PyroCat HD

May

2018

PYRO DEVELOPERS; SUBTLE YET DIFFERENT

When you go into your darkroom year after year and print your negatives, you slowly become acutely aware of the most minute changes in image quality. It’s this intimate contact with your craft and subject that allows you to see the minute changes that the materials and process make. The prints you made in years past may now seem to be lacking. Even those negatives you were never quite able to interpret into a suitable finished image may somehow come alive when you apply new wisdom and technique. Everything in the chain of events, from the camera to the finished photograph can and will make a difference. Some can make a vast amount of difference; others can be very small. Yet they all add together in the finished print.

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!”

Never let the opinion of someone else dictate your choices; either in life or photographically. You need to prove all things for yourself. Never fall prey to hearsay. Test everything for yourself. If you feel the need to explore Pyro developers, by all means take the time to do your own testing. To really know, you have to find the answers for yourself. A quick dabble will not do. You need to establish your personal film speed and developing time. Then go out and make photographs in the real world. And not just a few photographs, but a lot; over time; test; adjust as needed. Give yourself at least a years worth of real photography. Then you will have enough experience to make a really personal and informed decision.

Is there a real difference in a Pyro film developer? This is a question you will have to answer for yourself. Just do not fall into the trap of depending on someone else to make the decision for you. Pyro was good enough for Edward Weston, Morley Baer and many others. If we could only ask them their opinion.

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.

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

May

2013

PYRO STAINING FILM DEVELOPER

I had written about my experiments with Pyro Staining Developers back in October of 2010, and that should make it very clear that I have chosen my favorite film developer. Take a look at my previous post, “THE PYRO-CAT IS OUT OF THE BAG.” Of all of the Pyro Staining Developers I tested, PyroCat-HD by Sandy King has proven to be, hands down, the best of the best. If you are seriously looking for the finest all-around film developer, I would strongly suggest you take a serious look into PyroCat-HD.

Sandy King has done his research and formulated an excellent developer. Also, he has a new web site that is outstanding. I was pleased to find that he has a section dedicated to his technical writings which contains his original article on Pyro Developers. If you are seriously thinking about working with Pyro Developers, I would highly recommend you take a look at the article, “AN INTRODUCTION TO PYRO STAINING DEVELOPERS, WITH SPECIAL ATTENTION TO THE PYROCAT-HD FORMULA” by Sandy King.

There is no need for me to go into the details of my experiments with Pyro Developers since I have covered what I learned in my previous BLOG post. I would also recommend the above mentioned article by Sandy King, which covers a lot of what you need to know about Staining Developers. All I can add is that PyroCat-HD is the only developer we now use. Maybe you should try it yourself?

JB

Oct

2010

THE PYRO-CAT IS OUT OF THE BAG

Back in February 2009 I posted an entry titled “WHO USES PYRO?” and ended it with this statement, “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. . .”

One thing I can say for certain is that for us, and let me be very clear about this, I repeat, FOR US and the way we work, most any staining developer out performs any non-staining developer we have used. It was just a matter of finding the right developer that suited us and one that would allow us to produce prints that have the presence and feel that best suits our vision.

After working with several of the more popular staining film developer formulas we have finally chosen our favorite. There was a lot of research and comparisons, followed up with field testing in order to ascertain what best fit our needs. I defined the main criteria and judged each developer on how well each performed in each area. Here is a short list of the main points:

• the formula had to be published
• we considered how we work
• what we expect from the negative and developer combination
• ease of use
• consistency of the developed film
• stability of the developer formula
• stain color
• general stain and stain density
• the look, feel, and overall print quality
• last, but not least, the cost

I prefer to always be able to mix my own chemicals from scratch. This became my first issue, since I do not want to depend on the availability of the developer from an outside source. I am a strong believer in vertical integration. Also, if I want, I can modify the formula, and I always know who to blame if something goes wrong.

One thing I have learned is that Pyrogallol is cranky. Nearly all of the formulas we tried that were based on Pyrogallol, at one time or another, under certain circumstances, gave inconsistent and sometimes unpredictable results. The problems could have been caused by any number of variables. We tray process all sheet film using the shuffle method. Some of the Pyrogallol formulas showed signs of aerial oxidation in the tray at the end of the developing cycle, while others did not. The biggest problem was that every Pyrogallol formula we tried, performed erratically and at one time or another, produced an occasional unevenly developed negative. One formula was especially sensitive to wash time. The longer you left the film in the washer, the more the general stain increased and the film went from a near neutral color to deep green. Never did understand what caused that. I am sure it was something that I did, but I do not like to have to deal with something that is that sensitive to slight variations of process.

One thing I did learn was that Pyrocatechin is a much more stable and user friendly developing agent. The Pyrocatechin formulas showed little to no aerial oxidation in the tray after a processing run. No matter what I did, the negatives have not shown any uneven development or any other problems. I prefer to have the confidence that even if something is a little different during processing, it will not cause inconsistent results with the finished negative. In other words, I like to have a little wiggle room.

One other quick observation has to do with the general stain color. I know there has been a lot of discussion about the stain color and again this is what we have found to work best for us. Through our experimentation we quickly learned that green negatives do not work well for us. We print on numerous different papers, and use both graded and variable contrast materials. There is no one magic paper! The right paper is the one that works for any particular negative you are printing. We have found, that for us, the more neutral to brown stained negatives work the best. That is just us. . . if you find otherwise, then use what works for you.

With all of that behind us and a notebook full of test data, I can say it is time to stop the experimenting and get on with what is important, creating photographs. We have now chosen our favorite standard film developer. Pyrocat HD by Sandy King has proven to be the best choice for the way we work. What else can I say. It works. . . works consistently. . . and meets all of our expectations.

I would like to thank Sandy King for all of the research and work he has put into this formula. If you are not familiar with Pyro developers and Pyrocat HD, click HERE to learn more.