23
May
2018
Pyro
When we first started working with Pyro developers it took some time to realize exactly how the different look and feel of the film would translate into the finished print. There are those that say there is no difference between different film developers. They may also say there is no difference in the film you choose. That is like saying there is no difference between Ford and Chevy; no difference between red or white wine. Maybe for some this may be the case. But for those that take the time to really look and absorb the image, there is always a difference. Fred Picker said, “different is not the same!”
Over the past 20 or so years Pyro film developers have again become popular, with modern reformulations for modern film. John Wimberley, Gordon Hutchings, Sandy King, Jay DeFehr, among others, have done a lot of research and have formulated numerous reincarnations of Pyro film developers, specifically designed for use with modern film. Steve Sherman, Bob Herbst, Michael A. Smith and Steve Simmons have written extensively about Pyro developers and their unique qualities. Susan and I have made our choice based on our own real world experiences. We join with the many others that are also Pyro developer users.
10
Feb
2018
IS A PYRO FILM DEVELOPER RIGHT FOR YOU?
The first time I used pyrogallol was unforgettable. During lunchtime on a hot summer day in 1970, I left work and climbed a hill nearby to expose some test negatives. That evening, I tray processed the 4×5 Plus-X in Kodak D-1, a classic version of “ABC Pyro.” When I turned on the light, what I saw made my heart pound. The negatives were beautiful: tones were spectacularly differentiated throughout the density range, especially in the highlights. And what sharpness! I knew I’d finally found my developer.*
-John Wimberly-
I believe that an artist is never satisfied. As photographers, we all started somewhere. For me it began many years ago; more than I care to count. I can remember when it was a thrill, almost magic, to just get something from the camera to a finished print. My early attempts now do not excite me that much but they were where I started and I cannot deny my vision and skills have changed over the years. My wife and I have continued to hone our photographic vision and skills and we continue to evolve. The journey through creativity is never ending.
So, what does this all have to do with developers? Film, camera, lenses, chemicals and process are all only a means to the end product; the finished print. Each item alone may or may not be of major significance, but everything plays a roll all the way to the end. For many years we used Kodak HC-110 film developer. I fine tuned the developing times and even had my own dilution that I called Dilution JBH. We have hundreds of LF and ULF negatives processed in HC-110. This is about the best film developer you can use if you are just starting out. I am not a practitioner of the film of the month club nor the developer of the month club either. I believe you choose carefully, then spend your time wringing everything you possibly can from your choices. But, as I say, an artist is never satisfied. There is always that little something more.
This drive for continually progressing forward is what led me to begin exploring Pyro developers. I did a lot of research. We both did a lot of real-world testing, using numerous Pyro film formulas. This quest turned into several years of experimentation, but we both feel we learned a lot and did find that little something extra. We both agree the effort was well worth the time we invested.
Pyro film developers are different. Though the difference is very subtle and really cannot be fully appreciated unless you have some experience with the more traditional developers. I would never recommend that a newcomer to film photography start with a Pyro developer. You need to refine your skills first with a non-staining developer, so you will see the minute differences a Pyro developer creates.
JB
* “PyroTechnics Plus: Formulating a New Developer” by John Wimberly, Photo Techniques Magazine, March/April 2003, p.34-37
15
Mar
2011
WHAT PAPER DEVELOPER ARE YOU USING THESE DAYS?
So. . . everyone has their preferred brands, methods, techniques and such. I have mine for sure. As Fred Picker said, “if you have been around for twenty years or more and haven’t formed any opinions, what have you been doing?” I miss Fred!
There seems to be a lot of paper developer formulas floating around. My wife and I have tried our share of so-called ‘magic’ formulas. We have been down the Amidol road, and don’t get me wrong, Amidol is a great developer but it is far from magic. Amidol is about the best I have found for Azo. Yes we do print on Azo, in fact, we have a stock of it on hand. I would just like to go on the record as not being a person that subscribes to the idea there are magic bullet formulas. There is what works for you and that can be anything that suits your way of seeing. Anyone that has a one-size-fits-all attitude, usually has something to sell.
We have had our frustrations with Amidol developers. And I am not convinced that it is the best, certainly not the only, developer suitable for Azo or any other paper. In a side-by-side test my wife and I determined that Amidol was our developer of choice several years ago. There is a subtle edge there that is not something you can put into words, but there is a difference we decided worth exploring. But Amidol is expensive and can be frustrating to use at times. Yes, we have tried all of the popular formulas. I have just not been too impressed with the results I have obtained at times. What I was searching for was a cold-tone developer. Not only for Azo, but for the other printing papers we use. At times Amidol was still giving a green cast on Azo. Not bad but annoying and required lengthy toning in selenium to offset. I like a cold, neutral tone for most of what I print and the Amidol formulas just wasn’t consistent enough for me. I was not happy with how things were working. It was time to do some research.
I found a lot of interest on the Internet about a Pyro base paper developer formulated by Donald Miller. Mr. Miller named his developer Pyro Plus Paper Developer (PPPD) and after reading about this formulation I was inspired to give it a try. Believe me it takes some inspiration to get me to try something new, but I was frustrated with Amidol and I needed some good news for a change.
From all of the discussions about PPPD I found one thing was clear; there were numerous variations to the formula. The original published formula called for both Pyrogallol and Pyrocatechol. Now this is where things get a little confusing. I don’t recall where I found the particular variation that I tried, but there was a suggestion from somewhere to replace the Pyrogallol with Citric Acid. Not sure where I found that, but that was the formulation that I first tried.
From what I gathered, adding the Pyrogallol and changing the amount of Potassium Bromide makes a more warm-tone developer. I was not interested in warmer, I wanted a cold, neutral developer. To my surprise the variation I tried worked very well. It more than met my requirements, and so far, has yielded very neutral cold tone results on the Azo we have on hand. No more green tint, just what I wanted! It has also proven to be excellent with all other papers we use. And, for those that are economy minded, Pyrocatechol is much cheaper than Amidol.
PPPD keeps very well in an open tray once mixed, but should be dumped at the end of a printing session. I have never had it to die in the tray from oxidation. It does die from exhaustion, just like most any other developer. I would estimate that after about twenty 8×10 prints per liter, you should start looking to mix some fresh developer.
This particular formula also keeps well as a premixed two-part stock solution. Part ‘A’ is mixed 1:1 with part ‘B’ for use. I found that by mixing one liter of both part ‘A’ and part ‘B’ and storing it in full brown glass bottles it keeps at least six months. At least at this point in my experiments that is as long as I have stored the stock solutions. I keep three to four one liter bottles mixed and on the shelf in the darkroom. When we go to print, you just dump a bottle of part ‘A’ and part ‘B’ into a tray and away you go.
I really like this developer and my wife is using it also. So if I am asked what developer I am using, I say now days it is my variation of Donald Miller’s PPPD. My bottles are marked PPPD-JBH for my personal favorite formula.
Oh. . . almost forgot. . . I guess if you have read this far you are interested in the version of PPPD we are using. Here is the formula that we have found to work very well with every paper we use, including Azo. Maybe it will work for you. . . maybe not. The only way to find out is to, as Fred Picker would say, “TRY IT!”
Please note that this developer contains chemicals that could be hazardous. Practice safe handling procedures when mixing chemicals. Wear gloves or use tongs when working with PPPD. In fact, it is a good idea to wear gloves when using any print or film developer.
Keep in mind this is a cold-tone developer. If you search the Internet you will find more information on other variations of the PPPD formula. Supposedly adding Pyrogallol and varying the amount of Potassium Bromide makes this a warm-tone developer, but I have not tried it, since I was not interested in warmer print tone.
I would like to personally thank Donald Miller, and all the others involved for laying the groundwork and publishing this formula, and its numerous variations, for Pyro Plus Paper Developer. Anyone wishing to experiment with PPPD, or seeking more information, try an Internet search for Pyro Plus Paper Developer.
Here you will find the original Pyro Plus Paper Developer formulated by Donald Miller;
http://unblinkingeye.com/Articles/PyroPlus/pyroplus.html
JB
27
Feb
2009
WHO USES PYRO?
We have been using Pyro based film developers for some time now. So, what is it about a Pyro negative that makes it so desirable? I have yet to completely understand the desirability of the Pyro negative, but I do know there is a depth that just isn’t there with other more popular film developers.
We used Kodak HC110 for years. We even had our own dilution, that we used based on years of experience with the developer. But once persuaded to try Pyro, the HC110 negatives soon became undesirable. I guess the question is, if you have tried one of the Pyro formulas, did anyone else find that little something extra? Or is it just the mystique of using one of the oldest known developers? There has to be something. I can see it in the negative and the print.
I have been doing a series of detailed tests comparing several of the modern Pyro film developer formulas trying to pick the one that best suits what we do. One thing that is odd is to see all of the different colors of image stain, ranging from near neutral gray to bright green. I have about reached a conclusion as to which formula best suits what we do. . . and. . . I may just write about what I found at a later date. . .
JB
29
Jan
2009
We have been on a quest for that little something extra in the photographic print. There are great prints, then there are prints that have that magical something. Printing comprises a great deal of the quality of the finished print, but you have to have the information on the negative before you can make the print. We have used Pyro film developers for some time now, and every time we find a new formula we do a little film testing and then eagerly head to the field to see what we have.