Gosh maybe I bit off more than I could chew tonight. I wanted to do the secondary processing on all the remaining "Body Sellers" show prints, I did 18 last night and thought I might try the rest today. I think I have over 50 prints to bleach, re-fix, hypo clear, tone, wash and dry. I have not been doing as much as I should over the last 2 nights so thought I would push myself today, maybe it's to big of a push. I wanted to go looking for the Dibond Aluminum (for mounting prints) order tomorrow but I might have to put that off till Friday.
Luckily I have large sinks and lots of trays, I wish I did have the 3rd sink set up already as things would be much easier if I did. I currently have a large 20x24 washing tray (bought at cost from a friend, Rob) on the floor. This tray is completely filled with water and packed with prints, I am glad I chose the deep tray option with this purchase otherwise I would not have the room to store all these prints.
I am also trying something new, I am giving a weak bleach bath to entire prints, especially to some that are a bit to dark, in an attempt to save them. These bleach baths run from 30 seconds to 4 minutes. When you put the bleached print into the fixer it pops nicely, into a slightly raised contrast somewhat lighter version. I will have to see how these prints looked after toning/washing and drying but this might become a regular part of my printing routine.
Its important I get these wet prints into the washer and then dry them quickly otherwise I will get emulsion damage, that usually happens within 2 days or less with wet prints. Am going to have a quick meal and then back into the dark for another 5 or 6 hours, already did about 5. I need to finish this off and get those prints dry!
Update* Well I finished the bleaching/fixing/hypo clearing and toning at 8am so it only took me 4 hours. To do the toning I had 3 16x20 trays filled with selenium 1/20, I did 2 prints per tray back to back for 2 minutes. Doing 6 large prints at the same time required quick hands but I think it worked out well. I am now in the washing and drying stages, the drying will take a long time I broke out my back up drying stand I got free from a Monochrome Guild friend (thanks Court) and also my back up back up screens that I bought from a former darkroom worker who quit. I now have 2 washers washing prints one a 20x24 (got that one free also, thanks Rob) and a 16x20 washer (bought it from a non shooter photographer). I am basically using every piece of second hand equipment I ever bought or was given through the years!
Within 2 days I will know exactly where I stand with this show printing work, I will know which prints I need to reprint and how many more prints I need to make. My deadline is roughly 37-38 days to have the work printed, spotted, mounted and shipped to New Orleans. It will be a big relief to get this all done, then I can concentrate on making new pictures in Thailand for 5 weeks.
Luckily I have large sinks and lots of trays, I wish I did have the 3rd sink set up already as things would be much easier if I did. I currently have a large 20x24 washing tray (bought at cost from a friend, Rob) on the floor. This tray is completely filled with water and packed with prints, I am glad I chose the deep tray option with this purchase otherwise I would not have the room to store all these prints.
I am also trying something new, I am giving a weak bleach bath to entire prints, especially to some that are a bit to dark, in an attempt to save them. These bleach baths run from 30 seconds to 4 minutes. When you put the bleached print into the fixer it pops nicely, into a slightly raised contrast somewhat lighter version. I will have to see how these prints looked after toning/washing and drying but this might become a regular part of my printing routine.
Its important I get these wet prints into the washer and then dry them quickly otherwise I will get emulsion damage, that usually happens within 2 days or less with wet prints. Am going to have a quick meal and then back into the dark for another 5 or 6 hours, already did about 5. I need to finish this off and get those prints dry!
Update* Well I finished the bleaching/fixing/hypo clearing and toning at 8am so it only took me 4 hours. To do the toning I had 3 16x20 trays filled with selenium 1/20, I did 2 prints per tray back to back for 2 minutes. Doing 6 large prints at the same time required quick hands but I think it worked out well. I am now in the washing and drying stages, the drying will take a long time I broke out my back up drying stand I got free from a Monochrome Guild friend (thanks Court) and also my back up back up screens that I bought from a former darkroom worker who quit. I now have 2 washers washing prints one a 20x24 (got that one free also, thanks Rob) and a 16x20 washer (bought it from a non shooter photographer). I am basically using every piece of second hand equipment I ever bought or was given through the years!
Within 2 days I will know exactly where I stand with this show printing work, I will know which prints I need to reprint and how many more prints I need to make. My deadline is roughly 37-38 days to have the work printed, spotted, mounted and shipped to New Orleans. It will be a big relief to get this all done, then I can concentrate on making new pictures in Thailand for 5 weeks.
