Author Topic: New film... or is it paper  (Read 1525 times)

Francois

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New film... or is it paper
« on: April 15, 2016, 09:15:45 PM »
Well, good news in a way (and we all need more of them)
Galaxy photo paper is releasing a new product!
It's a special direct positive paper in... drum roll please... 120 format!
http://petapixel.com/2016/04/14/galaxys-direct-positive-photo-paper-now-available-medium-format/

Now that's got to put a smile on your face :)
Francois

Film is the vinyl record of photography.

jharr

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Re: New film... or is it paper
« Reply #1 on: April 15, 2016, 09:38:58 PM »
My immediate question is "Why would you turn a 6x6 camera to change the orientation of the image??"

Also, this is not DPP like from Harman, but just high speed printing paper that requires reversal processing.
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John Robison

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Re: New film... or is it paper
« Reply #2 on: April 16, 2016, 04:46:52 AM »
I backed their first project. This might be interesting.
But.
What I want to know is.
What is the attraction of direct positive pictures anyway? The image formed is a mirror image, reversed left to right. Any printing in the picture will be backwards. Your friends face will not look quite right (and it will be hard to put your finger on what is wrong other than the part in on the wrong side). There is a way around this, a 45 degree mirror in the light path. The original is the only copy, unless you want to make a copy negative.
On the other hand used as a negative has advantages.
No special processing. Develop-stop-fix-wash-dry.
Either by contact printing or scanning and printing, make as many copies as you desire.
You don't have to use this very expensive paper for the positive, you can use regular inexpensive paper at 1/4 the price of this paper.

Sandeha Lynch

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Re: New film... or is it paper
« Reply #3 on: April 16, 2016, 11:40:59 AM »
Tintypes are also reversed, but that's a part of their charm.  And this paper, while certainly pricey at present (import VAT being a killer) is nonetheless usefully faster than any other.  I think it will find its niche.

John Robison

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Re: New film... or is it paper
« Reply #4 on: April 16, 2016, 01:09:21 PM »
Tintypes are also reversed, but that's a part of their charm.  And this paper, while certainly pricey at present (import VAT being a killer) is nonetheless usefully faster than any other.  I think it will find its niche.
Yes, it's speed was why I backed their first KS campaign. And, I will probably back this one for 5 rolls. When I commented on the high prices it was in regard to contact printing this paper when it is used as a negative. You just use regular paper to print, you don't have to use the expensive high speed paper to make the positives. When I use this material I'd only use it to make negatives thus saving it for what it does well. My original interest in paper negatives is fueled by two things, low cost and you can work under safelight. The down side has been the very slow speed of regular paper, ISO 3 to 6 usually. The high speed of this paper solves that problem but at more than double the price of a roll of HP4 so, win and lose you might say.

As to the reversed image on DP paper, well it is probably a personal issue that bothers some people and not others. As to Tintypes? Well with that process you don't have a choice, the medium is not translucent. Even with a positive only image like a tintype, they were sometimes displayed in a fold open picture frame where one side was a mirror. Thus you could view the image as a reflection with the correction orientation.
Paper negatives seem popular enough that I've always wondered why no one ever made a paper specifically for that purpose. The paper would be designed for low contrast and a somewhat faster speed. Even ISO 25 or 50 would be a big help. Here in the US I can buy Ilford 120 in either HP4 or HP5 for $5 a roll currently. I don't know what the price is in the UK but so far our prices seem reasonable for B&W film.



jharr

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Re: New film... or is it paper
« Reply #5 on: April 16, 2016, 02:05:28 PM »
For portraiture, a reversed image is generally desirable if the sitter is the recipient of the photo. That is because most of us only see ourselves in the mirror. Our image of what we look like is reversed compared to how others see us. So while the reversed image may give our family a bit of uncanny valley, it will be just right for us (generally speaking).
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John Robison

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Re: New film... or is it paper
« Reply #6 on: April 16, 2016, 04:47:20 PM »
For portraiture, a reversed image is generally desirable if the sitter is the recipient of the photo. That is because most of us only see ourselves in the mirror. Our image of what we look like is reversed compared to how others see us. So while the reversed image may give our family a bit of uncanny valley, it will be just right for us (generally speaking).
I was thinking about that. I think that is why most of us don't care for our own visage in casual family snapshots. We are just not used to seeing ourselves except in a mirror. Perhaps that is why so many self portraits, at least on film, are of our reflection in a mirror. I think the same thing applies to our voice. To my own ear, the sound of my voice is  quite different than when I listen to a recording of myself. Then it is obvious that my voice still retains my southern Indiana regional roots in tonality and pronunciation.

But, for some reason, when I see a familiar scene that is backwards it bothers me. Especially backwards signs or other printing in the picture. Of course, if it is someone else's picture of a scene, where I have no prior knowledge of the area, then I would not have a clue that the image was reversed.

Francois

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Re: New film... or is it paper
« Reply #7 on: April 16, 2016, 09:15:36 PM »
The reason why your voice sounds different than on tape is that when you speak, the sound vibrations travel through our bone structure all the way to the ear. But when we hear a recording, we don't get this different sound path so our voice sounds alien to us.

Same thing for our own personal image.

If you want to have fun take a picture of someone you know and print it twice, once normal and once flipped horizontally and ask them which one they prefer.
Francois

Film is the vinyl record of photography.