I am an amateur photographer and I have always been fascinated by the B/W gelatin prints particularly of nature-scapes. What kind of film and developing paper is used to get that rich, sharp contrast?

-- Edward Lozano (edwardl@crt.com), January 04, 2000

Answers

Approximately what era are you talking about. All modern black and white paper is silver-gelatin, and can make some beautiful images when the photographer has "tuned" his film and paper and chemistry correctly. There are lots of modern films that can produce fine negatives and a wide range of papers that can print them. I have heard the term "Prints that 'sing' " applied, and it pretty well describes the feeling.

If you are talking about photos made in the early part of the previous century, and before, they were likely made from collodion negatives and/or gelatin negs and printed on hand coated albumin, silver/gelatin, or platinum/palladium papers.

Kodak has an excellent historical website set up that explores that topic with lots of examples. I'm sorry I don't have an address for you, but it should show up on a search for Kodak or Eastman House.

-- Tony Brent (ajbrent@mich.com), January 04, 2000.