[Leica] B&W developers

Thu Jun 15 00:40:44 PDT 2017

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 can¹t really say ³Pyro² is ³Good² or ³Bad² 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 don¹t work well with modern films, and
    that may be why you don¹t think highly of Pyro.

    I¹m not doing stand developing. PMK won¹t work for that, it needs frequent
    agitation or it gives streaks and uneven developing.

    Here¹s 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, I¹ve never developed with Pyro
    >for myself but I¹ve 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 don¹t 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 you¹ve never played with PyroŠ 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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