MorseBlog

In a previous post I tested some ORWO paper from East Germany that was very old. I got 3 packets of different sizes all unopened totaling 225 sheets. My first attempt to use it then disappointed me greatly and I thought it would be relegated to making lumen prints such was the apparent fogging and poor contrast. I have been formulating plans as I read more about papers and chemistry to try and resurrect this paper. So, this evening I endeavored to try my new Eco4812 developer at a 1+10 concentration and try different development times as Wolfgang Moersch says this can improve contrast. I also mixed a 1% solution of Benzotriazole in alcohol which I would then add in successive amounts as I ran experiments to control the fogging. As a reminder here was a print as developed in Universal PQ. Universal PQ developed ORWO Note the border is gray and the low contrast. So, with the new experiments I started with a couple of test strips. f8 2 minute dev Eco4812 f8 1-1/2 mi

I recently bought an unopened box of Agfa RapidoPrint paper. From my research is was primarily used by newsrooms to make fast prints from a special machine for developing it. It is supposed to contain developer in the emulsion to speed along the development. I was intrigued by an unopened box of 100 sheet of 11x14" paper. Some online comments encouraged me as they said it was possible to develop it normally. Watermark The paper is single weight and I successfully developed it in Ilford Universal PQ. All good things start with a test strip. RapidPrint Test Strip f11  There is a little movement in the test strip hence the double image. 45 seconds looks about right. The print came out with good contrast, glossy and a very cool almost blue tone. Being single weight it is difficult to flatten. The emulsion is crispy when bent across a small radius. Round Church Cambridge f11 45 sec  I did another print as well... Sandpoint Stump Next I thought I would see if it w

Last weekend Vicki and I went to visit our friends Dave and Cecil in their new home in Stroud. It was an excellent visit and they went out of their way to make it a nice visit. A visit to the local market netted some very nice cheese and some pottery. The Prince Albert pub on Saturday night with the fabulously happy sound of Oshti Baba from Bristol with a band of patchouli scented followers. We also went for a nice walk on the Cotswold Way and this was a chance to take some photographs. I hauled along my Mamiya C220 which though a beast has never disappointed. It is outfitted with a 65mm f3.5 lens. I also have a deep yellow filter which while great at darkening blue skies it is a little too dark as green forests get very dark. The snow drops were out and the day was gray with low hanging clouds and much mist about. Snow Drops f11 #5 22 sec #00 32 sec The snow drops was an easy print. Test strips at #5 and #00 filters. I then picked the exposure shown above first try. Next is