Topic: splitgrade and first B&W print in months

[Heather]

Decided this negative would be a good guineapig for trying out splitgrade printing which I've never done before. I assume I did it right because it looks pretty good. I did 25seconds on yellow (dialed up all the way) then 25seconds on magenta (dialed up all the way). I'm vaguely amazed that the paper could happily take that much exposure as i did a straight test print before deciding on the split-grade and thought the overall time for that was about 25seconds too  I might just lack talent in printing, though.  Cyanotypes still seem easier for my poor brain...

Also this is a bit of a silly negative. I have a small stockpile of Tri-X in 120 sitting around so I decided to do EI 3200 at the theatre get-in (where we get all the set into the theatre and set up on stage). Then developed it in Rodinal 1+50 for 30minutes, using 30second initial agitation then only one inversion every 5 minutes. So they came out pretty good for the abuse I gave them.

oh yeah and camera is my new-to-me Yashica-A my uncle gave me which looks frighteningly brandspankin' new and minty.

[Sorry, image deleted during forum software upgrade. Please re-upload if so inclined.]

[Fintan]

Having seen Les Mclean doing split grade printing on or workshops, I was astonished how much detail is possible.

He has a short article on his website which you might find interesting. Have fun....

http://www.lesmcleanphotography.com/articles.php?page=full&article=21

[Heather]

Oh yeah that's where I saw that tutorial. When I decided I'd try it out, I thought it was in the Tim Rudman book i just bought (can't find it, lost to the junkyroomdemons) but I did clearly remember the picture of the car handle... which wasn't from the Tim Rudman book after all, it's that page  I love how it just works. I wish I knew how or why it works but I'm happy just getting decent prints out of stuff I previously ripped my hair out at with just contrast control and exposure.

[Fintan]

This is the book Heather

http://www.rhdesigns.co.uk/darkroom/html/creative_bw_photography.html

[Karl]

I've recently used this method for the first time and it was real eye-opener, especially for certain negatives. I had a low contrast sea-scape with quite flat light and it didn't make much of a difference. However, a negative of waves breaking on a shingle beach was transformed from a lifeless print to something I was quite proud of. 

[LT]

I very rarely print using a single grade these days.  splitgrade  gives so much better control.  Especially when manipulating to control local contrasts.