The Beggar, Roma

Each negative is swept with an electronic dust collector to ensure all dust is removed from the negative.

All 35mm film is enlarged using my Leica V35 enlarger with a Leitz Wetzlar 40mm Focotar enlarging lens, and a Heiland LED Light Source and probe to analyze the negative’s highlights and shadows for the Ilford Multigrade Fiber paper I use. This first print gets me “into the ballpark” to make the final archival silver print.

All 6×6 (2.25 x 2.25) and 4×5 films are printed using my 1968 5×7 Durst 138s Laborator with an El Nikkor 135mm enlarging lens, and a El Nikkor 150mm enlarging lens, respectively, and a Heiland LED Light Source and probe to analyze the negative’s highlights and shadows.

Depending on the negative and its densities, I will also opt to use a mask system, conceived by my dear friend, Alan Ross, to help bring down highlights and to open shadows.

All 8×10 negatives are contact prints under the Durst 138s Laborator. If an 8×10 negative is enlarged, it is made using my Zone VI 8×10 enlarger with a Zone VI Cold Light Head and a 240mm Schneider enlarging lens. Depending on the negative’s densities, I will incorporate Alan’s mask system.

These three enlargers work beautifully with the Ilford Multigrade Fiber paper. This series of prints will be made with Ilford Multigrade Fiber paper, processed in Ilford developer for two-minutes at 68-degrees, a stop bath of one minute, a fix bath of two minutes,* then washed in an archival washer for ten minutes.** These prints are made from Kodak Tri-X negatives, developed in Kodak D-76, full strength with Crone C added to the stock developer. This C-76 developer produces open shadows and transparent highlights.

Each photograph will be mounted and matted on 100 percent museum rag mat boards. Each will be signed by me accompanied with a USB drive that shows me making your print.

*It has been determined that a fix bath of two minutes is efficient to give each print archival permanence.

**A ten-minute wash in my archival washers guarantees each print archival permanence.

Kenn Bisio/Denver/Orvieto