Wet Printing

[raathistle]

This is just a quiick post in the middle of washing some of my first (very crap ) attempts at printing to say how much more fun this is than running off a print on a printer.

Anyone who shoots for fun and who has a room with a window that can be blacked out has GOT to try this.

Hopefully some pictures tomorrow but for now I'm going back to do some more playing. Meanwhile everyone go out and buy an enlarger and some paper

 

[joxby]

The Bride of Frankenstein

"She's alive!...She's alive!

Doesn't matter how ugly she is, she's alive, and you made her, with real stuff.

Film got me when I began to think that the end result is less important to me personally, than the route taken to the end result.

 

[dazzajl]

Film got me when I began to think that the end result is less important to me personally, than the route taken to the end result.

Another journeyman.

it is very special isn't it Chris. I haven't made a real print in many years now but I still think of myself as a printer first and a snapper second. I guess because that's where I started out commercially. It's rewarding, for me at least, in a way that working off of a monitor never could be.

 

[LKavaney]

I love hand printing!! I keep thinking I should kit out an area in my bathroom...

 

[raathistle]

"She's alive!...She's alive!"

It's very strange watching the print suddenly appear in the developer, it's exactly that kind of feeling, and it's crazily quick.

When I read developing times of 1-2 minutes I didn't really believe it, thinking about how long film takes, but it is literally a case of blank sheet of paper, stange gray shapes, picture

I think I'm hooked :bonk:

 

[skullfish]

If you don't mind my asking, what kit did you have to get together to do a print run? I fancy printing my own 120 film after sending it away to get fixed in a lab.

Can you recommend any particular websites or books for resources?

 

[raathistle]

Straight printing is fairly simple, but you need to do a bit of work to get the best from the negs (I do not claim to be anything of an expert at all with a total of about 30 prints so far)

Basic equipment is an enlarger, some trays for chemicals, a sink (or other running water supply), a thermometer, and some tongs to transfer the print frtom tray to tray.

You will most likley be using a second (at least) hand enlarger, mine and almost all the ones I looked at came with no instruction manual, so this link is a good place to bookmark for the filtration values and other basic help for multigrade printing.

Book wise I bought John Blakemores Black and White Photography Workshop. Its really good and I dont think I'm going to outgrow it for a long time, with split grade printing and other techniques discussed.

Best advice is to just try a few prints and see if you like it. I did and I'm hooked

 

[KeriAnn]

I totally agree. I love wet printing. Nothing beats that feeling of producing a nice print yourself

 

[madamelemon]

I love wet printing. When I went to uni they expected us to run it throught the machine it completely ruined it for me. Its quite magical seeing it suddenly appear in front of you.