Has anyone had a lot of experience with using direct positive paper? Mainly in a 4x5 pinhole. Ive used pinholes before but I dont want to fall into the film rabbit hole too much! I thought if I could get consistant results with direct positive paper it could make for some cool one off prints with the need for a scanner. I have tried tray developing direct positive paper in the dark when I cut it down to fit a 6x9 folding camera I had. The developing worked fine but I struggled to get the same result each time, not sure if it was me or the paper
and please use their services
Direct positive paper
- Thread starter Nebular89
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I've done a few on various handmade and one commercially made 4x5 pinhole cameras using Harman Direct Positive.
It's all been tray (well in cheap sandwich boxes) developed. I didn't find the DP paper that hard to develop it was more an issue with exposure of the paper for me.
Are you looking at making further prints from your original DP print? Not too sure from your post @Nebular89 .
(At this time I didn't have access to a darkroom so the DP paper was dev, stop and fixed in a darkbag. My ever patient wife unzipped the dark bag to retrieve the dev'd paper and zipped the bag up. Whilst she washed the print I started on the next print
)
It's all been tray (well in cheap sandwich boxes) developed. I didn't find the DP paper that hard to develop it was more an issue with exposure of the paper for me.
Are you looking at making further prints from your original DP print? Not too sure from your post @Nebular89 .
(At this time I didn't have access to a darkroom so the DP paper was dev, stop and fixed in a darkbag. My ever patient wife unzipped the dark bag to retrieve the dev'd paper and zipped the bag up. Whilst she washed the print I started on the next print
)I think it was the exposure that caused the problems for me too. All of the examples I saw used pre flashing to reduce contrast, I could never get it right.I've done a few on various handmade and one commercially made 4x5 pinhole cameras using Harman Direct Positive.
It's all been tray (well in cheap sandwich boxes) developed. I didn't find the DP paper that hard to develop it was more an issue with exposure of the paper for me.
Are you looking at making further prints from your original DP print? Not too sure from your post @Nebular89 .
(At this time I didn't have access to a darkroom so the DP paper was dev, stop and fixed in a darkbag. My ever patient wife unzipped the dark bag to retrieve the dev'd paper and zipped the bag up. Whilst she washed the print I started on the next print
No I wouldn’t make any more prints from them, I like the one off element. I’ve used a decent amount of instant film for the same reason.
I’d have to wait until night time to develop it and use an unused room lol. I do have to use blackout blinds too because light wakes my other half up so that could be an option.
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I think it's just down to experience then but I wouldn't get too hung up about exposure time. There are too many variables you can't fully control but I reckon that's half the fun. Mind you you the cost a DP sheet makes you want to get each exposure "right"!
Most likely. Yep, just over £1 a sheet now I think. Well I’m on the hunt for a cheap 4x5 pinhole camera that takes film holders or an old folding plate camera
Peter B
Double Numpty
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I tried a few direct positive shots for a review of the Harman Titan pinhole camera which is about as cheap as they get, but I didn't get to grips with it. I seem to recall @Woodsy was going to trial the Harman Direct positive, but I'm not sure exactly how that went and hopefully he'll pop by and tell us.
I think it will need a fair amount of trial and error. I just won a cheap but working 1/6th plate camera with a film adaptor in the holder, the seller used it for paper photos too, should be decent enough to experiment with. Has the same movements as a 4x5 anyway I think, it’s a Butchers Cameo.
Did you experiment with pre flashing to reduce the contrast? It seems people do this with an enlarger. As I don’t have one it would have to be with a normal ceiling light, I’d imagine the time would be a fair amount longer considering how much more intense an enlarger is
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No - I didn't have an enlarger then. I just exposed as is. I was mainly exposing indoors in winter so exposure times were an hour plus. I did a few outdoor summer exposures and that was more difficult to get correct exposure times. I have since pre flashed normal photographic paper, it's actually less light than you think.
Why not try at night in your darkest room a desk lamp (with an old fashioned incandescent bulb if you have one) say for 2,3 and 4 seconds and see what the results bring. (I used a desk lamp/incandescent bulb combo to get some contact prints before the enlarger - I got prints of very variable quality
).I don't know where you live but @swanseamale47 has a couple of enlargers he is giving away but collection only. Less desirable enlargers can be had dirt cheap - example: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/275983477693?hash=item4041e5abbd:g:QPEAAOSw9NVkxQtq&amdata=enc:AQAIAAAAwHmIiejwzn8UG6nYieLJkreAyAw6xdh9vQhTcNa/BXfCO9hLvCCNtAc7SOVMnjuP+lyTj4z7zXNZ7+l4U6tsKbBTzW0Sq08XyXY2JcYL8MoCHTGLtTFtIgzGoRICLLBZPwgF2u61kg7XxS8VbuJC+M/Js8Y037awPwInIQ4WMJIzpoC84UcX/xIfaPdY1f8AKX3xBsKhf7C6OhqG09oRJDF/dAE8u9VXwWbyhQy83BLZFl9KhyGXErk3MIGdn0IH9w==|tkp:Bk9SR5DU1YO9Yg
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I went out with a homemade pinhole and a commercial one pre-loaded with 4x5 DP paper. I then reloaded using a dark bag "in the field".
You've given me the impetus to get out and do more DP pinholes!
I have thought about doing the enlarger thing again but I’ve been moving away from normal film due to cost. I had a durst colour enlarger I used for 35mm but in the end the time, effort and money required to get a good print wasn’t worth it to me in the end. For normal photography I’m digital only now but as I do miss the film thing I want to do it again but with formats you can’t mimic with digital, hence the direct positive. I could be convinced to get a 4x5 for the direct positive if the little folder goes well but that’s a fair way off.No - I didn't have an enlarger then. I just exposed as is. I was mainly exposing indoors in winter so exposure times were an hour plus. I did a few outdoor summer exposures and that was more difficult to get correct exposure times. I have since pre flashed normal photographic paper, it's actually less light than you think.
Why not try at night in your darkest room a desk lamp (with an old fashioned incandescent bulb if you have one) say for 2,3 and 4 seconds and see what the results bring. (I used a desk lamp/incandescent bulb combo to get some contact prints before the enlarger - I got prints of very variable quality
I don't know where you live but @swanseamale47 has a couple of enlargers he is giving away but collection only. Less desirable enlargers can be had dirt cheap - example: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/275983477693?hash=item4041e5abbd:g:QPEAAOSw9NVkxQtq&amdata=enc:AQAIAAAAwHmIiejwzn8UG6nYieLJkreAyAw6xdh9vQhTcNa/BXfCO9hLvCCNtAc7SOVMnjuP+lyTj4z7zXNZ7+l4U6tsKbBTzW0Sq08XyXY2JcYL8MoCHTGLtTFtIgzGoRICLLBZPwgF2u61kg7XxS8VbuJC+M/Js8Y037awPwInIQ4WMJIzpoC84UcX/xIfaPdY1f8AKX3xBsKhf7C6OhqG09oRJDF/dAE8u9VXwWbyhQy83BLZFl9KhyGXErk3MIGdn0IH9w==|tkp:Bk9SR5DU1YO9Yg
Oh I’m in Essex
I had a zero 2000 pinhole I really liked but I get impatient, I waited 20min for an exposure once, it nearly killed me!
Good
it’s a shame the contrast is so high out of the box. I watched a video last night though, he took 8x10 portraits in the shade and got surprisingly good dynamic range.