Merits of Print Viewing Via Arc Lamp.

I was just considering the purchase of some welders
goggles to view my next batch of prints and was wondering
if anyone has experiences they wish to share on how to string
a line of arc lamps in a gallery.

(Sorry I couldn't resist


--
"To announce that there must be no criticism of the President,
or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong,
is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable
to the American public."--Theodore Roosevelt, May 7, 1918

greg_____photo(dot)com

G- Blank wrote:
I was just considering the purchase of some welders
goggles to view my next batch of prints and was wondering
if anyone has experiences they wish to share on how to string
a line of arc lamps in a gallery.

It is not so much the total intensity of the light, but the relative amount
of light falling on the image compared to the surround (until we get so low
the eye no longer perceives) or so high it hurts.

The trick to see more of the dense black is to illuminate just the image,
studiously avoiding the mat board around it. And that can be done without
arc lights. Quartz-Iodide lamps will do just fine, but you must shield the
light coming out so it falls _only on the print_, not on the mat board.

Since most galleries refuse to do that (even if they know they should), I
matted some prints on some (about) 18% gray mat board. The eye considers
that to be white, so the highlights on the print look very nice indeed, and
the blacks blacker than usual. But this is still a poor approximation to
what you could get if you could take the trouble to illuminate the prints
properly (no-one, AFAIK, does this), but see Chapter 22, Theory of Tone
Reproduction, by C.N.Nelson, in "Theory of the Photographic Process", Third
Edition edited by T.H.James. Kenneth Mees did the first two editions.
Especially Fig. 22.3 on page 469 and the accompanying text.

--
.~. Jean-David Beyer Registered Linux User 85642.
/V\ PGP-Key: 9A2FC99A Registered Machine 241939.
/( )\ Shrewsbury, New Jersey http://counter.li.org
^^-^^ 21:35:00 up 21 days, 13:03, 4 users, load average: 4.41, 4.31, 4.20

"Jean-David Beyer" wrote in message
news:WecHf.492$Eq.270@trnddc02...
G- Blank wrote:
I was just considering the purchase of some welders
goggles to view my next batch of prints and was wondering
if anyone has experiences they wish to share on how to
string
a line of arc lamps in a gallery.

It is not so much the total intensity of the light, but
the relative amount
of light falling on the image compared to the surround
(until we get so low
the eye no longer perceives) or so high it hurts.

The trick to see more of the dense black is to illuminate
just the image,
studiously avoiding the mat board around it. And that can
be done without
arc lights. Quartz-Iodide lamps will do just fine, but you
must shield the
light coming out so it falls _only on the print_, not on
the mat board.

Since most galleries refuse to do that (even if they know
they should), I
matted some prints on some (about) 18% gray mat board. The
eye considers
that to be white, so the highlights on the print look very
nice indeed, and
the blacks blacker than usual. But this is still a poor
approximation to
what you could get if you could take the trouble to
illuminate the prints
properly (no-one, AFAIK, does this), but see Chapter 22,
Theory of Tone
Reproduction, by C.N.Nelson, in "Theory of the
Photographic Process", Third
Edition edited by T.H.James. Kenneth Mees did the first
two editions.
Especially Fig. 22.3 on page 469 and the accompanying
text.

--
.~. Jean-David Beyer Registered Linux User
85642.
/V\ PGP-Key: 9A2FC99A Registered Machine
241939.
/( )\ Shrewsbury, New Jersey http://counter.li.org
^^-^^ 21:35:00 up 21 days, 13:03, 4 users, load average:
4.41, 4.31, 4.20

There is also a good summary of the work of L.A.Jones and
C.N.Nelson in _Fundamentals of Photographic Theory_ 2nd
edition, T.H.James and George C. Higgins 1960 Morgan and
Morgan.
Jones, with several co-investigators including Nelson
conducted very extensive research into photographic tone
reproduction. Jones also developed the minimum usable
density method of film speed measurement which was adopted
internally by Kodak and later as the first ASA system. The
original papers are very interesting but some of the
journals they are printed in are hard to find. Those
interested in the Zone System should also be familiar with
this work which deals with similar problems but from a
different perspective.
The "light box" method of illuminating prints gives a
truely spectacular effect, very similar to a back lighted
transparency. Most reflection print materials are capable of
greater Dmax than is useful under normal illumination. The
print must be especially made for this type of illumination,
generally of higher contrst and printed darker. The reserve
of black in most papers can be demonstrated by illuminating
them through the back. You will often see details in the
dark parts which are either invisible or hard to see under
normal lighting.
As far as arc lights one can get rebuilt used ones from
Mole-Richardson Co. in Hollywood at very attractive prices.
However, you will have to re-wire your house or buy a
suitable generator.
I am also unsure of the current availability of carbons.
Most arc lamps used for set lighting and for projection
today are of the Xenon type but you could get some of those
two.

--
---
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles, CA, USA

In article k.net,
"Richard Knoppow" wrote:

"Jean-David Beyer" wrote in message
news:WecHf.492$Eq.270@trnddc02...
G- Blank wrote:
I was just considering the purchase of some welders
goggles to view my next batch of prints and was wondering
if anyone has experiences they wish to share on how to
string
a line of arc lamps in a gallery.

It is not so much the total intensity of the light, but
the relative amount
of light falling on the image compared to the surround
(until we get so low
the eye no longer perceives) or so high it hurts.

The trick to see more of the dense black is to illuminate
just the image,
studiously avoiding the mat board around it. And that can
be done without
arc lights. Quartz-Iodide lamps will do just fine, but you
must shield the
light coming out so it falls _only on the print_, not on
the mat board.

Since most galleries refuse to do that (even if they know
they should), I
matted some prints on some (about) 18% gray mat board. The
eye considers
that to be white, so the highlights on the print look very
nice indeed, and
the blacks blacker than usual. But this is still a poor
approximation to
what you could get if you could take the trouble to
illuminate the prints
properly (no-one, AFAIK, does this), but see Chapter 22,
Theory of Tone
Reproduction, by C.N.Nelson, in "Theory of the
Photographic Process", Third
Edition edited by T.H.James. Kenneth Mees did the first
two editions.
Especially Fig. 22.3 on page 469 and the accompanying
text.

--
.~. Jean-David Beyer Registered Linux User
85642.
/V\ PGP-Key: 9A2FC99A Registered Machine
241939.
/( )\ Shrewsbury, New Jersey http://counter.li.org
^^-^^ 21:35:00 up 21 days, 13:03, 4 users, load average:
4.41, 4.31, 4.20

There is also a good summary of the work of L.A.Jones and
C.N.Nelson in _Fundamentals of Photographic Theory_ 2nd
edition, T.H.James and George C. Higgins 1960 Morgan and
Morgan.
Jones, with several co-investigators including Nelson
conducted very extensive research into photographic tone
reproduction. Jones also developed the minimum usable
density method of film speed measurement which was adopted
internally by Kodak and later as the first ASA system. The
original papers are very interesting but some of the
journals they are printed in are hard to find. Those
interested in the Zone System should also be familiar with
this work which deals with similar problems but from a
different perspective.
The "light box" method of illuminating prints gives a
truely spectacular effect, very similar to a back lighted
transparency. Most reflection print materials are capable of
greater Dmax than is useful under normal illumination. The
print must be especially made for this type of illumination,
generally of higher contrst and printed darker. The reserve
of black in most papers can be demonstrated by illuminating
them through the back. You will often see details in the
dark parts which are either invisible or hard to see under
normal lighting.
As far as arc lights one can get rebuilt used ones from
Mole-Richardson Co. in Hollywood at very attractive prices.
However, you will have to re-wire your house or buy a
suitable generator.
I am also unsure of the current availability of carbons.
Most arc lamps used for set lighting and for projection
today are of the Xenon type but you could get some of those
two.

It is quite interesting to me that a rather tongue in cheek post
on my part sometimes yields very interesting results, I thank you
both for giving additional food for thought.



--
"To announce that there must be no criticism of the President,
or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong,
is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable
to the American public."--Theodore Roosevelt, May 7, 1918

greg_____photo(dot)com

"Jean-David Beyer" wrote

"Theory of the Photographic Process",
Kenneth Mees did the first two editions.

Third Edition edited by T.H.James.

I think it has been mentioned before but the third
edition is a different book from the earlier editions.

It's like opening the third edition of "Great Expectations"
and finding "David Copperfield".

To find either: http://www.abebooks.com/

--
Nicholas O. Lindan, Cleveland, Ohio
Consulting Engineer: Electronics; Informatics; Photonics.
To reply, remove spaces: n o lindan at ix . netcom . com
Fstop timer - http://www.nolindan.com/da/fstop/index.htm

"Nicholas O. Lindan" wrote in message
link.net...
"Jean-David Beyer" wrote

"Theory of the Photographic Process",
Kenneth Mees did the first two editions.

Third Edition edited by T.H.James.

I think it has been mentioned before but the third
edition is a different book from the earlier editions.

It's like opening the third edition of "Great
Expectations"
and finding "David Copperfield".

To find either: http://www.abebooks.com/

--
Nicholas O. Lindan, Cleveland, Ohio
Consulting Engineer: Electronics; Informatics; Photonics.
To reply, remove spaces: n o lindan at ix . netcom . com
Fstop timer - http://www.nolindan.com/da/fstop/index.htm

Indeed, the first two are the work of Mees, the third was
published after his death and is mostly the work of Thomas
H. James, who eventually took over as head of the Kodak
Research Labs. The original and "revised" editions have a
sense of unity where the third and fourth editions are more
like a collection of journal articles. Grant Haist's _Modern
Photographic Processing_ was, I think, an attempt to publish
a modern version of Mees's book. One which was aimed at the
advanced photographer rather than the specialist.
Today, the only way to keep up is to read journal
articles and patent literature.
For those who don't know who Mees was perhaps a bit of
biography is in order. C.E.Kenneth Mees was an English
chemist who became a partner in Wratten and Wainwright, an
early manufacturer of photographic materials in England. W&W
was renouned for the quality of their materials, partculary
in being advanced in color sensitizing. This was mostly the
work of Mees. Through his research on dyes, which are used
to sensitize emulsions, Mees also developed excellent light
filters, hence the name Wratten Filter, which remains to
this day.
In 1912 Mees was invited by George Eastman to come to
Rochester and set up a proper research laboratory for him.
Mees agreed provided that Eastman would buy out his
partners, the Wrattens, father and son (Wainright had died
long before) but leave them in charge of the company.
Eastman agreed and Mees set up the famous Kodak Research
Laboratories. Mees decided from the outset that research
papers from the labs would be published in established, peer
reviewed, scientific and technical journals rather than in a
house organ. This immediately gave them high prestige and
wide availability. George Eastman wanted to make photography
available to everyone and included education in photography
in his offerings. The Kodak labs published prolifically,
many of the papers are still of great interest and also
trace the historical development of the photographic
process.
Mees retired about 1960 and died about a year later. The
last book he was personally responsible for was _From Dry
Plates to Ektachrome Film_ which was published after his
death.


--
---
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles, CA, USA

"Richard Knoppow" wrote:

Indeed, the first two are the work of Mees, the third was
published after his death and is mostly the work of Thomas
H. James, who eventually took over as head of the Kodak
Research Labs. The original and "revised" editions have a
sense of unity where the third and fourth editions are more
like a collection of journal articles. Grant Haist's _Modern
Photographic Processing_ was, I think, an attempt to publish
a modern version of Mees's book. One which was aimed at the
advanced photographer rather than the specialist.
Today, the only way to keep up is to read journal
articles and patent literature.
For those who don't know who Mees was perhaps a bit of
biography is in order. C.E.Kenneth Mees was an English
chemist who became a partner in Wratten and Wainwright, an
early manufacturer of photographic materials in England. W&W
was renouned for the quality of their materials, partculary
in being advanced in color sensitizing. This was mostly the
work of Mees. Through his research on dyes, which are used
to sensitize emulsions, Mees also developed excellent light
filters, hence the name Wratten Filter, which remains to
this day.
In 1912 Mees was invited by George Eastman to come to
Rochester and set up a proper research laboratory for him.
Mees agreed provided that Eastman would buy out his
partners, the Wrattens, father and son (Wainright had died
long before) but leave them in charge of the company.
Eastman agreed and Mees set up the famous Kodak Research
Laboratories. Mees decided from the outset that research
papers from the labs would be published in established, peer
reviewed, scientific and technical journals rather than in a
house organ. This immediately gave them high prestige and
wide availability. George Eastman wanted to make photography
available to everyone and included education in photography
in his offerings. The Kodak labs published prolifically,
many of the papers are still of great interest and also
trace the historical development of the photographic
process.
Mees retired about 1960 and died about a year later. The
last book he was personally responsible for was _From Dry
Plates to Ektachrome Film_ which was published after his
death.

Sometimes... when I have a relaxed hour or two to spend... I simply
Google-up "Author=Richard Knoppow" and sit back with a cold drink and enjoy
the read. And this on Usenet, of all places...

Ken

Richard Knoppow wrote:

"Nicholas O. Lindan" wrote in message
link.net...
"Jean-David Beyer" wrote

"Theory of the Photographic Process",
Kenneth Mees did the first two editions.

Third Edition edited by T.H.James.

I think it has been mentioned before but the third
edition is a different book from the earlier editions.

It's like opening the third edition of "Great
Expectations"
and finding "David Copperfield".

To find either: http://www.abebooks.com/

One might mention that "Theory" is out of print
and generally WAY overpriced by used book dealers.
But if one takes their time a realistic bargain
can still be found. I purchased a mint condition
plus autographed 4th edition not long ago for a
mere $40...

Nicholas O. Lindan, Cleveland, Ohio
Consulting Engineer: Electronics; Informatics; Photonics.
To reply, remove spaces: n o lindan at ix . netcom . com
Fstop timer - http://www.nolindan.com/da/fstop/index.htm

Indeed, the first two are the work of Mees, the third was
published after his death and is mostly the work of Thomas
H. James, who eventually took over as head of the Kodak
Research Labs. The original and "revised" editions have a
sense of unity where the third and fourth editions are more
like a collection of journal articles. Grant Haist's _Modern
Photographic Processing_ was, I think, an attempt to publish
a modern version of Mees's book. One which was aimed at the
advanced photographer rather than the specialist.

Today, the only way to keep up is to read journal
articles and patent literature.

Kodak researchers are still publishing papers, but
sadly Kodak as a company seems no longer committed
to advancing true photographic knowledge. Still, an
interesting synopsis of Mr. Mees...


For those who don't know who Mees was perhaps a bit of
biography is in order. C.E.Kenneth Mees was an English
chemist who became a partner in Wratten and Wainwright, an
early manufacturer of photographic materials in England. W&W
was renouned for the quality of their materials, partculary
in being advanced in color sensitizing. This was mostly the
work of Mees. Through his research on dyes, which are used
to sensitize emulsions, Mees also developed excellent light
filters, hence the name Wratten Filter, which remains to
this day.

In 1912 Mees was invited by George Eastman to come to
Rochester and set up a proper research laboratory for him.
Mees agreed provided that Eastman would buy out his
partners, the Wrattens, father and son (Wainright had died
long before) but leave them in charge of the company.
Eastman agreed and Mees set up the famous Kodak Research
Laboratories. Mees decided from the outset that research
papers from the labs would be published in established, peer
reviewed, scientific and technical journals rather than in a
house organ. This immediately gave them high prestige and
wide availability. George Eastman wanted to make photography
available to everyone and included education in photography
in his offerings. The Kodak labs published prolifically,
many of the papers are still of great interest and also
trace the historical development of the photographic
process.

Mees retired about 1960 and died about a year later. The
last book he was personally responsible for was _From Dry
Plates to Ektachrome Film_ which was published after his
death.

--
---
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles, CA, USA