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Response to Paper and Developer - Establishing my style

from John Hicks (jbh@magicnet.net)
Wow! Are you by chance a professional pilot?

The reason I ask is that I once helped an airline pilot get sorted out in photography; it took him a _full year_ to come to grips with the notion that photography isn't like flying and there's no instrument rating.

Or iow, it took him a year to get around to just enjoying the process.

Pick a paper, any paper, something that's readily available locally rather than something weird that has to be brought in by camel caravan, and pick a developer, also a "standard" that's readily available.

Print a few boxes of it. Get to know it. If you like cool tones don't buy a paper labeled "warmtone." See what toners do to it.

Then, later, if you see a print that you like, give that paper a try. You'll be working from some experience, not just picking a combination because someone else uses it and trying to force it to fit _your_ work or forcing your work to fit the character of the paper.

Suggestions? Ilford MG IV FB in Ethol LPD 1:3 toned in selenium 1:4 two to three minutes. Neutral tone.

Personally I have reservations about someone who stands around developing paper for five or more minutes....

(posted 8943 days ago)

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