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MQ Base, a flexible black and white photographic print developer

MQ Base is a three-part photographic paper developer based on metol and hydroquinone (MQ). The developer is in three parts to maximize its flexibility. Follow the instructions below to mix the stock solutions. Then combine varying amounts of MQ Base, carbonate, bromide and water to make these tray-strength developers: Separating the accelerator (carbonate) means that...

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Julia Margaret Cameron, fellow lover of terrible equipment

Here’s an interesting post from Artsy about how three Victorian women photographers influenced photography and painting. It’s a fascinating article and not too long. I am glad that these photographers are still relevant. I’m also glad to read modernist lion Beaumont Newhall criticizing Julia Margaret Cameron’s work: “She ‘used badly made lenses to destroy detail,...

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Don’t Take Pictures: Structure

I’m so pleased to announce that Don’t Take Pictures has selected my photograph, Ducts, for their Structure exhibition on their web site. Most of us spend the majority of our days inside of buildings. More than strictly shelters, the architectural styles and details of buildings show different geographic, cultural, and historic aspects of our world....

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Is perfect scene reproduction necessary?

Today I’m looking at images from The Mobile Darkroom, a project by Shane Arsenault and Natalia Barberis. They’re shooting Harman Direct Positive, a photograpic paper that produces a positive image directly without needing a negative, in a 16×20 view camera. (Their site is down currently, it was at https://www.themobiledarkroom.ca). Arsenault and Barberis have me thinking...

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Laurent Girard, master printer, dropping science like beat poetry

Laurent Girard is a master black and white printer based in NYC. I just discovered his astonishing blog, A Printer’s Life. I’m not going to try to tell you who he’s printed for. The list is too big to comprehend. He writes like beat poetry. It’s frantic. Here’s a taste. “then the developer, i don’t...

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