Some new paper and a couple of prints

You may remember that I showed a series of pictures taken with a zone plate a few months ago. At the time I spent some time trying to find a UK source for Moab Unryu washi paper, that I wanted to print the pictures on. I then ordered some paper from a UK distributer in December and it arrived last week (!)

The paper is a japanese washi paper made from mulberry and with random strands laid in the paper. It is 55gsm and semi translucent. I've spent a couple of evening getting the paper profiled - made more difficult as it has fibres laid within it that confuse the spectro - and working out a suitable ink limit (lower than most heavier papers), finally getting something useful.

I've now printed two pictures on it and have photographed them hanging in order to also show the hangers that I'm using for this series. I've also included a couple of details to tryand show the strands in the paper and how they react to ink.

Please excuse the 50s barrel distortion.

Mike

Hi Mike,
I'll admit I had to scour Wiki and elsewhere in order to educate my dullard brain regading washi paper!
I'm slightly better informed now, but none the wiser...

These are truly delicate and beautiful images!
I cannot imagine how well they appear in print!
Very, very well done!

Hi Mike,

Judging papers on the web is next to impossible, one has to see and touch them. But this looks like a winning combo, right?

PS: What profiling device/sw did you use?

Cheers,

Beautiful! Nothing says light like light!

Thank you everyone. Yes, I really like this paper for these pictures. Intereestingly it also works for some more 'straight' photos, but I think a bit of care is needed. I profiled it with the inbuilt spectro on the HP Z3100, but was getting to the point o breaking out the eye one as the first attempts were either a complete failure to build a profile or gave a very non-linear result. However, this profile, with reduced ink load seems to work pretty well.

MIke

Mike,

These are an outstanding match for the delicate sensibility of the zone plate images. I wonder whether they might look especially interesting trans-illumnated, like a stained-glass window.

Asher

Thanks Asher - I might try that and see.

MIke