Does anyone know anything about solarizing b/w prints. I have been making photograms and exposing them for 20 secs no filter, then developer for 30 secs, then rinse, then 2 secs of exposure, then the entire printing process. any new ways to get cool outcomes?

tell me please!

-- Owen Keller (kelo003@newhampton.org), December 13, 1999

Answers

I know that there is at least one company that manufactures a so-called solarization developer that is said to produce Sabattier-effect-like and still reproducible results w/o the exposure during development. If you are interested, I will look up the details.

-- Thomas Wollstein (thomas_wollstein@web.de), December 14, 1999.

Since Agfa Brovira has been discontinued it is a lot harder to get good print solarizations, but with patience and practice it can still be done. You will need a hard bromide paper such as Ilfobrom Galerie grade 4 or Bromoforte grade 4, and you will also need a metol-only developer such as Solarol, Selectol Soft, or Ansco 120.

Check out my article on "Controlling the Sabattier Effect" at http://unblinkingeye.com/Articles/Solarization/solarization.html.

-- Ed Buffaloe (edbuffaloe@unblinkingeye.com), December 14, 1999.

a method i've used--in the past, so i'm going to misremember some of it, i'm sure--is as follows. soak an unexposed sheet of paper in developer for 1 minute, then allow to drain for 1 minute. place the paper onto a sheet of plexiglass and expose under your enlarger for X seconds (depends on all the usual factors). development will begin during exposure. reintroduce into developer and continue the normal process.

at least, that's how i remember it. one variation is to sponge or squeegee off the developer rather than letting it drip after step 1.

--brad daly

-- brad daly (bwdaly@scott.net), January 09, 2000.

First a thanks to Ed I did find good infos on his page, like using Bromofort. Using a Leitz V35 I expose Bromofort matt 13*18 cm(grade 3 as do not have grade 4) for 30 secs, the time it would take to get a normal print (to be developed within 60 secs). The paper is developed until the blacks are middle to dark grey then washed under running water. Placed under water in another tray and exposed for 15 secs under the enlarger, transfered back to the developer ( Metol-Glycin similar to Adams 130).

Usally I change three parameters: - pick up time from first development - second exposure time - second develop time

The above mentioned numbers are useful for Bromofort, but did not work well with Ilford Ilfobrom 4.

Wolfram

-- Wolfram Kollig (kollig@ipfdd.de), January 12, 2000.

Wow, a lot of interesting techniques I'll have to try. Working with VC paper, I expose the print and put it in the developer and the very second an image begins to appear I remove it and place the wet stinky print under glass below the enlarger with the highest contrast filter possible. Using a fairly small aperature (say F16) you can then make a test strip using short intervals ( 2 secs)with the filtered light from the enlarger. I've found this to be the easiest way to control and predict solarization effects as it is often a hit and miss process. Or if control isn't your thing, I've had strangley different results by just blasting the sucker with no.5 filtered light with the enlarger's aperature wide open (F2.8 or so). Do this for no longer than 1-2 secs though. Another option, one which might train you to keep your paper safely stored and is much less messy than the others I've suggested is to simply put your exposed paper in the developer and as soon as the image begins to come up, flick the lights on and off as fast as you can and complete the printing process. This way is a little less predictable but it'll save you from contaminating your workspace with developer and your hands smelling like crap all day.

Hope I helped ya

-- Chris Marchand (c_marchand@cariboo.bc.ca), January 23, 2000.