Nokton48
Veteran

1989 testing 1977 Tri-X 4x5 Film Pack D76 1:1 4x5 Sinar Norma 90mm f8 Schneider Sinar Super Angulon barrel with Auto-Iris mickey mouse ears. 8x10 Aristo RC #2 Multigrade Omega Dii laser aligned 180 Rodagon Omegalite diffusion head
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.
Tile or not, the expression and presence in this portrait are priceless!
gelatine silver print (summilux 35mm f/1.4) leica mp
Erik.
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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.
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Here is my slate "test strip." This had minimal washing, and the emulsion stayed in good shape.
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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
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.)
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)
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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. 🙂