[Leica] B&W developers

[mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner)]

Also, the fact that two separate chemicals are both called Pyro
The first one Pyrocatechol      Catechol also goes by 1,2-Dihydroxybenzene 
and Pyrocatechin also 1,2-Benenediol. And gets called Pyro but not by the 
people you should be listening too. 
The second Pyrogallol also goes by 1,2,3-Trihydroxybenzene also just called 
Pyro and called Pyrogallic Acid. 
I get them confused for some reason. But the second one is the one we should 
be calling Pyro. 

the first one ?Catechol? was the bomb blast one making for highly extended 
tonal range you could shoot a row of lightbulbs and see the filaments and 
read ?GE?, ?Phillips?.
Its formula was wrongly published in Ansel Adams photo series with a decimal 
point in the wrong place making for lots of not happy photogs who risked 
their lives shooting atomic bomb tests or very hot lightbulbs.
PMK is one of the only ways to make Pyro consistent using a second 
developing agent: Metol. When used in its traditional formulas you never 
know how your negs are going to look no matter what you did. Even after 
looking at them. They printed way different that they looked like they were 
going to print. You?d try the 4  grade contrast put it would need the 2.  
And so on.
If your breath the powder, it?s all over. 
And if you take your rubber gloves off which you always for sure wear and 
there is pyro on the gloves and you touch the pyro it?s all over.
Other than that, it?s just great. 
I passed on it.


 
 

-- 

Mark William Rabiner
Photographer

On 6/14/17, 4:41 PM, "LUG on behalf of Christopher Crawford" 
<lug-bounces+mark=rabinergroup.com at leica-users.org on behalf of chris at 
chriscrawfordphoto.com> wrote:

    You can?t really say ?Pyro? is ?Good? or ?Bad? because there are a bunch
    of pyro-based developers out there. I use PMK and with most of the films 
I
    have used it with, the tonality is gorgeous. Ilford FP4 and HP5 are my
    favorites, but I have gotten great results with Tmax 100, Tmax 400, and
    Fuji Acros.
    
    There are modern Pyro developers that have been designed for modern 
films,
    like PMK and Pyrocat. Older ones don?t work well with modern films, and
    that may be why you don?t think highly of Pyro.
    
    I?m not doing stand developing. PMK won?t work for that, it needs 
frequent
    agitation or it gives streaks and uneven developing.
    
    Here?s some examples:
    
    FP4 in PMK:
    
    http://chriscrawfordphoto.com/chris-details.php?product=1758
    
    http://chriscrawfordphoto.com/chris-details.php?product=1628
    
    http://chriscrawfordphoto.com/chris-details.php?product=1575
    
    http://chriscrawfordphoto.com/chris-details.php?product=2029
    
    
    
    HP5 in PMK:
    
    http://chriscrawfordphoto.com/chris-details.php?product=1824
    
    http://chriscrawfordphoto.com/chris-details.php?product=1866
    
    http://chriscrawfordphoto.com/chris-details.php?product=1756
    
    http://chriscrawfordphoto.com/chris-details.php?product=1757
    
    
    Pan-F in PMK:
    
    http://chriscrawfordphoto.com/chris-details.php?product=1645
    
    
    -- 
    Chris Crawford
    Fine Art Photography
    Fort Wayne, Indiana
    260-437-8990
    
    http://www.chriscrawfordphoto.com  My portfolio
    
    http://www.facebook.com/pages/Christopher-Crawford/48229272798
    Become a fan on Facebook
    
    
    
    
    
    On 6/14/17, 2:32 PM, "LUG on behalf of lluisripollphotography"
    <lug-bounces+chris=chriscrawfordphoto.com at leica-users.org on behalf of
    lluisripollphotography at gmail.com> wrote:
    
    >George,
    >
    >Your comment is very interesting for me, I?ve never developed with Pyro
    >for myself but I?ve worked with negatives developed in Pyro, grain and
    >fine structures are very fine but I think that the tonality gradation is
    >poor, it offers a great and nice contrast from Black to White but a
    >certain lack of gradation. I know some ones has employed it successful
    >with semi-stand development and a long time with very slow agitation. I
    >would appreciate very much your experience and comments about, thank 
you!
    >
    >Cheers
    >Lluis
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >> El 14 juny 2017, a les 16:00, George Lottermoser
    >><george.imagist at icloud.com> va escriure:
    >> 
    >> 
    >>> On Jun 14, 2017, at 5:05 AM, Gerry Walden <gwpics at me.com> wrote:
    >>> 
    >>> I don?t want to start and wars here, and I know this is a minefield 
in
    >>>which I will get a thousand and one answers, but is there any 
consensus
    >>>of opinion these days on a one-shot b&w developer?
    >>> 
    >>> Insanely I am thinking of doing my own processing of film again.
    >> 
    >> If you?ve never played with Pyro? you owe it to yourself to do so.
    >> A true difference in "edge."
    >> 
    >> fond regards,
    >> 
    >> George
    >> 
    >> http://www.imagist.com/blog
    >> http://www.imagist.com
    >> http://www.linkedin.com/imagist
    >> 
    >> 
    >> 
    >> 
    >> 
    >> 
    >> _______________________________________________
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