[ Post New Message | Post Reply to this One | Send Private Email to Ted Kaufman | Help ]

Response to "creamy" skin tones?

from Ted Kaufman (writercrmp@aol.com)
Both Delta films can produce the look you are after. Acros and TMX, too. Of course only Delta 400 meets your speed requirement.

With careful attention, most any developer can produce the tonal scale you're looking for. But it's pretty hard to beat PMK for skin tone.

I have to ask, therefore, why not PMK? If you are concerned about toxicity, you needn't be if you take simple, common sense precautions- -don't breathe it, drink it, or bathe in it. For tank development you don't even need gloves, just wash it off if you spill any on your hands. It's not nearly as threatening as many seem to think.

It's been asserted that some photographers (notably Weston) in the past have experienced health problems from using pyro. But these examples happened from constant, heavy exposure to pyro where, for example, photographers would immerse their hands in the stuff for lengthy periods, day after day. It is poisonous and it can be absorbed through the skin, so sensible precaution is required. But that's all. It's not radioactive and it will not cause your skin to shrivel and turn black if you happen to spill any on you. So don't avoid using PMK because you think it's terribly dangerous. It just isn't.

(posted 8121 days ago)

[ Previous | Next ]