Notes and Queries, Number 173, February 19, 1853: A Medium of Inter-communication for Literary Men, Artists, Antiquaries, Genealogists, etc.Various
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Notes and Queries, Number 173, February 19, 1853: A Medium of Inter-communication for Literary Men, Artists, Antiquaries, Genealogists, etc.
Various
Questions and answers -- Periodicals
Mix the water and acetic acid first; then dissolve the iron; and, lastly,
add the nitric acid, which, by varying the quantity, produces different
effects. On pouring the solution over the plate, there is sometimes a
difficulty experienced in causing it to flow evenly. Sometimes a little
more acetic acid in the developing solution, or, if the plate has been out
of the bath some time, redipping it, will prevent this; but if this does
not remove it, and the resulting picture is hard and unpleasant in tone, a
new bath is necessary. For positives, the resulting picture is more
pleasing and delicate by using the developing agent rather weak. After it
has remained on sufficiently long to bring out the image, the undecomposed
iodide is to be removed by hyposulphite of soda. I always use the same
solution, pouring it on and off until exhausted. Having sufficiently
washed, the picture may perhaps appear with many black spots, this may in
future be obviated by adding a little alcohol to the collodion:--or it may
be covered with white spots; in that case the collodion requires settling,
or rapidly filtrating through an old piece of loose silk. Sometimes it will
look all black and white (a common fault with collodion positives), without
middle tints: by adding a little more acetic acid, or an extra drop of
nitric acid, to the developing solution, or the addition of a few drops of
ordinary pyrogallic solution, this disagreeable effect may be overcome. In
taking portraits, it is often caused by having the sitter placed with too
much front light. Then, again, the should-be whites of the picture may be
dull and greenish by reflected, and red by transmitted, light. This effect
I generally find remedied by putting less nitric acid in the developing
solution. During the development, by watching the colour (by holding a
piece of white paper underneath), this red tendency may be observed; in
that case the drawing may be preserved by leaving the plate for about a
minute after pouring the developing agent off, and before removing the
iodide. Some change appears to take place by its contact with the air; it
gradually gets more opaque, and when finished, though not so white as many,
yet presenting an extremely rich brownish-yellow tone.
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