The American annual of photography . it has notyet arrived. As I have chosen gum bichromate as my ideal medium ofexpression for pictorial work I shall not attempt a defenseof either the process or its devotees. We know that the onlyway to solve the problem of successful development is byearnest and persistent effort until for one of us the time willarrive. For a time I was devoted to brush development on platinumwith glycerin restrainer. One has a fair measure of controland for sketchy effects it can hardly be surpassed; also wheresome undesirable portion of the negative is to be eliminatedit
The American annual of photography . it has notyet arrived. As I have chosen gum bichromate as my ideal medium ofexpression for pictorial work I shall not attempt a defenseof either the process or its devotees. We know that the onlyway to solve the problem of successful development is byearnest and persistent effort until for one of us the time willarrive. For a time I was devoted to brush development on platinumwith glycerin restrainer. One has a fair measure of controland for sketchy effects it can hardly be surpassed; also wheresome undesirable portion of the negative is to be eliminatedit has its advantages. For strength, breadth and virility, how-ever, there is nothing that can approach gum-bichromateprinting. Oil printing may be in the same category, but so farmy attempts have not been so successful as to justify me toabandon the other, though I will admit being fascinated with itspossibilities. In gum printing every step is absolutely in the power ofthe worker; the choice of paper, the pigment, the composition 18. SHIPYARD, MIAMI RIVER. GEORGE STEELE SEYMOUR. of gum and bichromate solutions, so that one can fit anysubject and almost any quality negative. I know the univer-sally accepted opinion is that, theoretically at least, the shortestcurve is credited to gum work in relation to gradation oftones. Modification of the solutions, however, particularlythe gum, will give a wide range of tones and permit anyamount of detail and delicacy of rendering to be obtained. Inprinting one may resort to all the known dodges or which maybe suggested by the exigencies of the case, such as vignettingor shading and finally flashing the prints. Then in developing one may use so many means and meth-ods to fit each particular case. Floating face down in coldwater for spontaneous development and, if necessary, raisingthe temperature. Brushing with soft and hard brushes, astream of water with more or less force, local developmentwith hot water, sawdust in water poured over print
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookpublishernewyorktennantandw
