leaving the slates to have an extended drying after coating will also help prevent detachment or bubbling.

In the 1990s I spent a huge amount of time making prints like this. I love the process and the way natural substrates show through the silver images.

Marty
 
Freakscene said:
Beautiful! You can harden the emulsion with alum or formalin, and leaving the slates to have an extended drying after coating will also help prevent detachment or bubbling.

In the 1990s I spent a huge amount of time making prints like this. I love the process and the way natural substrates show through the silver images.

Marty
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tips, Marty! The Rollei kit comes with a hardening additive for the developer, which I used. How extended is "extended drying"? I gave it just 24 hours, partly because the Rollei instructions seemed to suggest not waiting too long. Maybe I should have waited at least a few days?

I do like the texture of these slates, and thought that in this case the texture worked nicely with the subject.

My experiment was partly inspired by the work of Nick Johnson; I have one of his prints hanging on my wall. (He photographs rocks, doesn't print on them.)
 
dfranklin said:
Thanks for the tips, Marty! The Rollei kit comes with a hardening additive for the developer, which I used. How extended is "extended drying"? I gave it just 24 hours, partly because the Rollei instructions seemed to suggest not waiting too long. Maybe I should have waited at least a few days?

I do like the texture of these slates, and thought that in this case the texture worked nicely with the subject.

My experiment was partly inspired by the work of Nick Johnson; I have one of his prints hanging on my wall. (He photographs rocks, doesn't print on them.)
Click to expand...

I gave it several days to a week at 40-60% humidity. Just be aware that the contrast changes with drying and loss of humidity from the emulsion. The texture is lovely.

Marty
 
Finally getting around to printing some landscapes from my last time in the USA, on Ilford 8" x 10" Cooltone FB then Selenium toned, now waiting on mats/frames.

(Just a phone shot as I don't have scanner)

IMG-5410.jpg

Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, Jan 2020. (Rolleiflex 2.8 Planar, Acros 100)

After printing small for a few years now as a newcomer to it, I'm ready to try and do something big - 16x20" is my target - but sourcing an easel here in Australia that size is proving impossible so far.

The photo on slate previously is really inspiring, great stuff and well done. :)
 
Thanks for the compliment! This thread is a great place to come for inspiration--and your photograph is no exception. That will look amazing at 16x20. I finally put together the setup to print that big--the easel was definitely the hardest part--but haven't yet given it a try. I know a guy who prints 20 x 24: he built his own speed easel. If you don't need adjustable borders, that might be the easiest and cheapest way to go.

coogee said:
Finally getting around to printing some landscapes from my last time in the USA, on Ilford 8" x 10" Cooltone FB then Selenium toned, now waiting on mats/frames.

(Just a phone shot as I don't have scanner)

IMG-5410.jpg

Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, Jan 2020. (Rolleiflex 2.8 Planar, Acros 100)

After printing small for a few years now as a newcomer to it, I'm ready to try and do something big - 16x20" is my target - but sourcing an easel here in Australia that size is proving impossible so far.

The photo on slate previously is really inspiring, great stuff and well done. :)
Click to expand...
 
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