Contact Printing!

[Dawid Loubser]

Well, not that this is news - people have known for about 150 years - but I have done my first contact print, and it's quite something to behold. I get the feeling that the conventional calculations in terms of the human eye being able to see such-and-such resolution on a print do not tell the full story. Otherwise, I should not be able to perceive a difference between this and small prints from medium-format negatives.

Perhaps like those so inclined to pour ridiculous sums of money into high-fedility audio (at ever diminishing returns), I can now see that there is that something about contact prints - hi-fi imaging?

My chosen image is a simple one. I am a sucker for shallow depth of field (one of the reasons I moved into large format was to gain the ability to produce shallow-focus images with perfect image quality in the in-focus areas, and gorgeous smooth tones even at ISO 1600) and I am a sucker for steam locomotive details:

http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2011/135/a/3/gea_garratt_detail_by_philosomatographer-d3getad.jpg

I specifically composed this image for a contact print - i.e. it has to be minimalist, and not packed with detail across the frame. A "busy" contact print could never work, in my opinion - you need paper real estate for the eye to take it all in.

A posted scan does not prove much - but on the paper, it's something else. I leaps off the page, packed with infinitesimally fine detail.

I will probably continue to enlarge most of my large format work, but I just wanted to share that I too had discovered the joys of contact printing. Oh no, I must be getting old... Or one of those weird hi-fi guys!


P.S. The real reason for this thread is to coax Asher out of hiding, we want to see some of your contact prints with your 8x10in and your Super-Symmar 150XL... Please?

[Asher Kelman]

Well, not that this is news - people have known for about 150 years - but I have done my first contact print, and it's quite something to behold. I get the feeling that the conventional calculations in terms of the human eye being able to see such-and-such resolution on a print do not tell the full story. Otherwise, I should not be able to perceive a difference between this and small prints from medium-format negatives.

Perhaps like those so inclined to pour ridiculous sums of money into high-fedility audio (at ever diminishing returns), I can now see that there is that something about contact prints - hi-fi imaging?

My chosen image is a simple one. I am a sucker for shallow depth of field (one of the reasons I moved into large format was to gain the ability to produce shallow-focus images with perfect image quality in the in-focus areas, and gorgeous smooth tones even at ISO 1600) and I am a sucker for steam locomotive details:

http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2011/135/a/3/gea_garratt_detail_by_philosomatographer-d3getad.jpg

I specifically composed this image for a contact print - i.e. it has to be minimalist, and not packed with detail across the frame. A "busy" contact print could never work, in my opinion - you need paper real estate for the eye to take it all in.

A posted scan does not prove much - but on the paper, it's something else. I leaps off the page, packed with infinitesimally fine detail.

I will probably continue to enlarge most of my large format work, but I just wanted to share that I too had discovered the joys of contact printing. Oh no, I must be getting old... Or one of those weird hi-fi guys!


P.S. The real reason for this thread is to coax Asher out of hiding, we want to see some of your contact prints with your 8x10in and your Super-Symmar 150XL... Please?

This is exactly what I long to see more of. In the swallowing up of traditional art of photography by simple to use digital snapping, we have lost a lot! I'm so impressed with contact prints. 8x10 is a great size and doing this in platinum of carbon will be even more spectacular.

BTW, how are you scanning your prints?

Asher

[Dawid Loubser]

BTW, how are you scanning your prints?

Harware: Epson V700, Software: Vuescan, Storage and Final output: Apple Aperture

Your turn to post some contact prints!

[Asher Kelman]

Harware: Epson V700, Software: Vuescan, Storage and Final output: Apple Aperture

Your turn to post some contact prints!

A promise! Hopefully in 10 days. My first pics need to come back to me and then I need a new scanner! I'm wondering about a v750 v. a 1000XL or a used high end scanner!

Asher

[Maris Rusis]

I have wondered about making photographs by contact exposure with a negative compared to projection with an enlarger. Since 8x10 is my regular format but I occasionally use one of the 4x5 cameras both options are available so I yielded to curiosity and did some testing.

Photographs made by contact exposure with 4x5 and 8x10 negatives are of equivalent technical quality, just different (er, obviously) sizes. The 4x5 is too small for most subjects and the 8x10 is the minimum to deliver a sense of "presence".

An 8x10 enlargement from a 4x5 negative is awfully good but an 8x10 negative either contacted or projected beats it visibly. Either photograph is so good it could make the average digi-grapher's eyes fall out.

An 8x10 "enlargement" from an 8x10 negative made with a first class enlarger (Durst 184 for me) is not as good as the same photograph made by contact. The photograph made by projection shows fine white lines thinner than they should be and fine black lines thicker than expected. All this happens at the just visible micro scale and is caused by image flare inevitable in even the best enlarger+lens combinations. This is a comparison only photographers with an (irrational?) obsession about image fidelity, from first vision, to negative, to final photograph, need to make in order to console themselves about the pains of large format camera work.
__________________

[Dawid Loubser]

This past weekend I scanned the companion image to my original post:

Garratts in Profile
http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2011/150/c/f/garratts_in_profile_by_philosomatographer-d3hkxhj.jpg
(Linhof Technika V, Nikkor 360mm T-ED @ f/8, Ilford HP5+)

The extreme brightness difference between the shadow area on the black locomotives, and the bright whites in the afternoon sun, are rather difficult to tame.

[Asher Kelman]

Superb work, Dawid,

I love the rich range tones and the details in the shadows. Are you scanning a print or the negative? If the latter, do you wet mount it and if so, how?

Maris,

Thanks for the insight on the projection v. contact print of 8x10. Whites being too thin and black to fat is a subtle difference you have discovered that might be useful in softening the image in a particular way if that's what you wished.

Asher

[Dawid Loubser]

Superb work, Dawid,
I love the rich range tones and the details in the shadows. Are you scanning a print or the negative? If the latter, do you wet mount it and if so, how?


For this thread, the first image was my scanned contact print, but the second one (that you commented on here) is a direct scan of the negative (which I hate doing) but I am currently darkroom-less. Scanned prints have visibly better tones in my opinion, i.e. looking at the first image.

No wet mounting, it's just a standard scan with my Epson V700 in the plastic 4x5in film holders, after fiddling with them to get the focus decent.

[Carsten Wolff]

re 10000XL: A few years ago I've had access to one at work and I have to say that I wasn't that impressed with the scans...focus was an act and even tonality less than I would have liked. I guess a V750 with a "betterscanning" back and decent software is the bees knee's in the flatbed world for film scanning but can't back that up objectively either. Ahh, the internet. Call Mythbusters.

[Asher Kelman]

I have acquired used Topaz from a printing company. I had 2 strong men drag up the stairs to my studio. I have to get a technician to help me learn how to get it going. It better work for the amount of labor and back ache it caused!

Asher