B&W for Newbies

Tips for beginners who want to advance as B&W photographers:

TRADITIONAL DARKROOM PRINTING

Get More Fiber:

If you have access to a darkroom and love to print, this is my #1 tip: dump the RC (resin coated) paper and go the FB (fiber based) route. RC paper has only one good quality: fast drying. RC prints look like absolute hell in the opinion of most who are serious about B&W (I’d love to hear from any serious B&W worker who disagrees). The blacks are pallid and the overall look is weak and muddy, and RC prints deteriorate quickly. There is nothing like the beauty and feel of a well-made fiber print; if you can do a side-by-side test of RC vs. fiber paper with the same negative, you’ll see the dramatic difference. Fiber paper may not be at your local camera store, but ordering from B&H, Calumet, Adorama or Freestyle (and others) is easy.

Print it Straight:

Don’t be intimidated by complex printing. You do not have to master dodging and burning to make prints you’ll be proud of. Focus on making good straight (unmanipulated) prints first. If you have a good neg and make a competent straight print from it, you’re doing well indeed. I do not believe in fighting my negatives, a conviction that partly stems from the fact that I find intricate manipulation quite difficult. Only when a dodge or burn is crying out to be made will I go to the trouble. Learn to make a good straight print, on fiber-based paper, and you’re well on your way.

Write it Down, to Back it Up:

Write this info on the back of each piece of paper before you print:

Brand of paper, exposure duration, f-stop of the enlarger lens, what lens is being used, name of developer (and dilution), development time and if your developer is any other temperature than 68 degrees F, note that temperature. Example, for Ilford Gallerie paper in Dektol: “Ilf. Gall. #2, 24 secs., f8, 80mm, Dek. 1/3, 2 mins.” I also like to add the date of the printing. Some say you must note the enlarger height as well. WHY BOTHER? So you can make additional prints at a later time without reinventing the wheel.

DIGITAL PRINTING

No enlarger? Make an Inkjet Negative and contact print it: Check out this great resource on using a simple inkjet printer to make negatives for contact printing onto real photo paper.

http://www.danburkholder.com/Pages/main_pages/book_info_main_page1.htm

GO MEDIUM FORMAT, FOR POCKET CHANGE

There is nothing like medium format for film shooters who are used to the tiny 35mm frame. Search “medium format” on ebay and you’ll find plenty of inexpensive medium format cameras. (MORE TO COME ON THIS SUBJECT)

We’ll discuss everything that concerns people starting out in B&W photography, from shooting (film and digital), to developing film & B&W darkroom and inkjet printing, and everything else.

Girl on Bicycle, First Day of Summer, Eden Street, Bar Harbor Maine

Photo by Eric Rudolph

Shot in June 2007 with a Canon Rebel XT (short zoom lens;)

Eric Rudolph