A Manual of Photographic Chemistry, Including the Practice of the Collodion ProcessHardwich, T. Frederick
Science
A Manual of Photographic Chemistry, Including the Practice of the Collodion Process
Hardwich, T. Frederick
Photographic chemistry; Photography
Secondly, to _whiten_ the surface of the reduced metal as much as
possible, in order to produce a sufficient contrast of light and shade.
Iodide of Silver developed in the usual way presents a dull yellow
appearance which is sombre and unpleasing.
_The Collodion and Nitrate Bath for Positives._--Good Positives may be
obtained by diluting down a sample of Collodion with Ether and Alcohol
until it gives a pale bluish film in the Bath. The proportion of Iodide
of Silver being in that case small, the action of the high lights is less
violent, and the shadows are allowed more time to impress themselves. The
dilution lessens the amount of Pyroxyline in the Collodion at the same
time with the Iodide, which is an advantage, the slight and transparent
films always giving more sharpness and definition in the picture.
The employment of a very thin film for Positives is not however always a
successful process. The particles of the Iodide of Silver being closely
in contact with the glass, unusual care is required in cleaning the
plates in order to avoid stains; and the amount of free Nitrate of Silver
retained upon the surface of the film being small, circular patches of
imperfect development are liable to occur, unless the reducing agent be
scattered evenly and perfectly over the surface. Also if free Iodine or
organic substances which have a retarding effect on the action of light
are present to a considerable extent, the Collodion will not work well
with a small proportion of Iodide. The Author found in experimenting on
this subject that with perfectly pure Collodion and a _neutral_ Bath most
vigorous impressions were produced when the density of the film had been
so far reduced by dilution that scarcely anything could be seen upon the
glass; but with Collodion strongly tinted with Iodine, or with a Bath
containing Nitric Acid, it was necessary to stop the dilution at a certain
point or the film became absolutely insensitive to feeble radiations of
light, and the shadows could not be brought out by any amount of exposure.
In this case, by adding more Iodide a better effect was obtained.
A thicker Collodion may be used for positives if a little free Iodine be
added, for the purpose of diminishing intensity and keeping the shadows
clear during the development. This process is easier to practice than the
last, but does not always give the same perfect definition.
No organic substance of the class to which Glycyrrhizine and Sugars belong
should be added to Collodion which is to be used for Positives. By so
doing the image would be rendered intense, and the high lights liable to
solarization, _id est_, a dark appearance by reflected light.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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