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02/24/2004 Entry: "searching for the BIG negs"

I'm still delving through various resources and techniques for the optimum method to produce enlarged negatives for alt-process work. The contact print on lith film to get an interpositive isn't working too well when going from 35mm to 8x10 or larger. The lith emulsion is so delicate that scratches are a big problem, especially when working in a communal/school darkroom. Everyone's careful and tries to treat the film with great tenderness but when there are a dozen or so negs swirling in the wash tray, scratches are too likely to occur.

Last night I tried printing 35mm on Arista Pro 125 b/w film. Results were mixed and not too promising. I don't think the school darkroom is entirely dark, at least not enough to allow working with film. There's enough light seeping through the ceiling tile grid to make tray development almost worthless. I attempted a test strip and one experimental enlargement to make a guesstimate at exposure. Too much fog to really work with, but I did try a few test exposures for later development at home. My exposure times seem to have been a bit long, and some increased development wouldn't hurt if I try this method again.

I hope to be able to spend some time in class Saturday making a few lith negs from these tests. I'll also try enlarging 35mm to a 4x5 interpositive and then enlarge that to get my final big negative. A few small scratches on a 4x5 should be much less troublesome than the same size scratch on a tiny 35mm frame.