I have always read the questions regarding pyro and PMK as well as responses that vary from fanatical to damning with amusement. I will try to give some of my experience that may be helpful to anyone who has toyed with pyro or are thinking about it. I think I am actually a fanatic but instead of telling everyone how magical it is I will try to give some practical advice. Due to a personality flaw I hava a problem ditching things until I have completely mastered them, I think many B+W photographers have this tendency.(posted 8593 days ago)A few years ago I decided I wasn't quite happy with my rodinal APX100 combination because of the inability to reproduce skin tones, specular catch lights in eye's, and other highlights in portaits with the seperation and subtle gradation I was after. Don't get me wrong that combination is good, but I wanted more. I remembered reading in various places many pyro users raving about the highlight seperation that they were getting. I decided to see what PMK could do, so I bought the book, some chemicals, and some HP5, FP4, and Pan F. I started to play around and did see some of the things that made pyro different but it was not near as good or easy as most fanatics declare from my standpoint.
No disrespect intended but I think Gordon Hutchings left some critical details out of his book for People just getting into PMK, especially with VC paper.
When using VC paper:
1. Forget everything you have ever learned about when making prints. This is going to be a new experience that you have to re-learn from a visual stanpoint.
2. Unlike other negatives, highlights change slower that shadows when you make exposure adjustments. This translates into changing exposure also changes contrast at the same time. more exposure = more contrast, less exposure = less contrast. If the highligts look just about right but the shadows look way way too dark do not reach for a lower contrast filter, try less exposure first (Sometimes a lot less).
3. All of the instant reactions to test prints that you have made with other negatives over the years are absolutely wrong for pyro negatives. You will have to readjust your reactions and visual evaluation over again for pyro on VC paper.
4.When learning to readjust your exposure/contrast reactions. Deliberately make a print that is way too light for a reference. You will be amazed that the highlights won't look flat white. Then make it darker until you get good blacks. If you cannot do this without bringing the highlights down into the upper midtones then increase the contrast a little bit and try again.
5. If you react the way you normally would, you will be way off.
Once you get a feel for this the way you did with regular negatives getting to the right exposure/contrast will be much less tricky and you will understand how magical pyro/PMK is (Think the best print you ever made, the one that just glows. Now imagine that any negative at all can look like that. That is just about what PMK is like once you readjust your printing habits)
I happen to like all of the Ilford films and Verichrome pan processed around what Gordon Hutchings recommends as N-1. They print great on G3-G31/2 VC paper and great on my huge stock of Ektalure when appropriate.
email me if you have any specific questions for a one time pyro hater turned true fanatic over the last 2 years.